Accessibility and Use of the Internet by Academics of Tertiary Institutions in Niger State

Accessibility and Use of the Internet by Academics of Tertiary Institutions in Niger State.

 ABSTRACT

This study was undertaken to explore the use of the Internet by academic staff in six (6) tertiary institutions in the Niger State.

Investigation was carried out in respect of the kinds of Internet services available/accessible the various uses, preferences in the use of Internet satisfaction with the use of Internet, satisfaction with use and the provision of Internet facilities and factors influencing use.

There was no study on the Internet use in Niger state necessitated this study. This study employed the survey research method which accommodates large population. There were a total of 2,634 academics in  the  selected tertiary institutions, out of which 600 respondents were selected for the study.

However, only 572 of the lecturers completed and returned the questionnaires. The data collected were analyzed using frequency tables, mean, and percentages.

The study revealed that all the selected tertiary institutions in Niger State are ICT compliant, and have Internet connectivity, although in varying degrees. Internet Chart Facilities, Discussion Groups, E-mail, and World Wide Web are available; whereas Video Conferencing, Tele-Conferencing, Internet Fax and E-Learning facilities are not available in all the tertiary institutions.

The study equally revealed that some of the lecturers of these institutions have relevant technical skill for Internet use although majority of them actually utilize the E-mail and WWW facilities more than any other Internet resources.

Moreover, they derive satisfaction from the utilization of Internet technology because it facilitates their teaching and research activities and finally.

In spite of the under utilization of the Internet services in tertiary institutions in Niger state, academics agreed that the Internet has affected the quality and Quantity of their work.

In the view of the above findings the research recommends that all the academics training/workshop on how to explore the full potential of the Internet should be organized for all academics of the institutions.

The major challenges to the effective and full utilization of Internet facilities include: Erratic power supply, lack of standby generators hamper use of Internet, lack of skill on how to navigate on the Internet, etc.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Title Page .. .. .. .. i
Declaration Page .. … .. ii
Certification Page .. . .. iii
Dedication .. ..… iv
Acknowledgement. .. v
Abstract .. .. vi
Table of Contents .. .. vii
List of Tables .. .. i
List of Appendices .. … i

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1
1.1.2 Use of Internet in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria .. .. .. .. .. .. 4
1.2 Statement of the Problem .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5
1.3 Research Questions .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6
1.4 Objective of the Study .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 7
1.5 Scope of the Study .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 8
1.6 Significance of the Study .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 8
1.7 Basic Assumptions .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 9
1.8 Definition of Terms .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10
References .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 11

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 13
2.2 The Concept of Information Communication and Technology .. .. .. .. 13
2.3 Information Technology in Higher Education .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 14
2.4 Internet Resources and Services .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 15
2.4.1 InterCat; A Catalogue of Internet Resources http/lorc.rsch.ucle.6996 .. .. 16
2.4.2 Electronic Mail .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 16
2.4.3 Newsgroup and Mailing List .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 17
2.4.4 World Wide Web (www Access) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 17
2.4.5 Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 17
2.5 Internet: Definition and Concept .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 18
2.6 Potential Benefits of the Use of Internet .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 19
2.7 Internet use in Developing Countries .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 19
2.8 Internet use and Access .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 20
2.9 Use of Internet Facilities/Services .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 23
2.10 Problems Associated with the Use of Internet for Educational Instruction … .. 24
2.11 Summary of the Literature Review .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 25
References .. .. .. 27

CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction .. .. … 29
3.2 Research Method Adopted .. . 29
3.3 Population of the Study .. .. .. 29
3.4 Sample Size and Sampling Techniques .. .. 30
3.5 Instruments for Data Collection.. ..31
3.6 Observation .. .. .. 32
3.7 Procedure for Data Collection .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 32
3.8 Administration of the Instruments .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 33
3.9 Procedure for Data Analysis .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 33
References .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 34

CHAPTER FOUR PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

4.1 Introduction . 35
4.2 Response Rate.. .. … .. .. 35
4.3 Data Analysis and Discussion  .. 36
4.3.1 Uses of Internet Services/Facilities by the Academics Staff in Niger State .. .. 39
4.3.2 Preference for internet Service Use Among the Academics/ Lecturers . .. 45
4.3.3 Level of Satisfaction with the Provision of the Use of Internet Services/Facilities … .. 47
References .. .. .. 52

CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Introduction .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 53
5.2 Summary of the Study .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 53
5.3 Summary of Findings .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 53
5.4 Conclusion .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 55
5.5 Recommendation .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 55
5.6 Recommendation for Further Research .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 56
Bibliography .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 58

 INTRODUCTION

The relevance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to the social, economic, educational and scientific development of a society cannot be over emphasized.

ICTs are those inventions which facilitate easy and speedy dissemination and retrieval of information on a large scale. These include radio, television, cable satellite, computer, telephone, Fax machines, the Internet, and so on.

The various ICTs can be used for communication between man and man, between man and machine, between machine and machine, between individuals and government, between government and its various organs or agents, as well as between government and government.

Of all these systems, the Internet appears to have revolutionized administrative, teaching and research activities of educational institutions, particularly in the technologically advanced countries.

The Internet is a massive worldwide network of computers by which information (e.g. words, video clips, and other data) is stored on network servers.

Each file has a unique location, address or file name which can be searched and accessed by Internet users in any part of the world where Internet facilities are available.

This explains why the Internet is described as the “information superhighway” which has the capacity to transform the way in which information is created, manipulated, stored, retrieved, transferred and utilized.

In other words, the Internet is the single most powerful electronic information resource that ever existed; and it is, indeed, the greatest wonder of the 20^th Century (Neil, McKnight & Solomon 1995; Bruce 1998; Oyinloye 1998; Oloruntoba & Bolarinwa 2001; and Oni 2005).

With particular reference to the education sector, the Internet is an invaluable and inestimable resource for enhancing learning, teaching and research. In the developed countries, and even some developing countries (e.g. Nigeria), Internet facilities are being used extensively for service delivery.

 

REFERENCES

 Bane, A. F.(1995). Internet Insight: How Academic are Using the Internet Computers in Libraries, 15, Pp.26-32

Chandrase, K.(2001). Teaching with Internet. The Internet and Higher Education, 1(2), Pp.218-324.

Espionoza, S.(2001). Models of the Internet Use: An Approaches from Various Disciplines: A Comparative Case Study, Journal of the American Society for Information Science 48(6).