ABSTRACT
This study is carried out to investigate the effect
of internet use on performance of academic staff of Babcock University and
Obafemi Awolowo University. The objectives of the study are to determine the
role of internet in promoting teaching in learning environment, to investigate
the frequency of faculty in the utilization of ICT in carrying out research, to
identify the factors that impede the usage of internet on performance of
academic staff of both universities, to access the role of university administration
in promoting ICT in universities. Lastly, to compare internet usage by
academics of Babcock University and Obafemi Awolowo University.
Descriptive statistics were employed for the study
with the use of both qualitative and quantitative data. The study covers the
period of 2008 and 2015. The sample size was 349 and the instruments for
collecting data were structured questionnaire, structured interview and review
of existing literatures. Stratified sampling technique was used to divide the
population into sub-groups while the respondents were selected in proportion of
Graduate Assistant, Assistant Lecturer, Lecturer II, Lecturer I, Senior
Lecturer, Reader, and Professor. 10 respondents were interviewed. Pearson
product moment of correlation was used to test the hypothesis.
The findings revealed that internet eases download
of related information for teaching and learning, it also help in accessing
data bases that are not found in the library, it eases sending and receiving of
mails and also eases exchange of study materials between researchers. It was
also revealed that majority of the academics make use of internet daily.
Internet is mainly used for academic purposes. The study also shows that
university administration organizes free training for academics; there is
provision of internet access point in offices. Academics encountered problems
such as power outage, slow access speed, overload of information while using
the internet. Academics in Babcock University make use of internet more than
their counterpart in Obafemi Awolowo University. Hypothesis tested showed that there is a
positive relationship between internet use and academic performance (r = .812,
p< 0.05).
The study concluded
that internet use is very important for the academics due to the benefits
derived from it. The study recommends that facilities such as generating setand
solar system should be acquired and put in place to ensure smooth using of the
internet by the academics. Constant maintenance of the equipment, both internet
and electricity supply should be put in place in order to serve it purposes.
University administration should release funds from time to time in order to
maintain the equipment properly. The university administration should organize
regular workshop/ seminar on internet use and the lecturers encourage to attend
in order to update their knowledge on the use of internet facilities for their
academic responsibilities.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1:1
Background to the Study
Development in Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) has made tremendous impact in the 21st Century and
as such, travel around the globe just in a matter of seconds making
communication easy and affordable. This is achievable through ICT hardwares
like computers, scanners and digital cameras as well as software like standard
office and specialist applications. These ICT resources in the teaching and
learning environment has been found to be very central to access, spreading and
dissemination of information on education and thus widely used by academic
staff and students of tertiary institutions all over the world (Bede & Joy,
2014)
According to Joginder and Satya (2013), internet is
a worldwide system of computer networks, a network of networks in which users
at any computer can, if they have permission get information from any other
computer (and sometimes talk directly to user at other computers). It is a
network of millions of computers linked together through telephone lines and satellites
all over the world. Internet began in 1969 as Advanced Research Project Agency
Network (ARPANet) by the US Department of Defense to share military
intelligence and research with university resources (Adomi, 2005). Later it was
discovered that ARPANet was inadequate in the WANs (Wide Area Networks). This
led to another research in 1973 to develop a suite of protocol for use. The
outcome of that research effort gave birth to what is known as Transmission
Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
The
internet use and accessibility got to Nigeria in 1991 when the e-mail services
of the internet was introduced through dial- up to few users. Access to
internet then was through Cyber Cafés connected to Internet Service Provider
(ISPs) (Oluwaseyitanfunmi; Oluwasesin & Ebenezer, 2009). In 1995, the
Regional Information Network for Africa (RINAF) commenced internet services at
the computer science department of Yaba College of Technology, and through the
Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST), in a collaborative effort with Rose Clayton
Nigeria Limited (Adomi, 2005).The World Wide Web (WWW) became available in 1996
and its full access became obvious in 1998.
Before 1991, scholars were making use of library
materials. Research at that time was difficult for the academic staff (Alfred,
2008; Young 1990). Researchers were
faced with obstacles such as inadequate access to materials, insufficient time
to search for materials etc. since the advent of internet in Nigeria, it has
played vital role in teaching and learning environment as well as widen
educational opportunities becoming the most powerful vehicle for accessing
information (Kaur, 2006). This has therefore become a tool for interactive
learning between the teacher and the student as well as conducting various
forms of research which had aided performance in output of these academics
(Kamba, 2007).
All along, the slogan “publish or perish” is popular
and a reality among the academics. This idea has encouraged the academics to
engage in serious research and search for scientific, correct and up-to-date
information through the internet or visit the library that is capable of
providing access to various data resources and online journals for their
various users (Ogunrewo & Odusina, 2010). On this note, scholars have been
exposed to the use of Internet right from their secondary school to tertiary
institutions. Some of the knowledge acquired during the period has been helpful
for academic activities. Among available search-engines for the purpose of
academic work are Yahoo, Google, Opera mini, Alta vista, Netscape among others.
In this era of Internet usage, nearly all the
universities are making use of internet to facilitate teaching, research and
get connected with other activities in other universities and the outside world
(Ogunrewo & Odusina, 2010). This research is a comparative study of Babcock
University and Obafemi Awolowo University. These two institutions are not left
out in acknowledging the importance of ICT, therefore, this research will
investigate the extent ICT has aided academic development between 2008 to 2015.
1:2
Statement of the Problem
The influence of
internet facility to facilitate academic performance cannot be overemphasised.
Despite the numerous benefits of internet facility like easy access of related
information for teaching and learning, exchange of study materials between
researchers and easy sending and receiving of mails, not just for academic
staff, this facility is also used by other members of the university community.
This internet facility also seems to pose certain challenges to users at all
levels such as problem of finding relevant information needed, slow access
speed, overload of information, and power outage. The introduction of social
media platforms and the availability of sites that promote anti-social
behaviours and social vices have also contributed to the problems, aside this,
interruption of signals are of major concern.
Based on this, the
study intends to investigate the effect of internet on performance of academic
staff of Babcock University and Obafemi Awolowo University.
1:3
Objective of the Study
The main objective of this study is to investigate
the effect of Internet use on performance of academic staff of Babcock
University and Obafemi Awolowo University. The specific objectives are to:
1. determine
the role of Internet in promoting teaching and learning in Babcock University
and Obafemi Awolowo University;
2. investigate
the frequency of faculty in the utilisation of ICT in carrying out research in
the two universities;
3. assess
the role of the university administration in promoting ICT usage in these
universities;
4. compare
the usage of Internet by academic staff of Babcock University and Obafemi
Awolowo University;
and
5. identify
the factors that impede the usage of Internet by academic staff of the universities
under investigation.
1:4
Research Question
1. What
are the roles of ICT in promoting teaching and learning in Babcock University
and Obafemi Awolowo University?
2. How
frequent do the faculty members of Babcock University and Obafemi Awolowo
University make use of ICT in carrying out their research?
3. How
do university administration promote ICT in universities?
4. What
is the level at which Internet is being used by the academic staff of Babcock
University and Obafemi Awolowo University?
5. What
are the factors that impede the usage of Internet by academic staff of the
universities under investigation?
1:5
Justification for the Study
Effects of Internet on performance of academic staff
members was identified and also the factors that hinders the usage of Internet
in an academic environment was also identified.
Academic staff in various disciplines, educational
planners and administrators, students/ scholars and researchers will benefit
from it. If there is concrete and reliable information on its use and problem
of providing its services in the education sector, all the stakeholders would
know what to do to maximize the benefits of the internet technology. This study
also add to the existing literature on Internet use.
1:6
Hypothesis
The hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of
significance.
H1:
There is relationship between internet use and
academic performance
1:7
Scope of the Study
In this study, Internet use and academic staff
performance in Babcock University and Obafemi Awolowo University, the focus is
on the use of Internet in academic activities such as research networking,
book/journals, teaching/ learning, seminars/conferences. The study will cover
the period of 2008 to 2015. Babcock University and Obafemi Awolowo University
are selected for this study because they are the first private and public
Universities to get connected to the Internet.
1:
8 Operational Definition of Terms
The following terms have been operationally used for
quick understanding of the study. They are:
Internet:
This is a computing device, a computer system that allows people to exchange
ideas on information.
Use:
The act of using.
Academic
staff: The group of people in an academic
environment that impart knowledge to the students.
Performance:
This is a measure of the results achieved.
TCP/IP:
Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol. A combined set of protocols
that perform the transfer of data between computers.
WWW:
World Wide Web. An internet hypertext
system for information distribution and retrieval. It links documents, File
Transfer Protocol sites (FTP), gophers and talent and integrate files into
text, graphics, sound and other formats.
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