Leveraging Technology for Public Sector Performance, Study of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (Prometric)
Chapter One
Objectives of the Study
The aim of the study is to examine the impact of computer education in performance in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto.
The specific objectives therefore, were to:
- ascertain the Leveraging technology on record keeping in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto;
- identify the Leveraging technology on communication in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto;
- ascertain the Leveraging technology on monitoring and evaluation in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto;
- find out the Leveraging technology on staff development in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto;
- examine the Leveraging technology on maintenance of discipline in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto;
- determine the Leveraging technology on decision making process by the workers in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto;
- assess the Leveraging technology on maintenance of facilities in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto,
- find out the Leveraging technology on the conduct of examinations and presentation of results in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Conceptual Framework
The term “management‟ has been defined by various authorities. Adejumo, (2000) for instance, defined management as involving planning, innovation, coordination and supervision as well as undertaking risks and handling uncertainty. He argued that management is the activity of working with people in organizations in accomplishing results. Adeyemi, (2007) regarded management as the process of utilizing human and material resources in accomplishing designated objectives. This could be done by organizing, directing, coordinating and evaluating programmes in a bid to achieve goals or objectives. In such a social process, there is always a structural hierarchy comprising the subordinates and super ordinates.
Thus, management involves a person or a manager, making use of resources (both human and physical or material) in achieving the goals of an organization through effective planning, organizing, directing, motivating, controlling and budgeting (Alebiosu, 2000; Nwadiani, 2000; Ajabor, 2001). As a professional discipline, management involves personnel and finance. Although job specification might vary from one position to another, circumstances and environment might affect managerial functions (Afolabi, Jegede,& Popoola, 1999; Bandele,2001).
Management is, therefore, the effective allocation and utilization of scarce resources to achieve predetermined results. The scarce resources include people, money, materials and time. Of these, human beings are the most important, because the effectiveness with which they are used determines the quality of results produced by other resources.
Considering the foregoing definitions, management could be examined in various ways. It could be seen as a field of study. It could also be seen as the principle of administering an organization which will be discussed extensively in chapter two. It also involves tasks. The manager is responsible for whatever he achieves, be it success or failure. Every failure is a failure of a manager. Ghaemian, (1998) asserted that people manage, rather than force. Effective management therefore involves ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in the use of /the available human, physical and financial resources together with the ability to combat any constraints that might hamper the achievement of the objectives.
As such, the primary function of management is to take decisions leading to the achievement of organizational objectives. The types of decisions management makes will determine its information needs. However, the numerous crises in Nigerian tertiary institutions could have been prevented if Information Communication and Technology facilities are in place in the institutions (Faloye and Oparah 2007). Thus, Adedapo (2007) argued that school managers need effective workers in activities with the use of computers and other Information Communication and technology equipment.
ICT is considered to be one of the pillars upon which quality education for all can indeed become a reality, because of its unique capacity for bringing the world to even the most remote and disadvantaged of communities. ICT are now vital to support the business of educational institutions, and support the full academic lifecycle, in terms of learning and teaching from individuals students enquiries through to accreditation and graduation and in terms of research from initial bid writing through to project delivery and dissemination. It includes six main areas: pay roll and financial accounting, administration of student data, inventory management, personnel records maintenance, library systems and learning management systems.
The core IT services provides support for the following areas. Firstly, the student journey, from an initial enquiry through to graduation. This includes managing of a student‟s initial enquiry about courses, application, module selection, monitoring and support for the delivery of a course, assignment handling, examinations and graduation. For on campus students systems are in place for accommodations. This is usually done through a central IT system, but there may also be local bespoke systems for some departments. Courses are delivered and support through an institutional Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)/Learning Management System (LMS). Most institutions have one centrally supported system, but in some instances there may be local or be spoke systems. According to Zainally (2008), “Information and Communication technology provides several facilities and possibilities for educational administrators to do their tasks”. There is a mention that communication and information systems have changed the very nature of higher education, allowing information to be transferred, stored, retrieved, and processed by almost all who work, study or interact with a given institution.
As Lowther et al. (2008) have stated that there are three important characteristics are needed to develop good quality teaching and learning with ICT: autonomy, capability, and creativity. Autonomy means that students take control of their learning through their use of ICT. In this way, they become more capable of working by themselves and with others. Teachers can also authorize students to complete certain tasks with peers or in groups. Through collaborative learning with ICT, the students have more opportunity to build the new knowledge onto their background knowledge, and become more confident to take risks and learn from their mistakes.
They are required not only to listen to the native pronunciation from the dictionary, but also to learn the definitions and examples of a new vocabulary item. They then have to make a recording of their own pronunciation and provide examples of how this new word is used in context. Before completing this task, they have to know which browser to use in order to search a suitable online audio dictionary. They will have to browse several online dictionaries, and select the one that best meets their learning needs. In addition, finding good software to record their voice isanother prerequisite for these learners. Therefore, the whole learning process enriches students‟ learning skills and broadens their knowledge beyond what they already know. By using ICT, students‟ creativity can be optimized. They may discover new multimedia tools and create materials in the styles readily available to them through games (Gee 2007, 2011), CDs, and television. With a combination of students‟ autonomy, capability, and creativity, the use of ICT can improve both teaching and learning quality.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
The research design adopted for the conduct of this study was a survey design. The rationale for the design is that it can select sample from the target population and the inferences from the sample could be generalized on the entire population. In a study such as this one, it’s not easy to study the entire population. The researcher used survey research method because the target population being studied consists of deans of faculty or directors of higher institutions, head of departments, director of management information service (MIS), and faculty/school registry staff of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto. The approach that was used is what Nworgu (1991), described as sample survey in which the data in the survey are collected through questionnaires in order to collate the data.
Population of the Study
In Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, there are numerous educational tertiary Institutions. For the purpose of these study only Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto .
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
Opinion of respondents on the Impact of Information Communication and Technology in performance in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto.
In assessing the Leveraging technology in the workers in academic Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, eight (8) research questions was raised and variables were determined using likert scaling. And respondents were ask to rank their agreement from strongly disagree with 1 point, Disagree 2 point, Undecided 3, Agree 4, and strongly agree with 5 point. And to accept a preposition as respondent agreement to a statement the weighted mean score above 3.0 were considered as agreed and any score below 3.0 were considered as disagreement to the preposition.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
In chapter one, background to the study, statement of the problem, research objectives, questions, significance and scope were discussed. The objectives of this research were to ascertain the impact of I.C.T. on record keeping, on communication, on quality, on staff development, on maintenance of discipline, on decision making process, on maintenance of facilities and on the conduct of Examinations and Presentation of Results in the tertiary educational institutions in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto.
In chapter two examination of relevant literature on the key variables were reviewed and the conceptual and corresponding theoretical framework were carried out, and a number of advantages of computer communication. First was the fast speed and accuracy in information transmitted due to the absence of other intervening media. The communication is between the sending and receiving computers. Second is the rapidity of information processing. ICT such as computer can process a huge amount of data in a microsecond. Thirdly, a large amount of data could be stored and processed across varying distances. Teleprocessing: A method of processing the data between one computer and the other through the telephone lines is called Teleprocessing. The data being transmitted could be words, letters or numbers of programs.
Information Communication and Technology (ICT) facilitate faster decision making in the management, messages sent by hand, which has no guarantee of being delivered on time and no security of content could now be easily sent by e-mail, on line chat and even intercom. Thus allowing management to make decision on issues faster and pass the copies to each department through their email. Telecommunication has also helped in the productivity of staff in processing student results and transcripts. The issues of missing results, miss matched names and grades were eliminated by automation of the records. With identification code assigned to each student and staff, computer process information accurately. This has led to the development of database to keep file electronically which in turn makes it easier for the staff to manage the database and ensure the consistency of its data as rightly observed by Zambuk and Gital(2012).
The first principle in achieving managerial effectiveness as suggested by Sefiu (2013), is to have access to the most valuable and up- to- date information. Hence, it is believed that most of the problems of educational organizations in Nigeria may be traced back to the problems of poor workers in information on education. Such problems can only be eliminated in our educational organizations through accurate and timely availability and use of information needed for planning to respond to situations such as adequacy of educational statistics.
Opeke (1982), in sefiu (2013), reiterated this belief that, human and material resources become better conserved when planners have access to quality, timely and relevant information which are important results of information management. Thus, information management attempts to utilize the information resources of organizational members to full potential. Such an administrative stance is likely to improve the planners‟ access to both quantitative and qualitative information as well as to improve the planners‟ ability to interact effectively with its environment- a situation that will assure that optimum decisions are made based on clear insights. It was concludes that Information Communication Technology is the current that keeps the organization rolling to progress.
Chapter three primarily dealt with the methodology employed in the study from research design, population, sampling techniques, instrument for data collection and method of data analysis. Thus questionnaire was used as instrument for data collection. A total of 100 respondents were sample from the four selected tertiary academic institution in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto Nigeria.
Chapter four presents and analyse the data collected and discussion with a view to answering the research questions. From the hypothesis testing three out of the eight hypotheses formulated based on the research questions were found to be significance, and five were rejected hypothesis.
Conclusions
This research principally assessed the Leveraging technology in performance in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria. Based on the hypothesis tested it was found out that ICT has great impact on the smooth running of the academic tertiary institution ranges from record keeping and retrieval, communication, staff development, decision making and maintenance of facilities.
Thus, management could also be seen as the principle of administering an organization. The manager is responsible for whatever he achieves, be it success or failure. Every failure is a failure of a manager. Effective management therefore involves ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in the use of /the available human, physical and financial resources together with the ability to combat any constraints that might hamper the achievement of the objectives.
In conclusion ICT is considered to be one of the pillars upon which quality education for all can indeed become a reality, because of its unique capacity for bringing the world to even the most remote and disadvantaged communities. ICT are now vital to support the business of academic institutions, and support the full academic lifecycle, in terms of learning and teaching from individuals students enquiries through to accreditation and graduation and in terms of research from initial bid writing through to project delivery and dissemination. It includes six main areas: pay roll and financial accounting, administration of student data, inventory management, personnel records maintenance, library systems and learning managementsystems.
Information and Communication technology provides several facilities and possibilities for academic administrators to do their tasks. There is a mention that communication and information systems have changed the very nature of higher education, allowing information to be transferred, stored, retrieved, and processed by almost all who work, study or interact with a given institution.
Recommendations
Based on the findings and conclusions of this study, the following recommendations are made:
- the workers in inacademic tertiary institutions should strictly adhere to keeping records on computers for easyaccess;
- workers in inacademic tertiary institutions should encourage free flow of communication channels ie Button – Up communication approach. In other to allowed contributions on issues related to quality assurance from the staff, students and otherstakeholders;
- the workers in inacademic tertiary institutions to ensure application of ICT for monitoring and evaluation in their institution through record keeping of staff, students and managements activities andevents;
- the management to encourage the application of ICT (such as computer) in examination conduct, marking and result released on-line. This will ensure timely release of students result and storage of data as well as ease staff workload;
- workers in tertiary institution to adopt Nigerian education policy which stressed the need for application of ICT in academic tertiaryinstitution;
- the workers in tertiary institutions to encourage the use of ICT to serve as motivational factor for staff competency and hardwork;
- the workers in inacademic tertiary institutions to encourage the application of ICT cut indiscipline;and
- the workers in inacademic tertiary institutions to use ICT to contribute in decision makingprocess.
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