INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION LITERACY AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA NSUKKA

ABSTRACT

This study investigated Information and Communication Technology and the Development of Information  Literacy among  Undergraduates  in University of Nigeria,  Nsukka.  The main objective is to find out the information literacy skills possessed by undergraduates. Six (6) research questions were formulated to guide the study. What  information literacy skills are possessed by undergraduate students? What are the  effects of ICTs on the development of information literacy of students? What are the  benefits of ICTs on undergraduate’s use of information  literacy in their academic  work? What programmes  are adopted  for teaching information literacy skills to u!ndergraduate students? What are the problems associated with use of ICTs on the development of information literacy skills among undergraduate students? What are the strategies for the enhancement of Information and communication technologies on the development of information literacy of undergraduate students? A descriptive survey design was used in carrying out the study. The population of 432 undergraduates was used for the study. The instrument for data collection was questionnaire. The data was analyzed using simple percentages and mean (X). The results from the analysis revealed that there is a dearth of ICT facilities  available  to  undergraduates  in University  of  Nigeria,  Nsukka,  that  ICT facilities   are   available   to   undergraduates   in   University   of   Nigeria,   Nsukka,   that undergraduates  lack  adequate  programmes  for  teaching  information  literacy  skills.  The findings revealed that undergraduates are faced with lots of problems on the use of ICTs on the development of information literacy skills which include irregular power supply, lack of fund to finance ICT programmes and high cost of ICT equipments. The respondents agreed on  the  perceived  benefits  from  the  use  of  ICT  facilities  for  on-line  registration,  word processing but lack skills in software application, statistical data and photocopying materials. Problems associated with the use of ICT facilities include the irregular power supply, high cost of equipments and lack of funds to finance ICT programmes. Strategies for promoting effective and efficient ICT on the development of information literacy include that student should be educated on the use of ICT facilities, alternative source of power supply should be provided, increase of awareness among undergraduates on the use of ICT facilities and also government  provision of enough funds and  reduction of tariff on the importation  of ICT equipments, more commitment in the development of ICTs skills.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

Globally, the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) is fast  gaining prominence  and  is  becoming  one  of  the  most  important  elements  that  show   the  basic competencies  of  students.  Information  and  communication  technologies  (ICT)  can  promote students’  intellectual  qualities  through  higher  order  thinking,  problem   solving,  improved communication skills, and deep understanding of the learning tool and the concepts to be taught. Information  and  communication  technologies  (ICT)  can  promote  a  supportive,  interactive teaching and learning environment, create broader  learning communities, and provide learning tools for students, including those with special needs

Information Technology is originally a technology of “storing and retrieving knowledge or data from computers, whereas Communication Technology is a technology of both/either ‘as a process or transmission, by which A sends a message, voice and/or data to B upon whom it has an  effect’  and/or  ‘as  a  negotiation  and  exchange  of  meaning’,  which  is  widely  known  or separately evolved as broadcasting or mass communications and telecommunications.  The very critical technology to realise a convergence is the advent of Internet, which enables to transmit, record,  store,  retrieve  knowledge,  data,  images  (e.g.,  broadcasting)  and  even  voice  (e.g., telecommunication),   particularly  worldwide   on   an  instant  or  real-time  base  as  two-way communications for both a one-to-one and one-to-multiple (Kim, 2002).

There  isn’t  any universally  accepted  definition  of  ICT  because  the  applications  and technology involved  in this constantly  keeps changing almost on a daily basis. The  changes happen so fast which makes it difficult to keep up with them. ICT deals with digital data and the ways of storing, retrieval, transmission and receipt. More importantly ICT deals with the ways these concepts work when put together. The C in ICT stands for Communication of data over some distance by electronic means. This is achieved by the use of networks connecting different

hardware to send and receive data like, personal computer and digital television. Networks are further  divided  into (LAN)  local area networks  usually linked  within an office  building and (WAN)  Wide  area network,  a very common  example  of the WAN  is the  internet  which  is connected over a vast distance.

