A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF E-LEARNING FACILITIES USE AMONG KADUNA POLYTECHNIC LECTURERS FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHING, LEARNING, AND SUSTAINABLE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 THE STUDY’S BACKGROUND
The fast development and applications of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and the Internet over the last three decades have intertwined nearly every aspect of human endeavor and provided a new and simple means of managing information. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, ICT, more than any other technology, gives lecturers, professors, and students with access to huge stores of knowledge beyond the classroom, as well as multi-media tools to add to this store of knowledge (UNESCO, 2011). It has grown so interwoven in modern educational delivery around the world that providing or receiving formal education without the use of advanced technologies (e-learning facilities) is nearly impossible.
Higher education institutions, in particular, have seen major transformations in terms of the teaching-learning process. The usage of chalk and duster in seminar rooms and lecture halls is now completely outdated in several higher education institutions. Electronic learning (E-learning) has grown in popularity as the internet and information and communication technologies have grown. 2014 (Ali and Imran)
Nigeria’s telecoms industry’s recent and rapid growth has led in an unprecedented surge in the usage of e-learning facilities in tertiary institutions across the country for long-term national development. Institutions of higher learning all over the world are adopting and utilizing e-learning technologies to provide their diverse academic programs.
According to Miwa, as stated in Huang, tertiary institutions in Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, and Singapore have been using e-learning facilities to support higher education in a networked environment (2010). As a result, Kaduna Polytechnic instructors must adapt and employ e-learning facilities for effective teaching-learning and long-term national growth in Nigeria in order to ensure conformity with current international trends. (Anggrainningsih, Setiadi, and Umam) (2018).
E-learning is the use of electronic media and information and communication technologies in teaching and learning. Olatubosun, Olusoga, and Samuel (2015) define e-Learning as the use of modern multimedia technologies and the Internet to improve learning quality by facilitating access to resources and services, as well as distant exchanges and cooperation. Computer-based learning, web-based learning, virtual classrooms, and digital collaboration are only a few examples of e-learning applications and activities.
Content distribution via the internet, intranet/extranet (LAN/WAN), audio and video, satellite transmission, interactive TV, CD-ROM, and a variety of additional channels is also included. In their list of technology techniques for delivering e-learning, Allen and Samuel (2008) listed television, mobile phones, cameras, email, DVD/CD, internet, telephone, audio-conferencing, audio graphics, and video-conferencing.
A wide range of web and computer-based programs and procedures, as well as virtual classrooms and digital collaboration, were integrated for e-learning. Its content could be delivered via many channels such as the internet, intranet, audio and video, CD-ROM, satellite, product interactive television, and others.
Despite the numerous and obvious benefits of incorporating ICT into the teaching and learning process, Shahadat, Muhbub, and Clement (2012) report that certain higher educational institutions are finding it difficult to simply integrate essential ICT.
Scholars such as Adika (2003), Mohammed & Mumtaz (2010), and Anggrainningsih, Umam, and Setiadi (2018) have previously noted inadequate access to e-learning facilities in developing countries such as Nigeria, and have suggested that efforts be made to rescue staff and students in African universities from the problem of access to e-learning facilities.
The literature on e-learning also suggests that a number of hurdles can block access to e-learning. These include, among other things, a persistently epileptic electricity supply, the high cost of hardware such as personal computers (PCs) and laptops (which students find astronomical), the country’s technophobia systems, and students’ poor attitude toward ICT (Salawudeen 2006), Achebe 2012, and Bello et – el, 2017).
1.2 THE PROBLEM’S STATEMENT
E-learning has evolved into an important component of 21st-century education and training, and it is now employed by a wide range of companies (Abubakar and Hassan, 2013). The use of e-learning facilities in schools and colleges improved learning effectiveness and convenience for students and lecturers, improved the image of the school or college, saved money for the school or the government, saved classroom space for the school or the institution, and reduced traffic and parking congestion on campus for students, lecturers, and visitors.
Despite these benefits, Mohammed and Mumtaz (2010) cited several concerns, including inadequate finance, poverty, and low tele-density, as barriers to effective use of e-learning facilities. According to Adelabu, Adu, and Adjorgri (2014) and Adelabu, Adu, and Adjorgri (2015), hurdles to the adoption of e-learning facilities in developing countries include a lack of funds, expensive facility expenses, and high maintenance costs.
As a result of these reports and observations, a study into the use of e-learning facilities among instructors at Kaduna Polytechnic in Nigeria is required for effective teaching-learning and long-term national development.
1.3 THE OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The overall goal of this study is to analyze the use of e-learning facilities by lecturers at Kaduna Polytechnic for effective teaching, learning, and long-term national development in Nigeria. The study is specifically designed to;
Examine the various sorts of e-learning facilities accessible at Kaduna Polytechnic in Nigeria.
Investigate the extent to which teachers at Kaduna Polytechnic, Nigeria, use e-learning facilities in the learning and teaching process.
Identify the difficulties faced by professors at Kaduna Polytechnic in employing e-learning facilities in the classroom.
1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH
The following research questions influence the study’s objective.
What kinds of e-learning facilities are accessible at Kaduna Polytechnic in Nigeria?
To what extent do Kaduna Polytechnic lecturers in Nigeria use e-learning facilities for learning and teaching?
What are the problems that Kaduna Polytechnic instructors face when using e-learning facilities in the classroom?
1.5 THE STUDY’S IMPORTANCE
This research will add to the current body of information on the subject and will act as a resource for academics, researchers, and students interested in conducting future research on this or a comparable topic. The study will disclose how much teachers use the E-learning facilities at Kaduna State Polytechnic.
This would help the government locate the resources needed for lecturers to effectively use e-learning tools. The study will also indicate the extent to which E-learning has influenced Nigeria’s progress.
Furthermore, the research will shed light on techniques for increasing lecturers’ use of E-learning.
Finally, the research will add to the body of knowledge on the subject and serve as a resource for academics, researchers, and students interested in conducting future research on this or a comparable topic.
1.6 STUDY OBJECTIVES
The study examines the use of e-learning facilities by lecturers at Kaduna Polytechnic for successful teaching, learning, and long-term national development in Nigeria. It discusses the many sorts of e-learning facilities offered by Kaduna Polytechnic in Nigeria. The amount to which lecturers use those facilities, as well as the difficulties instructors have when using those facilities. As a result, the lecturers at Kaduna Polytechnic in Nigeria will be participants in this study.
1.7 STUDY LIMITATIONS
A study of this magnitude should have involved the entire tertiary institution, faculty, and students. Time and money constraints, on the other hand, prevented this from happening. Data from such a small percentage of the target population must be handled with caution when applied to the larger scenario.
1.8 TERM DEFINITION
E-learning is defined as learning that takes place through electronic medium, most commonly the internet.
Sustainable National Development (SND) is the process of enhancing the range of opportunities that will allow individuals and communities to attain their aspirations and full potential through time while retaining the environment’s resilience.
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A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF E-LEARNING FACILITIES USE AMONG KADUNA POLYTECHNIC LECTURERS FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHING, LEARNING, AND SUSTAINABLE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA