INTRODUCTION
The need for the development of ICT is a global resolution and has been a subject
of great significance to all mankind (Olaofe, 2005).
These technologies have become central to contemporary societies. Whether one
is talking on phone, sending an email, going to the bank, using a library, listening
to sports coverage on the radio, watching the news on television, working in
an office or in the field, going to the doctor, driving a car or catching a
plane, one is using ICTs. Information and communication technology is a shorthand
for the computers, software, networks, satellite links and related systems that
allow people to access, analyse, create, exchange and use data, information
and knowledge in ways that were almost imaginable (Association
of African Universities, 2000). The prevalence and rapid development of
ICTs has transformed human society from the information technology age to the
knowledge age (Galbreath, 2000).
Most Nigerian tertiary institutions are already having computer study as part
of their academic programs, most of them are still theoretical in nature to
impact meaningfully on the society. The Nigeria University Commission recently
established a virtual learning website but its impact is yet to be seen and
it is too early to be assessed (Gbenga, 2006). In fact,
ICT has had more impact on administrative services such as admissions, registration,
fee payment and purchasing than on the fundamentals of classroom teaching and
learning. But even if ICT has not revolutionized the classroom yet, it is changing
the learning experience of students by relaxing time and space constraints as
well as providing easier access to information online journals and e-books;
students portals; etc.) an achievement that should not be downplayed (Gambari
and Okoli, 2007).
Kitschner and Davis (2003) identified the following
competencies required by lecturers in ICT application in education. These include:
competence to make personal use of ICT, competence to master range of educational
paradigms that make use of ICT, sufficient competence to make use of ICTs as
mind tools, competence to make use of ICT as a tool for teaching, competence
in mastering a range of assessment paradigms which make use of ICT, competency
in understanding the policy dimensions of the use of ICT for teaching and learning.
Lecturers in tertiary institutions are involved basically in two things: teaching
and research, with auxiliary administrative assignments. The ICTs have the potentials
of not only ensuring effectiveness and efficiency in these two areas of teaching
and learning; they have the potentials of erasing the administrative duties.
According to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(2005) and Gbenga (2006) ICT can work in a number
of general ways:
| • |
It can be used to help in school administration |
| • |
It can be used to train students in skills which they will
need in further education and as an ongoing learning process throughout
the rest of their lives and for their future jobs, e.g., word processing,.
email communications etc. |
| • |
It can provide access to information and communication outside
the classroom e.g., via the Internet |
| • |
It can be used to support teacher development via external
networks |
| • |
It can support and potentially transform the learning and
teaching process |
ICT has a number of features which it particularly suitable for tertiary education:
| • |
It combines and integrates a full range of media essential
for effective learning. The ICT uses sounds, vision, text and numeric data |
| • |
It provides lecturers with new opportunities and in particular,
distance learning and involvement in the real-world |
| • |
There is an opportunity to increase the interest and involvement
of students by the one to one relationship provided by the student and computer |
| • |
It provides students with opportunity with an opportunity
to work and learn on their own |
When teaching and learning process is assessed critically in tertiary institutions
in Nigeria, it could be observed that the challenge for lecturers in tertiary
institutions is no longer in covering the course contents or in adopting appropriate
teaching pedagogy, but it is in having access to ICT and using it to embrace
teaching and learning (Olaofe, 2005). Olaofe
(2005) argued that such a grasp of ICT should be within the capabilities
of most people, regardless of age, area of discipline, gender, or educational
experience.
Milken Exchange on Education Technology (1999) cited
by Yusuf and Onasanya (2004) identified three major ways
of using ICT for teaching and learning. These are Information Technology (IT)
assisted learning; technology as a tool and computer and information science.
Information Technology (IT) Assisted Learning
This is divided into (1) Computer Assisted Learning (CAL), which is the
interaction between a student and computer system designed to help the students
learn (drill and practice, tutorials, simulations and virtual realities). (2)
Computer assisted research implies where ICT is used as an aid to doing library
and empirical research. This is enhanced through the growth of World Wide Web
which has created virtual library that can only be accessed by the technologically
literate. (3) Distance learning, which is the use of telecommunications, designed
to facilitate students learning through e-mail, interactive web sites and two-way
audio/video teleconferencing.
Technology as a Tool
This involves the use of a large array of hardware and software: word processors,
graphic packages; digital camera, presentation applications, database and spreadsheet,
among others. These hardware and software do not have limited educational purpose,
but they are designed to help people extend their abilities to do work. Digital
science probes, for instance are more specialised.
Computer and Information Science
These deals with speciality in computer as an area of study for students
with particular interests in technology. The ICT should be used as a pedagogically
powerful tool for the construction and modelling of knowledge.
Association of African Universities (2000) and Yusuf
(2005) identified the following application of ICT in teaching and learning:
| • |
To provide basic computer literacy skills |
| • |
To provide basic computer literacy skills relevant to respective
academic disciplines |
| • |
To improve students motivation |
| • |
To improve access to remote resources |
| • |
To improve communication skills |
| • |
To improve higher order thinking skills |
| • |
To provide content (e.g., CD-ROM, www, etc.) |
| • |
To support teaching methodology (e.g., group work tools for
group assignments on the internet) |
| • |
To improve course management (both in the regular curriculum
and in distance education) |
| • |
To collaborate in online teaching and learning with others
faculty and students from around the world |
Abimbade (1998) reported the benefits of ICT to lecturers
in the areas of teaching as: (1) increase the time learners devote to learning,
(2) enhance the speed of availability of data and information, (3) provide immediate
feedback, (4) assist less qualified teachers and (5) increase teachers efficiency
and effectiveness. Abimbade (1998) explained further
that one needs to be literate in the use of computers to effectively use them
in teaching.
Research is another core business of the university. Distance research collaboration
has been made possible using ICT, virtual lab technology making it possible
for researchers located in different geographical regions to participate in
joint projects. Yusuf and Onasanya (2004) identified
three specific areas of relevance of ICT to lecturers in the area of research
as follows:
| • |
It provides opportunities for scholars to communicate with
one another through e-mail, mailing lists and new groups and chat rooms.
These ICT resources enable communication between scholars as they can post
research, assignments, books or journal lists references to on-line materials.
Problems and solution can be discussed between researchers and scholars
can react to the work of others in an electronic manuscript. The ICTs further
provide greater opportunities for research collaboration and networking
among scholars spread throughout the world, thus, national and international
dimensions of research issues can be studied as they can allow for communication
with peers and experts around the world. Through collaborative knowledge
building, studies can spotlight trans-national trend analysis through human
and instrumentation collaboration |
| • |
The ICTs can facilitate research in any discipline as they
provide quicker and easier access to more extensive and current information
through digital libraries that provide digitised full-text resources to
learners and researchers. Others are the electronics list- a directory of
scholarly and professional e-conferences containing relevant topics and
articles relevant to researchers and electronic reference desks or virtual
libraries. Others include electronic journal and catalogues and image database.
Others are Internet resources; gopher and CD-ROM can provide a researcher
with current, in depth, firsthand information |
| • |
ICTs can be used to do complex mathematical and statistical
calculations which are important in research. They can be used for data
manipulation and analysis. The ICT will facilitate the compilation of data
on time, performance of statistical analysis. In fat, complex statistical
analysis are not only performed instantaneously but also more accurately
than possible manually |
Association of African Universities (2000) identified
the following application of ICT in research:
| • |
As a research tool (statistical packages, simulation software
etc.) |
| • |
To collect academic information (e.g., www, discussion groups,
on-line catalogues, etc.) |
| • |
To disseminate academic information (e.g., www, electronics
publishing houses, etc.) |
| • |
To collaborate with other researchers worldwide |
| • |
To advertise research plans/efforts to create networks, find
donors, etc. on the www |
Middleton (2000) asserted that ICTs provide researchers
with ready avenue for the dissemination of research reports and findings. Publication
outlets include e-book, e-journals or through personal web sites. The ICT provide
ready means for production of research reports. Furthermore, digital video,
audio, software simulation, synchronous and asynchronous charts and interactive
software, among others, bring dynamism in describing a method or reporting result.
Association of African Universities (2000) identified
some obstacles in the introduction and utilization of ICTs in African universities.
These include the following among others:
| • |
Poor national telecommunication infrastructure (especially
inadequate telephone access) |
| • |
Lack of enabling environment, including highly regulated telecommunications
industry, unsatisfactory performance of internet service providers and absence
of incentives to promote innovation and risk taking |
| • |
In some countries, the hostile social climate and potential
instability prevent opportunities of international collaboration and support |
| • |
Absence of National Information and Communication Infrastructure
policy (NICI policy) |
| • |
Internet points of presence in several countries are not easily
accessible to university communities, even with high-speed telephone systems |
Internet traffic congestion or saturation due to limited bandwidth
| • |
Non reliability of electricity supply |
| • |
High Internet Service Providers (ISP) fees |
| • |
Inadequate and irregular funding of ICT initiatives |
| • |
Prohibitive importation costs of ICT equipment, often compounded
by national import tariff levels |
| • |
Others are organization internal obstacles, human resources-related
obstacles etc. |
Dogara et al. (2003) and Gambari
and Okoli (2007) identified other problems as bureaucracy, lack of well-equipped
ICT labs, lack of qualified personnel to maintain the ICT materials and no connectivity
to internet, lack of adequate training programme, Head of department/Deans’
militating against the use of ICT in teaching and learning.
Hogarty and Kramer (2000) and Agbatogun
(2006) found that sex and academic qualifications of teachers do not affect
teachers’ attitude towards the teaching and learning of computer science
in schools. However, both male and female teachers normally exercise fear of
failure in implementing any new idea or phenomenon. Agbatogun
(2006) discovered that younger teachers are more amiable to new challenges
than the older teachers. He concluded that with global technological wave that
is affecting every sector and every aspect of teachers’ life weather male
or female, experienced or inexperienced, humanities, science or vocationally
oriented need to struggle zealously to be computer literate in order to face
the present educational challenges.
Nigerian lecturers have been polarised in their acceptance of the new technologies. Whilst some have enthusiastically integrated computers and Internet into classroom, other have cautious in their welcome and some have simply rejected the technologies. However, this study investigated the availability and utilization of ICTs among lecturers in tertiary institutions in Kwara State.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Research Hypothesis
The following hypothesis were formulated from the research questions and
tested at 0.05 level of significant:
| • |
There is no significant difference between male and female
lecturers’ attitude towards integration of ICT into classroom teaching
and research work |
| • |
There is no significant difference between science and science
related lecturers’ willingness to use ICT facilities for teaching,
learning and research in tertiary institutions |
| • |
There is no significant difference between less experienced
and highly experienced lecturers competence in the use of ICT for teaching
and research at university, polytechnics and colleges of education |
| • |
There is no significant difference between lecturers in the
universities, polytechnics and colleges of education level of computer skills
in the use of ICT for teaching and research work |
Sample and Sampling Technique
Three tertiary institutions in Kwara State were selected for the study.
These are University of Ilorin, Ilorin Nigeria, Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin
and Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin, Nigeria between 2006 and 2007
academic session. One Hundred and fifty lecturers participated in responding
to the questionnaire. Among the participants, 90 were males, while 60 were females.
They cut across all the departments within the institutions, giving a total
of 150 lecturers. Among the 150 lecturers 50 whose teaching experience was less
than 7 years were treated as less experience, 50 whose teaching experience was
less than 16 years were treated as moderately experience, while 50 who had more
than 16 years and above were treated as highly experienced lecturers. Ninty
Science and technology related discipline lecturers and 60 arts related discipline
lecturers participated in the study, giving a total of 150 lecturers.
