AN EVALUATION OF CHALLENGES OF E-LEARNING IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY USING BABCOK UNIVERSITY

AN EVALUATION OF CHALLENGES OF E-LEARNING IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY USING BABCOK UNIVERSITY

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

The use of ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) to enhance and facilitate education is referred to as e-learning. E-learning is gaining popularity. E-learning incorporates a wide assortment of exercises, from the manner in which understudies impart through email and access course materials online while signed up for a seminar nearby to programs that are absolutely on the web. Information and communications technology (ICT) advancements have altered higher education in a number of ways, including increasing access to postsecondary instruction, increasing the availability of educational resources, facilitating meaningful interaction among students, modernizing an outdated educational system and, as a result, better preparing students and the general public for the information age, and/or accelerating efforts to develop nations (Albirini, 2006).

The term “e-learning” is used to describe a phenomenon that has long been used to promote education in some parts of the world. In Nigeria, a number of educational establishments are currently utilizing it to promote distance education (DE) and lifelong learning. E-learning, as defined by Sale (2002), is the utilization of electronic technology to provide applications for education and training, evaluate student performance, and report student progress to instructors and administrators. Using the internet and digital technologies in accordance with instructional design principles, it is an innovative method for delivering electronically mediated, well-designed, learner-centered, and interactive learning environments to anyone, anywhere, and at any time, according to Hedge and Hayward (2004): It is possible to learn anything at any time by using computers. In this day and age, learning with a computer is as simple as accessing information via the internet or an offline medium like a CD-ROM; The use of Internet Explorer or Navigator is required for online education. It could be presented in the form of audio, video, or both. Computer mediated communication (CMC), web-based communication (WBC), virtual communication (VLC), blended learning (hybrid models), internet learning (internet-based learning), networked learning (tele-learning), computer-assisted learning (CAL), online classroom (online collaboration), and satellite television (Satellite TV) are all methods of learning that can be utilized with e-learning technology (Arbaugh, 2000; Achuonye, 2004; Ukoha, 2007).

For instance, the most common form of e-learning in Nigerian schools is lecture notes on CD-ROM, which students can play whenever they want. When compared to the number of students per computer when lectures are given in a conventional classroom, this strategy has the disadvantage of providing these features to fewer students. At a number of institutions, intranet facilities have been implemented. However, the frequent power outages and high operating costs associated with the use of the generating set prevent them from being effectively maintained. Due to the large number of people using the internet simultaneously with different goals and the limited bandwidth in Nigeria’s cyber cafés, a multimedia interaction is impossible. Even though e-learning in Nigerian educational institutions faces these and other obstacles, institutions like the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, the University of Benin, the University of Abuja, the University of Lagos, and the National Open University of Nigeria have the infrastructure necessary for e-learning. Due to the location of the majority of institutions, bandwidth issues, and, most importantly, the difficulty in obtaining energy, the number appears to be relatively low in comparison to other regions of the world and the significance of e-learning to the expansion of the economy. The majority of private and public educational establishments have begun building ICT centers solely for the purpose of providing internet services, but they have neglected to consider the other components of an e-learning center.

Through the use of Nigeria’s Babcok University, a prestigious institution, the purpose of this study endeavor is to determine the difficulties associated with e-learning in Nigerian university education.

According to Keegan (1998), “Characterized by the separation of teachers and learners, which distinguishes it from self-study and private tutoring,” online education is distinguished from self-study and private tutoring by “the use of a computer network to present or distribute some educational content,” and “the provision of two-way communication via a computer network so that students may benefit from communication with teachers and staff.” This is in line with Arbaugh’s description of e-learning (2000; Arch, 2000).

An irreversible revolution in education was unleashed when new information and communication technologies (ICTs) were introduced and spread worldwide, particularly in the areas of teaching and learning. The growth of e-learning opportunities is one way that the Internet and the World Wide Web have sped up the rate of change. E-learning has added a new dimension to the accessibility issue confronting the majority of open and remote learning providers. Indeed, even as Open and Distance Learning, or ODL, is being hailed by states all over the planet as an answer for the issue of giving admittance to training to the majority, electronic learning is growing the outskirts much further by eliminating distance from schooling and empowering people who can, to get to instruction from anyplace, whenever, and at any area. Online education, also known as eLearning, gives students the chance to connect with their instructors, study aids, and study materials one-on-one over the Internet. In interactive learning environments, technology and communication systems are used to improve the learning experience. Because it is available seven days a week, it has the potential to change how we teach and learn throughout the year. It has the potential to raise standards and increase lifetime learning participation. It is essential to keep in mind that e-learning, which is defined as learning that is supported online by network technologies, entails the use of virtual technologies in the process of teaching, learning, and evaluating (Lee, Hong, and Ling, 2002). Additionally, at the National Open Institution of Nigeria, e-learning activities began with the most fundamental use of audio cassettes and progressed to the use of CD-ROMs and interactive movies before ultimately settling on one of the best Learning Management Systems, or L