According to Rijsenbrij (1997), Information and Communications Technology can then be seen as the technologies that support the communication and co-operation of “human beings and their organizations”  and the “creation  and exchange  of knowledge”.  The Association  of African  Universities  (2000)  defines  Information  Communications   and  Technology  as  “a shorthand for the computers, software, networks, satellite links  and related systems that allow people to access, analyse, create, exchange and use data,  information and knowledge in ways that, until recently, were almost unimaginable. It refers to the infrastructure that brings people together  in different  places and time zones,  with multimedia  tools for data, information,  and knowledge management in order to expand the range of human capabilities”. (Heeks,1999). In a nutshell, it involves the  electronic means of capturing, processing, storing and communicating information.  Information  communication  technologies  can be seen or described  as the whole modern  entourage  of  computer  hardware  and  software  network,  mobile  telephony,  satellite transfers and similar items in their designed state of active receiving, processing and transferring of information and maintaining a steady flow of communication between peoples of different lands and homes.

Information  Communication  Technologies  is  the  building  blocks  of  the  Networked World, “ICTs represent the combination of microelectronics, computer hardware and software, telecommunications,  and  opto-electronics  such as  microprocessors,  semiconductors  and  fiber optics, that enable the processing,  and storage  of huge amounts of information,  and its rapid dissemination through computer networks. These innovations enable the processing and storage of  enormous  amounts  of  information,  along  with  rapid  distribution  of  information  through communications   network”   (UNDP,   2001).  From  the  above,  Information   Communication

Technologies  include telecommunications  technologies  such as telephone,  cable, satellite  and radio, as well as digital technologies, such as computers, information networks and  software. . “There is no doubt about the profound impact made by information and communication technologies  (ICT)  on  our  professionals  and  non-professional  life.  Tertiary  institutions  in particular, are not only faced with the challenge of trying to be competitive and equip people to make  the  transition  to  an information  economy,  they  have  had  to  make  the  changes  under increasingly stringent economic conditions due to continual reduced funding from government”

(Bruce, 1994).

According to Bruce (1994), ICT consists of the hardware, software, networks, and media for the collection, storage, processing, transmission, and presentation of information. The use of ICT falls into four major categories: constructing knowledge and problem solving (through the Internet,   email,   CD-ROMs,   databases,   video-conferencing);   using   process   skills;   aiding explanation of concepts; and communicating ideas, (Bruce, 1994).

One barrier  to  the effective  and efficient  utilization  of ICT in University of  Nigeria, Nsukka is the relatively low level of information literacy. Without the ability to manipulate and use information effectively,  investments  in ICT-for-development  of  information literacy skills may be unsuccessful. In fact, some scholars have suggested that the digital divide between the developed  and  developing  world  has  widened  because  of  the  lack  of  information  skills  in developing  countries  (Dewan,  Ganley,  &  Kraemer,  2005).    Without  information  literacy, developing nations may continue to underutilize the technology that is provided (Pejova, 2002), resulting in a waste of resources with potentially serious repercussions for their development. In achieving development through ICT is not  just a matter of providing access to ICT tools but enhancing information  literacy, which  provides the ability to manipulate  and use information effectively.

However,   there  has  been  growing  world-wide   concern  with  information   literacy especially in Australia and the United States (Doyle, 1992; Walker, 1999; Bundy,  1998). The

term “information  literacy” is attributed to Zurkowski (1973) although there is no  universally accepted definition of the term. The word Literacy originated  from Latin  word  litteratus is a concept that has been evolving over time and has had a variety of meanings, to include the skills needed  to perform well in society.  The simplest  form of  literacy involves  the ability to use language in its written form: a literate person is able to  read, write and understand his or her native language and expresses a simple thought in writing (Bawden, 2001).

Information Literacy Skills is the ability “to recognize when information is needed and have  the  ability to  locate,  evaluate,  and  use  effectively  the  needed  information”  (American Library Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy, 1989). Thus, it is the basis for life-long learning. Julien (2002) observes that it is the ability to make efficient and effective use of information sources, and that an information literate person today should possess specific online  searching  skills,  which  include  the  ability  to  select  appropriate  search  terminology, construct a logical search strategy, and evaluate information appropriately. However, September (1993) asserts that students need some  level of these skills to make decisions about academic matters and other aspects of their daily lives. Julien (2002) identifies the skill domains that are involved  and classifies  them  as cognitive,  affective,  and physical,  i.e., thought,  attitude,  and operation.

In Africa, information literacy has not been accorded its position in the higher education curriculum  (Ojedokun 2005). In Nigeria, the supervisory organ for universities,  the National Universities Commission (NUC), makes it mandatory for all universities in Nigeria to include library literacy course in their curriculum (Noah, 2004). It is unfortunate that as good and lofty as the NUC directive is, only few universities  have paid serious  attention to it and offer it as a credit-earning course. While many Universities offer information literacy as a non-credit-earning course, others have library orientation. Some  universities cluster it with other General Studies courses, and in the few universities that offer it as a credit-earning course, the unit and status of the course is not enough to achieve the desired results.

While it is required in some universities, it is an elective in others. The time and space allotted to the course is not sufficient for students to grasp the salient points. Students requires to possess  the  basic  information  literacy  skills  which    include  the  ability  to  use  information technology for information retrieval and communication, finding information located in different sources,    executing  a  process  for  finding  and  using  information,    controlling  and  storing information for easy retrieval,   building a personal  knowledge base in a new area of interest, working with knowledge and personal perspectives to gain novel insights, and: using information wisely for the benefit of others.

The  student  who  possesses  the  information  literacy  skills  is  the  master  of  his  own learning. The student goes from simply finding and learning facts to the process of creating new information.     However,   knowledge  creation  involved   prospecting   –   discovering  relevant information. Skills required are selection and navigation, and then sorting, sifting and selecting pertinent  and  accurate  data.  Interpreting  –  translate  data  and  information  into  knowledge. Creating new ideas – showing insight and understanding, as new knowledge is developed, not a rehash of old information.

A  number  of  reviews  of  the  concept  of  information  literacy  have  been  carried  out (Kulthau,  1993;  McClure,  1994;  Snavely  and  Cooper,  1997;  Bawden  2001)  and  various definitions of information literacy have been formulated. In its definition the American Library Association  (1989) emphasized  that: “Information  literate people are  those who have learned how to learn – they know how knowledge is organized, how to find information and how to use information in a way that others can learn from them – they are people prepared  for lifelong learning”. According to Bruce and Candy (2000) “Information literacy is the ability to locate, evaluate, manage and use information from a  range of sources for problem-solving,  decision- making and research”

Information literacy encompasses  knowledge of one’s information concerns and  needs, and the ability to identify, locate, evaluate, organize and effectively create, use and communicate

information to address issues or problem on hands, (UNISIST, 2003).   It is a prerequisite  for participating  effectively  in the  information  society and  is part of the  basic  human  life  long learning (UNISIST, 2003).

Organizations in Africa have been concerned with the problem of poor implementation of ICT  in  African  school.  For  instance,  the  Association  of  African  University  (AAU,  2000) examined the problem and major obstacles affecting the use of ICT in African universities, and thus defined the problems to be technical, non-technical, human and organizational and financial. Technical  obstacles  identified  include  the poor  telecommunication  infrastructure,  absence  of national  information  communication  infrastructure  lack  of university  coherent  plan  for ICT, problems  of connectivity,  lack  of  or  limited  bandwidth  for  ICT  for  learning,  teaching,  and research,  non-reliability  of  public electricity supply,  thus necessitating  extra cost for standby generators. The  non-technical  deals with lack of professional development for faculty, human and organizational aspect relates to inadequate planning for ICT integration in regular activities of  universities,  and  inadequate  human  resource  base,  while  financial  relates  to  inadequate funding of ICT infrastructure,  maintenance  of available facilities, and staff  development.  Not with  standing,  it  can  be  deduced  that  ICTs  are  essential  for   contemporary  educational development  of any nation. Nigeria,  as a nation, recognizes  the  pivotal roles of ICTs in the revitalization and the development of the country’s education system.  This recognition brought about the development of specific ICTs related  policies so that the country education system could husband the potentials of ICTs.

Although computer entered into the country’s education system in the late 70’s and early

80’s, no concrete policy was evolved for its entry into the nation’s education system until the evolvement  of the National  Policy on Computer  Education  in 1988 (FRN, 1988).  The 1988 document contained information on the application of computer at various levels of the country’s education, and with issues related to basic objectives, hardware and software requirements.  The document also comments on teacher training, specifically,  for the secondary school level. The

implementation  of the policy was kick started  with a training programme  conducted  for  197 teachers from across the country. In addition, computer systems were introduced into the federal unity schools and armed forces secondary schools. However, the initial enthusiasm gave way and little was achieved about the set objectives.

Further impetus for ICT integration in the Nigerian school system came with the  2001

National  Policy  on  Information  Technology,  tagged  “Use  IT”.  It  was  a  major  step  in  the integration of ICT in all facets of the country’s life.  The document, among others, recommended a start up grant of at least $158m and two percent allocation from the total national budget for articulating the vision of the document. The Nigerian National Policy on IT (FRN, 2001) has within its purview the vision, mission, general objectives and strategies for the implementation of the policy, and sectoral application for all sectors  (health, agriculture,  tourism, etc.) was also embedded.  Ironically,   education  was   subsumed  under  human  resource  development.  The document, in the areas of education, among others, envisaged the development of IT curricula for all levels of Nigerian education, the facilities, and IT dedicated institutions.

Although the document is a step in the right direction, however, it is inadequate to impact positively on the Nigerian education as the philosophical frame of reference is market driven and its little emphasis on the real integration and infusion of ICTs in the country’s education system (Yusuf, 2005a). In addition, the document was silent on the education of the disabled and other disadvantaged. The revised National Policy on Education (FRN, 2004) emphasized the need for ICTs at all level of Nigerian education. For instance, the document stated inter alia in Section 11 sub-section  102  (a)  that  “All  states,  Teachers  Resource  Centres,  University  Institutes  of Education,  and  other  professional  bodies  shall  belong  to  the  network  of  Information  and Communication Technology (ICT)”. The documents noted further in Section 11 sub-section 102 (d)  “Government  shall  provide  facilities  and  necessary  infrastructure  for  the  promotion  of Information and Communication Technology at all levels of education”). Another major aspect of the document that is ICT related is the national virtual library project aimed at the rejuvenation

of the Nigerian schools through provision of easy access to current books, journals, and  other information resources using digital technology (FRN, 2004). It must be emphasized,  however, that little or no efforts have been made to implement the ideas set out in these 2001 and 2004 documents.

Another major policy document on ICTs use in education is the Ministerial Initiative on Education for the Nigerian Education System (FME, 2004).  The document contains information on the theoretical framework for e-education in Nigeria, analysis of the Nigerian situation, that is, factors inhibiting or promoting the integration of ICTs in education, components of e-education in Nigeria, e-education blue print, elements of the blue print strategies, decade goals (2015), mid- decade  goals  (2009)  and  the action  plan,  among  others.  The ministerial  initiative  document though not encompassing  enough to address  ICTs integration  in Nigerian  schools,  contained policy statements, which could leapfrog the integration of ICT in Nigerian schools. However, the removal of the Minister of Education who initiated the document, probably accounts for non- implementation of the document.

The implementation of the 1988 national policy on computer education was precursored by the training of teachers  in Federal Unity Schools  and Armed  Forces  Schools.  To ensure effective implementation of the 2001 National Policy Information Technology (IT), the Nigerian Information  Technology  Developments  Agency  (NITDA)  was  established.  In  addition,  the Digital Bridge Institute,  in Abuja,  was established  by  the Nigerian  National  Communication Commission (NCC), to assist in the promotion of ICTs in Nigeria. In spite of all these efforts, ICTs have not impacted greatly on the  Nigerian School System. In fact, the impact of ICT is much more noticeable in the economic and communication sectors of the country.

Similarly,  most teachers  in Nigerian secondary  schools have positive  attitude  towards computer  education  (Yusuf,  1998).  However,  swide  gap  exists  between  implementation  and requirements outlined in the Nigerian computer education policy (Jegede & Owolabi, 2003). In addition,  reasonable  computer  studies  are  yet  to  start  in  Nigerian  secondary  schools,  the

computer-student  ratio is small, funding by government  has not been encouraging,  computer education syllabus is unpopular among students and parents and thus hardly implemented, and teachers are inadequate to implement computer education (Jegede & Adelodun, 2003). Teachers in Nigerian secondary schools cannot implement  computer  education because majority of the teachers  are not competent  in basic computer operation  and in the use of simple application software (Yusuf, 2005b). In view of these apparent,  lack of proper implementation of ICTs at various  levels  of  Nigerian  education,  it  is  important  to  examine  barriers  militating  against effective implementation of ICT globally, as these may serve as lesson for proper implementation of ICT in Nigerian Schools.

The volume of information and the complexity of information available are increasing all the time and in the industrialized world the use of ICT is endemic. Therefore, if people do not have the knowledge and skills to deal effectively with both printed and electronic  information sources then they are going to have problems in coping with daily life as a citizen, a worker, a student and as member of society. The Australian Library and Information Association (2001) considers that information literacy is a prerequisite for participative citizenship, social inclusion, personal, vocational, corporate and organizational empowerment, the creation of new knowledge and learning for life.

However, all institutions in Nigeria start students off with Induction. This usually happens in the first weeks of the academic  year and students are overwhelmed  with  information  and simply forget most of them. They lose the printed information they are  given and forget their passwords  and IDs. New  electronic  resources  are being developed  all the  time and existing resources change frequently. Therefore, students need to learn about new resources and update their knowledge and skills in using established resources at regular intervals. Information skills training sessions, however, may not be enough. Students need to have the opportunity to practice what they have learned and to consolidate the skills they have acquired. Bruce and Candy (2000)

suggest  that  it is the cumulative  experience  from a range of subjects or individual  learning experiences that develops information literacy.

Statement of the Problem

Certain factors seem to affect ICT on the development  of information  literacy among undergraduate  students in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Awareness of the  importance of information literacy is required at all levels, especially students.

Students need  information  for a variety of activities.  Information  and  communication technology has vast electronic resources that can meet any of these  purposes. There is a daily explosion of information resources and the challenge of using these resources effectively and responsibly. In using ICT resources, students lack skills in locating and evaluating information, which impedes its effective use. In-fact, in this digital age where methods of accessing and using information  are  taking  new  forms  and  reshaping  the  way  research,  learning,  information management and communication are conducted, students need to be equipped with ICT literacy skills in order to compete effectively in the wider society and as such, the researcher tries to find out the ICT and the development of information literacy among undergraduates in University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

An  explicit  strategy  for  information  literacy  development  is  required.   Academics acceptance of their role in promoting students’ information literacy is important. Students follow the  recommendations   of  their  tutors  regarding  information  sources.   Many  academics  do recommend  resources, both printed and electronic to their students.  Academic knowledge and skills are a unique  factor;  students  rely to  a great  extent  upon  their  lecturers.  Library staff provides resources and support for individuals and groups who visit the Library, many students make little use of this support.

Integration of information skills training into the curriculum or tutorial programme may raise its value in the eyes of students. Students tend to be pragmatic. Many of them will do only what they think they need to complete their course. They have to see the relevance of information

skills  training  or  they  will  simply  dismiss  it.  They  are  not  interested  in  “extras”.  If  the information skill training is just another optional extra then many of them will ignore it.

The problem of this study therefore, is to identify the ICT skills use on the development of information literacy. The problems associated with its uses and strategies to be adopted in order to promote effective use of information and communication  technologies  skills and the development of information literacy among undergraduate students in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the research is to find out the level of utilization of information  and communication technologies and the development of information literacy among undergraduates in University of Nigeria, Nsukka. To achieve this, the following has been listed out for the study: i.         To identify information literacy skills possessed by undergraduate students.

ii.        To identify the effects of ICTs on the development of information literacy of students.

iii.        To find out the benefits of ICTs on undergraduate’s use of information literacy in their academic work.

iv.       To  identify  the  programmes   adopted   for  teaching   information   literacy   skills   to undergraduate students.

v.        To find out the problems associated with use of ICTs on the development of information literacy skills among undergraduate students.

vi.       Strategies for the enhancement of the use of Information and communication technologies on the development of information literacy among undergraduates.

Research Questions

The study will be guided by the following research questions:

1        What information literacy skills are possessed by undergraduate students?

2        What are the effects of ICTs on the development of information literacy of students?

3          What are the benefits of ICTs on undergraduate’s  use of information  literacy in  their academic work?

4          What programmes are adopted for teaching information literacy skills to  undergraduate students?

5          What are the problems associated with use of ICTs on the development of information literacy skills among undergraduate students?

6          What  are  the  strategies   for  the  enhancement   of  Information   and   communication technologies on the development of information literacy of undergraduate students?

Significance of the Study

The significance  of the study is expected to be of benefits to students and staff in the

University of Nigeria system. The study will be beneficial because it will:

Reveal the effect or extent of information communication technologies on developing the attributes of information literacy of the undergraduate students in the university and impress on the university authority to develop and sustain information literacy programme in the university.

It will also create awareness on the importance of information literacy at all levels of education and it will help the NUC as one of the policy makers in the university to provide a good scheme for information literacy development in the university.

The study will also help to build the ICT professionals, librarians and academic staff in the  University  of  their  Important  Roles  in  promoting  undergraduate  student’s  information literacy.

Scope of the Study

This research is limited to undergraduate  student in University of Nigeria, