ABSTRACT
The study focused on the assessment of the availability and utilization of Information Facilities in the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education. The study utilizes a survey research design. Four research Questions were developed and two hypothesis were tested at 0.05 level of significance and relevant degrees of freedom. The population comprised 300 research subjects made up of Unit directors, supervisors, secretaries and clerks of the Beyelsa State Ministry of Education. The entire population was studied. The instrument used in data collection was a structured questionnaire duly validated by three experts from the Department of Vocational Teacher Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The reliability Coefficient of the instrument for the study was 0.82 which was calculated using Cronbach Alpha Reliability Test. The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviations while the hypotheses were tested using the t-test. It was found that the Information Technology facilities available and utilized in the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education are the Desktop and Laptops Computers, Laser jet printers, Printers, photocopies, telephones, mobile phones and digital cameras. It was found out that media computers, portable projector, electronic binders, power back up for VSAT and Server; microwave radio link were not available and consequently were not utilized. It was also found out that there are some benefits in the utilization of Information Technology facilities, such as it creates job satisfaction, improves employee productivity, enhances speed and accuracy, provided speedy communication and facilitates the storage and retrieval of information technology facilities. It was found out that there are adequate computers, inadequate information technology experts, poor maintenance; irregular power supply among others. It was concluded that the Computer Desktop and its accessories are the most available and most widely used information and technology facility in the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education. It was recommended that Efforts should be made by the Bayelsa State Government towards the procurement of modem information technology facility such as portable digital Assistants (PDA), wireless local area Networks (WLAN), wide Area Network (WAN) and Local Area Network (LAN) for effective data transfer management in the ministry. Also the staff of the ministry should be given some retraining by the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education on the skills involved in the use of these information technology facilities for effective office operations.
Background of the Study
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
The impact of current advancement in Information Technology (IT) on the environment is an issue that remains inexhaustible. Information technology has no doubt revolutionized business activities in today’s world. It has brought speed, capacity, accuracy, reliability and ultimately the reduction of the world to a global business village (Brightman, 1986).
In the past, information was undervalued, underestimated and underutilized. Today, the accelerating pace of business activity demands greater need for timely and accurate information. Information is of vital importance to any industry be it education, manufacturing, etc, to achieve short or long term goals. Given quality information, management can rely more on deductive and analytical methods than on guesses and intuitive judgment, which it is forced to employ when many of the relevant facts are missing.
Okolo (2006) asserted that modern technology is no doubt a major factor in increasing productivity, speed and accuracy of information and communication process well as improving the quality of work in offices, industries and education. Information technology in office automation has some characteristics that are shaping not only how work is done, but also the work. With information technology, concrete wails or physical spaces no longer define offices but collaborating network.
Obviously, in a society that is in a state of technological flux such as in Nigeria, I is compelling to monitor from time to time, the services and skills that employers of labour want, so as to be equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge. The introduction of new information technology has given rise to new skills, new knowledge and new techniques of managing information. Offices are now faced with d need to constantly update their skills and knowledge in order to cope with the 4kmand of office automation.
Emmanuel (1998), defined information technology as the technology that
facilitates the generation, processing, storage and dissemination of information. Similarly, Curtis, Folley, Ses and Morin (1998) viewed information as the act of informing or the condition of being informed, the communication of knowledge and knowledge derived from study, experience or instruction while technology is the application of science, especially to industrial or commercial objectives. He, therefore, referred to information
technology as the creating, gathering, processing, storage and delivery of information and the processes and devices that make all this possible.
Evans, (1986) stated that information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by micro- electronic based on combination of computing and telecommunicating. According to Atueyi, (2001), information technology includes the host of systems, equipment and materials essentially computer based, which is used to achieve the set goals of an organization in relation to the functions of an office. From the foregoing, it is clear that information embraces all sophisticated systems, mechanized equipment, technology, etc, used for processing information in text, data image, voice form, and communicating the information to local and/or international telecommunication network. One thinks of these processes and devices as tools that make life and career better or more efficient. The tasks that are using information technology continue to increase almost on a daily basis. For example, a few years ago, cinematography and photography did not use computers at any point in its process. Now, computers are in cameras, processing laboratories and editing rooms. No matter the field of study or nature of employment, information technology must be involved. Information technology does at least, three things; it processes raw data into useful information; ryc1es processed information and uses it as data in another processing cycle and it can package information in a new form so that it will be easier to understand, more attractive and useful. Indeed modem offices devote a great deal of attention to how they t about acquiring, storing and processing the information that they use in their operations to make decisions. They have come to rely more and more on information technology. It has become widely accepted that information and the system that handles it, are key resources of an organization and can be used to distinguish success from failure or mere existence. Effective utilization of such resources can provide competitive advantage for successful organizations and offices, thus allowing them to it perform their rivals or raise the level of the quality of their services or products.
Thus, today’s offices are characterized by the presence of electronic information system as opposed to the past. Information technology includes the use of Word Processors, Computers and Internet Facilities, which provide more effective and efficient ways of managing information. The advancement in technology has helped to enrich the scope and practices of office personnel in terms of speed, variety, quality and y.
Clearly, there is a decline in educational standards in Nigeria today, the reason could perhaps be that Nigeria cannot adapt to the new information age. Otherwise, as l
earlier, the success of any office (education inclusive) depends amongst others on being adequate information equipment and on utilizing them for optimum performance. This study will attempt to provide answers to the above concerns with the intent of making recommendations where necessary.
Statement of the Problem
Studies have shown that information technology has brought about accelerated growth in office operation (Agumuo, 1998; Osuala, 1998 and Nwosu, 1999). With the advent of information technology, office functions are now experiencing a transition from the traditional (Manual) to the modern (Mechanized) information processing operations. This new information technology is more effective and efficient as an information support service in the office. It has released workers from drudging replaced with machines, and permitted them to go wherever by land, sea or airspace supply the means for creating their own environment, feeds and cloth with increasing better product service (Chatterton,
1992).
The success of office operations depends on what quality and type of information technology is available vis-à -vis the required skill and personnel for its usage. Studies have also shown that without functional information facilities in the offices, staff performance out put will be very low. Besides even when facilities are available and the required skilled personnel are not utilized, it brings about failure in i1ice operations. Hence, it is the aim of this study to assess the degree of availability of information technology facilities and their utilization in the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education. This is so because how well these offices are equipped with information 1mology facilities and their effective utilization to achieve the desired result will be determined. The problem of this study, therefore, put in question form is “how adequate e information technology facilities and how are they being utilized in the Bayelsa tc Ministry of Education?
Purpose of the Study
The major purpose of this study is to assess the availability and utilization of information technology facilities in the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education. Specifically, the objectives of this study are to determine the:
(1) Various information technology (IT) facilities available in the Bayelsa State
Ministry of Education.
(2) Extent to which available information technology facilities are utilized in the
Bayelsa State Ministry of Education.
(3) Benefits of utilization of information technology facilities in the Bayelsa State
Ministry of Education.
(4) Constraints in the effective utilization of the various types of information technology (IT) facilities in the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education.
Significance of the Study
The need for educational development especially in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized. This goal can be attained through the degree to which an office can be adequately equipped with state of the art machines and tools, and how well the appropriate skill can be applied in operating the machines to achieve optimum results or performance.
The findings of this study if adopted will be of immense benefit to the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education, unit Directors, Supervisors, Secretary, Clerks etc of all the parastatals (Niger Delta University, post primary schools board, Universal basic education etc). In the educational sector due to the identification of any gap that exist between equipment availability and adequate personnel to process information. Identification of the gap will create room for solution to be easily proffered.
The findings of the study would be beneficial to the administration of the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education as all the information and communication technology facilities would be identified so as to make procurement of those facilities that can be used for effective administration of the ministry. It would be beneficial in sense that all the constraints militating against the use of these ICT facilities would be identified and solution will be preferred.
The findings of this study will be beneficial to all end users of information chno1ogy e.g. Secretaries, Clarks etc. it will enable employees to cope with a variety of manufacturing system, improve productivity, improve job mobility and educational
standard. Finally, it would create awareness to the office clerks on the extent of availability and utilization of information and communication technology in the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education; this would reveal the gaps that exist in the offices in terms of current trends in ICT worldwide and ways of bridging the gap would be accordingly suggested.
Research Questions
The following research questions will guide this study:
(1) What are the various information technology (IT) facilities available in the
Bayelsa State Ministry of Education?
(2) How frequently are the information technology (IT) facilities available Bayelsa
State Ministry of Education utilized?
(3) What are the benefits of the utilization of information technology facilities in the
Bayelsa State Ministry of Education?
(4) What are the constraints in the effective utilization of information technology facilities in the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education?
Hypotheses
The following hypotheses are stated to guide the study:
HO1: There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of unit directors and secretaries on the avai1ability of information technology (IT) facilities in the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education.
HO2: There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of unit directors and secretaries on the extent of utilization of information technology (IT) facilities in the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education.
Delimitations of the Study
Although information technology is applied in all organizations both within and outside the country this particular study is delimited to the availability and utilization of information technology facilities by staff of the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education.
This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research
ASSESSMENT OF THE AVAILABILITY AND UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) FACILITIES IN BAYELSA STATE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
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