Assessment of the Influence of E-learning on Academic Behavior of University Students in Nigeria
CHAPTER ONE
Purpose of The Study
The purpose of this study is as follows:
- Establish the impact of e-learning on academic performance of Business studies students in the University in Lagos State.
- Examine the roles of Government and Private sector on the development of E-Learning in junior the University in Lagos State.
- Determine the impact of e-learning on the improvement of the quality of education of business studies students’ in Lagos State.
- Ascertain ICT as a key factor for assessing students’ academic performance.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Theoretical Framework
Constructivism Theory
Constructivism is the theory that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world, through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences. When learners encounter something new, they reconcile it with previous knowledge and experience. They may change what they believe, or they may discard the new information as irrelevant. To be active creators of their knowledge however, they must be able to ask questions, explore and assess what they know. In the classroom, the constructivist view of learning means encouraging students to use active techniques such as experiments and real-world problem solving using authentic data if possible, and to create knowledge and reflect on their understanding.
Constructivism modifies the role of the teacher so that teachers help students to construct knowledge rather than reproduce a series of facts. The constructivist teacher provides tools such as problem-solving and inquiry-based learning activities like in e-learning setup so that students can formulate and test their ideas, draw conclusions and inferences, and convey their knowledge in a collaborative learning environment. The teacher must understand the students’ preexisting conceptions and guide the activities to address this knowledge and then build on it. Constructivist teachers encourage students to assess how the activity is helping them gain understanding. By questioning themselves and their strategies, students become expert learners as they learn how to learn, with the use of computers online and/or offline. The students then have the tools necessary to become life-long learners.
The teaching-learning method in e-learning is assumed to be self-directed learning (SDL), which is supported by the educational philosophy of constructivism. According to constructivism theory, e-learning is an active information process because knowledge generation is accomplished through individual experience, maturity and interaction with one’s environment. Due to this point of view, the educational philosophy of constructivism is distinguished from objectivism in that the learner is regarded as a passive recipient of information (Rotter J.B 1989).
Learning performance in regards to e-learning is possibly lower than a crammed educational style based on objectivist educational philosophy, with the exception of a strategic approach relating to the efforts and studies for the pleasure of the self-learner. Lee et al., (2007) point that the SDL teacher is available as an assistant and guide for learning, not as a unilateral knowledge source and messenger. Learners enjoy e-learning by selecting knowledge and using it practically (Thatcher& Pamela, 2000).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOG
This part of the study is related to the methods and instruments that will be used in gathering and analyzing data. It entails the research design; which is the blueprint of the study, population of study; which helps in the choice of the sample, sampling technique and the research instrument, procedure for analyzing data collected and method of data collection and analysis which involve the strategy and procedure for summarizing and exploring relationships among variables being considered in the investigation.
Design of the Study
This study will employ a descriptive survey design. Asika (2000) sees this design as suitable for studies involving collecting data on opinions and feelings of respondents over a period of time. It seeks to describe the variable associated with a phenomenon of interest.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS OF DATA AND DISCUSSION OF RESULT
This chapter describes the methods used in the presentation and analysis of data collected during the study. The data collected will be analyzed and the results would be presented using the weighted mean. A four point liker scale item was developed using a decision rule.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
This chapter comprises the summary of research findings as well as conclusions. The chapter further presents recommendations to the stakeholders in the Ministry of Education as based on the views of the respondents (students) on the research findings, educational implication of study and suggestions for further study.
Summary
This research work attempts to answer questions on the roles of ICT on academic performance of students, the limitations and the challenges of its integration in education systems. Information communication technologies are influencing all aspects of life including education. They are promoting changes in working conditions, handling and exchanging of information, teaching-learning approaches and so on. One area in which the impacts of ICT is significant, is education. ICT is making major differences in the teaching approaches and the ways students are learning. ICT-enhanced learning environment facilitates active, collaborative, creative, integrative, and evaluative learning as an advantage over the traditional method. In other words, ICT is becoming more appropriate in the realization and implementation of the emerging pedagogy of constructivism that gives greater responsibility of learning for students. Several surveys are showing that ICT use in education systems of developed nations has comparatively advanced than ICT use in education systems of developing nations.
In addition, the major promises of ICTs use in education systems of developing countries focus on training teachers and students in new skills and introducing innovative pedagogies into the classrooms, investing on ICT infrastructure for schools and creating networks among educational institutes, improving overall standard of education by reducing the gap in quality of education between schools in urban and rural areas, initiation of smart school with objectives to foster self-paced, self-assessed, and self-directed learning through the applications of ICTs, and developing ICT policy for education and training. On the other hand, this article discusses the major limitations of ICT use in education as teacher related, student related, and technology related.
Conclusions
The role of ICTs in the education is recurring and unavoidable. Rapid changes in the technologies are indicating that the role of ICT in future will grow tremendously in the education sector.
- By observing current activities and practices in the education, we can say the development of ICTs within education has strongly affected on a. What is learned? b. How it is learned? c. When & where learning takes place d. Who is learning and who is teaching.
- ICT also focuses modification of the role of teachers. In addition to classroom teaching, they will have other skills and responsibilities. Teachers will act as virtual guides for students who use electronic media.
- Ultimately, the use of ICT will enhance the learning experiences of students. Also it helps them to think independently and communicate creatively. It also helps students for building successful careers and lives, in an increasingly technological world.
Recommendations
- We advise that both the teachers and the students should develop personal interest in the use of ICT.
- For sustainable integration of ICT in education, funding and other infrastructural issues should also be addressed
- ICT should be made compulsory in institutions and the educators should be given proper training on the effective use of ICT.
- ICT should be promoted all over the country and be made available and affordable to the people especially the educators and educational institutions.
- A stable power supply should be made available for the effective use of ICT in Nigeria.
- Teachers in the training institutions should be imbued with the skills and abilities of ICT literacy and sensibilities so that the knowledge and attitude acquired will cascade onto the learners that they come in contact with in the classrooms when they begin to practice.
- There is need to create an enabling environment for teacher education programs to strive toward producing highly qualified ICT literate teachers and teacher educators that would assist in making the integration and usage of ICT in schools a success.
- Nigeria also the need to develop a specific policy for ICT in education- a national policy for ICT in education will help to locate Nigeria in the emerging global knowledge based economy, coupled with strategic investment in education to enable greater productivity in the workforce and thus increased national competitiveness.
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