Instrumentation
The instrument used for this study is a 29 item questionnaire designed by
the researcher. The questionnaire focused on demographic data (sex, years of
experience, nature of subject taught, types of institutions). The instrument
has four sections. Section A requires centres on gender influence on the integration
of ICT; section B asks whether lecturers’ areas of discipline affects their
attitudes towards the use ICT; section C was specifically designed to assess
the lecturers’ level of experience in relative to integration of ICT into
teaching and research in tertiary institution; while section D enquires about
the level of competence of lecturers at university, polytechnics and college
of education in the use of ICT for teaching and research purposes. The 29 questions
of a four-point Likert Scale was with different interpretation were used. Section
A of the questionnaire was rated as 1 refered to Strongly Disagree (SD), while
4 referred to Strongly Agree (SA). In other to validate the instrument, the
questionnaire was given to a computer educationist and two educational technologists
to critically look at the face and content validity. Alpha reliability score
of instrument was 0.85 meaning that is suitable for the research.
Procedure for Data Collection
The researcher visited the institutions and some lecturers were chosen as
research assistant. The questionnaire was administered on the first visit to
the lecturers across all the departments. At second visits, the questionnaire
was collected from the research assistants. 10-questionnaires mortality was
discovered out of 160 questionnaires prepared for the research. After responses
have been collated, they were sorted into different groups according to the
research hypothesis. A questionnaire was not considered for analysis if it was
not well completed (omission of items) and if the respondent gave contradictory
information evidence that he/she did not understand the demand of some questions
or was not honest in his response. Inferential statistics were used to analyze
the data. The t-test and one-way ANOVA was used to assess differences between
groups of lecturers. Analysis were conducted at 0.05 level of significance.
RESULTS
Hypothesis 1
There is no significant difference between male and female lecturers attitude
towards integration of ICT into classroom teaching and research work.
Table 1 shows the t-test comparison of the males and females lecturer’s attitudes towards the use the ICT facilities/equipment for teaching and research work. From the Table 1, the calculated t-value (14.56) is higher than the critical t-value (1.94). This indicates that there is statistical significant difference in the attitudes of males and females lecturers at 0.05 level of significance (tcri = 1.94, df = 6, p>0.05).
Hypothesis 2
There is no significant difference between science subject related lecturers
and others (Arts, humanise, social sciences) lecturers on the attitudes towards
the use of ICT facilities/equipment for teaching and research in tertiary institutions.
Table 2 shows the t-test comparison of the science related lecturers and other counterparts’ attitudes towards the use of ICT/equipment in tertiary institutions. From the Table 2, the calculated t-value (5.51) is higher than the critical t-value (1.65). This indicates that there is statistical significant difference in the scores of science lecturers and others (Arts, Humanities and social sciences) lecturers at 0.05 level of significance (tcrit = 1.65, df = 148, p>0.05). Therefore, hypothesis is rejected. Hence, there is statistical significant difference in the attitudes of science lecturers and others in respects of utilization of ICT facilities/equipment in higher institutions.
The result on Table 3 shows that there is significant difference
between less experienced, moderately experienced and highly experienced lecturers’
attitudes towards the integration of ICT facilities and equipment into teaching
and research work. The F-calculated value (261.01) is higher than F-critical
value (3.00) thus, the hypothesis was rejected.
| Table 1: |
The t-test comparison of attitudes male and female lecturers
towards the use of ICT facilities and equipment for teaching and research
in tertiary institutions |
|
| *Significant at 0.05 level of significance |
| Table 2: |
The t-test comparison of attitudes of science and other subject
related lecturers towards the use of ICT facilities and equipment in for
teaching and research in tertiary institutions |
|
| *Significant at 0.05 level of significance |
| Table 3: |
The ANOVA comparison of the attitudes of less experience,
moderately experience and highly experience lecturers towards the use of
ICT facilities and equipment for teaching and research in tertiary institutions
|
|
| *Significant at p<0.05 level |
| Table 4: |
The ANOVA comparison of the ICT skills acquisition in the
use of ICT between lecturers in the university, polytechnics and colleges
of education |
|
| *Significant at p<0.05 level |
However, Scheffe’s post hoc test shows that, the less experienced lecturers have highest mean scores (3.236), followed by moderately experienced (2.264) and highly experienced (1.916) lecturers, respectively. This indicates that the less experience lecturers’ attitudes towards the use of ICT is commendable than moderately and highly experienced one.
The results on Table 4 shows that there is significant difference between university, polytechnics and colleges of education lecturers’ ICTs skills acquisition for teaching and research work. The F-calculated value (97.19) is higher than F-critical value (3.89) thus, the hypothesis was rejected.
However, Scheffe’s post hoc test shows that, the universities lecturers have highest mean scores (3.236), followed by polytechnics lecturers (1.916) and colleges of education lecturers (1.00) lecturers, respectively. This indicates that the university lecturers acquired more ICT skills than polytechnics and colleges of education, respectively.
DISCUSSION
The world is fast becoming a global village, as a result of developments in
Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The challenge of integrating
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into tertiary institutions is
a very big task. It’s obvious that there is little or no usage of ICT at
this level of our educational system. Most institutions do not have the necessary
ICT facilities for instruction and research neither do the lecturers possess
skills in ICT for effective classroom interactions. The position of this study
is supported by the findings of Hogarty and Kramer (2000)
and Agbatogun (2006) which showed that sex and academic
qualifications of lecturers do not affects lecturers’ attitude towards
the use of ICT facilities and equipment. Similarly, it is surprising that the
younger lecturers are more amiable to new challenges than the old ones. Science
lecturers are more interested in the use of ICT facilities than their counterparts.
The level of competences and skills acquisition of colleges of education and
polytechnics lecturers in the use of ICT facilities and equipment is worrisome.
The major findings of the study therefore include that:
| • |
Gender has no effect on lecturers’ attitudes towards
the use ICT facilities/equipment in tertiary institutions |
| • |
Science subject lecturers are more interested in the use of
ICT facilities/equipment for teaching and research work than their counterparts |
| • |
The less experience lecturers are more dispose towards the
use of ICT facilities than their senior colleagues |
| • |
University lecturers possessed more ICT skills than Polytechnics
and colleges of education, respectively |
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Global trends in the application of ICTs demonstrate that the power of ICTs can transform the several interconnected functions of universities. The ICTs offer the potential to strengthen conventional education while rapidly transforming distance education. They not only expand the research and development opportunities of the institutions but also strengthen libraries with access to an unlimited body of digital information globally and bring considerable efficiency and effectiveness to university management. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) offer innumerable benefits in enhancing the quality and quantity of learning in tertiary institutions. Despite the prevalent nature of ICT in virtually every aspect of human endeavours, they have not been widely integrated into the teaching and learning process in schools. Their integration will not only revolutionise teaching in tertiary institutions, they will engender the development of students’ innate scientific inquiry mind and their critical thinking abilities. There is need to sensitise and encourage lecturers towards computer literacy because when this is done, the success of integration of computer education into school will be guaranteed.
The recommendations are as follows:
| • |
The tertiary education curriculum should reviews to reflect
more practical courses in ICT for pre-service and in-service lecturers |
| • |
Workshops/seminar organised specifically for the purpose of
facilitating their literacy, awareness and skills using ICT in teaching
will greatly improve their condition |
| • |
Tertiary institutions should be well equipped with adequately
functional and well-furnished computer laboratory/cyber café for
lecturers and students use |
| • |
Computer literacy should be one of the pre-requisites for
appointing lecturers into the teaching profession |
| • |
National University Commission, National Commission for Colleges
of Education and National Board for Technical Education should provide the
necessary ICT facilities and equipment to tertiary institutions |
| • |
Female and highly experienced lecturers should be encouraged
to face the challenges of new technologies |
| • |
New lecturers must be inducted to develop the needed skills
in the use of ICTs and to develop positive attitude towards their use for
teaching and research while old lecturers should be encourage to have basic
knowledge of computer appreciation |