According to Eteng and Ntui (2009), electronic learning, which is defined as the utilization of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to enhance and support learning, teaching, and research, is gaining popularity. The university’s planning team knew from the start that elearning, also known as online learning, would play a significant role in its teaching and learning delivery system. “In recognition of the prominent roles of information and communication technology in advancing knowledge and skills necessary for effective functioning in the modern world, there is an urgent need to integrate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into education in Nigeria,” states the National Policy on Education (FRN, 2004). This document places a significant emphasis on the provision and utilization of information and communication technology (ICT). Information and communication technology (ICT) tools and apps are being used by educational institutions to improve their programs and incorporate more flexibility into the teaching and learning process.

1.2 ANALYSIS OF THE PROBLEM In Nigerian universities, the expansion of e-learning technology faces a number of challenges. One of these issues is that instructors are unable to assist students in acquiring the skills and knowledge they need to effectively use e-learning resources. Students’ negative perceptions of their studies are a common problem in many e-learning initiatives due to a lack of pedagogy in the curriculum and a lack of user experience in the e-learning platform (Allen & Seaman, 2003; 2005, Ostund) According to numerous studies on online learning in developing nations, the failure of these e-learning programs is caused by a lack of vision and structure in their implementation (Pal, 2006; Kizito & Bijan, 2006). E-learning initiatives that fail due to a lack of the necessary social and technical skills are called e-learning failures.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The study’s overarching objective is to assess the difficulties associated with e-learning in Nigerian universities by utilizing Babcok University in Nigeria. The following specific guidelines will be followed throughout the study:

i. To find out how much the university’s staff and students know about how to use e-learning tools.

ii. to determine the academic community’s level of familiarity with e-learning tools.

iii. to investigate the difficulties associated with e-learning in Nigerian universities to offer advice regarding the utilization of e-learning at a Nigerian university.

1.4 QUESTIONS FOR THE RESEARCH The following inquiries have been prepared for the investigation:

i. How knowledgeable are the university’s staff and students regarding the use of e-learning tools?

ii. How well-acquainted is the academic community with e-learning tools?

iii. What obstacles do Nigerian universities face when using e-learning?

iv. What suggestions do you have for using e-learning at a Nigerian university?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY This study will be important to teachers and students alike because it may also alter students’ and teachers’ attitudes toward e-learning. Additionally, it will determine the government’s contribution to the growth of e-learning by providing e-learning equipment.

Additionally, the study will be beneficial to the academic community because it will add to the existing body of knowledge.

1.6 Extent OF THE Review

This study will look at level of information staff and understudies of the college have towards the utilization of e-learning devices. Additionally, the study will determine the level of academic community awareness of e-learning tools. The difficulties of e-learning in Nigerian universities will be further investigated in this study. The study will conclude with a recommendation regarding the utilization of e-learning in Nigerian universities. Therefore, Babcok University will be the focus of this study.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY Like in any human endeavor, the researchers were subjected to a few limitations during the course of their research. The researcher chose a moderate sample size because insufficient funds typically hinder the researcher’s ability to find relevant materials, literature, or information and to collect data (via the internet, questionnaire, and interview). Plus, the researcher will be working on other academic projects at the same time on this study. Thus, how much time spent on exploration will be decreased.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS Obstacles: A problem or circumstance that is seen as undesirable or harmful and must be dealt with or overcome is referred to as a challenge.

E-Learning: Electronic learning is referred to as e-learning. This means that a school course or a full distance learning course can be delivered entirely or in part using a computer.

Education: The act of receiving or imparting systematic instruction, particularly at a school or university, is known as education.

Higher Education: After secondary education, there is an optional final stage of formal learning. Higher education, post-secondary education, tertiary education, and third-level education are all other names for it.