CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

It is difficult, if not impossible, to envision future learning settings that are not assisted in some manner by information and communication technologies (ICT). Looking at the present widespread adoption and usage of ICT in modern cultures, particularly among the young – the so-called digital generation – it should be evident that ICT will have an impact on the entire learning process now and in the future. Almost everywhere in the world, the African Union (AU), European Union (EU), and member states have committed effort and resources to the development and implementation of ICT in education and training, and they continue to do so (e.g. the EU eLearning Programme and the SourceCrew Virtual Classroom Programme powered by Elluminate).

In other words, there is a common notion that ICTs may help to change and modernize educational structures and learning methods. Despite decades of attempts, there is scant scientific proof of ICTs' actual benefits to the learning domain. As a result, there is a need to gather evidence on the influence of ICT on education and training in Africa. However, many early online courses, such as those developed in the 1970s and 1980s at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, courses at the University of Guelph in Canada, the British Open University, and online distance courses at the University of British Columbia (where Web CT, now incorporated into Blackboard Inc., was first developed), have always made extensive use of online discussion between students. Furthermore, even before the term "e-learning," practitioners such as Harasim (2020) placed a strong focus on the use of learning networks for knowledge building. Virtual classrooms (online presentations presented live) are also being used more often as an online learning platform and classroom by a variety of education providers, including Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and Sachem School District. E-learning lends itself easily to distant and flexible learning, but it may also be used in conjunction with face-to-face instruction, in which case the phrase Blended learning is widely employed. E-Learning pioneer Bernard Luskin contends that the letter "E" must be comprehended broadly if e-Learning is to be effective. According to Luskin, the "e" should be taken to signify exciting, energetic, enthusiastic, emotional, extended, excellent, and instructive in addition to the usual national sense of "electronic." This larger view allows for 21st-century applications and incorporates learning and media psychology.

In higher education, in particular, there is an increasing trend toward developing a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) (which is sometimes combined with a Management Information System (MIS) to form a Managed Learning Environment) in which all aspects of a course are handled through a consistent user interface standard across the institution). A rising number of traditional universities, as well as emerging online-only institutions, have begun to offer a chosen set of academic degree and certificate programs through the Internet at a variety of levels and subjects. While some programs need students to attend some classes or orientations on campus, many are entirely online. Several colleges also provide online student support services such as online advising and registration, e-counseling, online textbook buying, student governments, and student publications. ICT in the form of e-Learning may also refer to educational websites that provide children with learning situations, workbooks, and interactive exercises. The word is also widely used in the business sector, where it often refers to low-cost online training. Screen-casting is a recent development in the e-Learning industry (Okpara 2021). There are several screen-casting programs available, but the recent buzz is all about web-based screen-casting tools, which allow users to record screencasts straight from their browser and publish the video online, allowing viewers to stream the video immediately. The benefit of such tools is that they allow the presenter to display his ideas and flow of thinking rather than merely explaining them, which can be more perplexing when presented via basic written instructions. The expert can offer clear, comprehensive lessons using a combination of video and voice, simulating the one-on-one experience of the classroom. From the learner's perspective, this provides the opportunity to pause and rewind, as well as the advantage of progressing at their own pace, something a classroom cannot always provide.

1.2 Statement of the problem

One of the major challenges confronting the educational sector in Nigeria is the scaring discrepancy between the astronomical increase in the number of applicants seeking admission into various higher institutions and the available facilities in these institutions to provide quality education; the main purpose for their existence. As observed by  Ifunanda (2020), each year the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) register hundreds of thousands of students seeking to get admission into various institutions of higher learning in the country. Unfortunately less than 20 percent of these students are absorbed by these institutions, as the facilities they have on ground can only support fewer students. As a matter of fact, Adeola (2020) established that those even admitted by these institutions often outstrip the facilities available to support qualitative education and make the academic environment conducive for learning environment. It is therefore not a surprise that in most of these institutions students are often cramped up in lecture rooms, with most of the students struggling to get themselves desks and chairs just to listen to lectures. More outrageous and embarrassing is the situation whereby students sit on the floor while some hang on window frames just to be in the class and listen to their lecturers.

The horrible situation of students sitting on the floor and hanging on the window frames in classes so they can receive lectures is not faced by the students alone. The lecturers also have their own share of this unfortunate situation in our institutions of higher learning. For instance due to huge number of students they have in their classes, lecturers dissipate their energy while lecturing as they need to shout, not speak, for them to be audible enough that the students can hear them. No public address system and when there is, there is often no electricity to power it.

Obviously the productivity of both the lecturers and students are negatively affected. And ultimately the prior aim of these institutions (providing quality education of international standard) is defeated.The introduction and adoption of effective and efficient ICTs will surely go a long way in ameliorating the above sorry situation but will also compliment the effort of these institutions in task of providing quality education. It is a creative and an innovative development that allow teachers to teach more comfortably and conveniently. Especially in a virtual classroom where the presence of teachers and students are not necessarily required, this is made possible through a web collaboration technology. Virtual classroom just like physical classroom is interactive, and in a densely populated area, it puts the institution in a vantage position to admit more students than they currently do without compromising the quality and standard of education the offer, but rather improves it.

1.3PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The main purpose of this study is to examine the impact of ICT in classrooms implementing ICT . other specific objectives includes

i.          To investigate the equipment and tools in teaching-learning process as a media and methodology in higher institution.

ii.        To determine the extent at which instructors utilize ICT tools during classroom instruction in higher institutions.

iii.      To ascertain whether instructor resourcefully avail ICT designed Instructional materials to their maximum use for effective classroom teaching.

iv.      To explore if teacher’s knowledge and utilization of ICT tools is able to enhance their classroom teaching and learning outcome.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The research is guided by the following research questions:

i.          What are the equipment and tools in teaching-learning process as a media and methodology in higher institution?

ii.        What is the extent at which instructors utilize ICT tools during classroom instruction in higher institutions?

iii.      Does instructor resourcefully avail ICT designed Instructional materials to their maximum use for effective classroom teaching?

iv.      Does  teacher’s knowledge and utilization of ICT tools is able to enhance their classroom teaching and learning outcome?

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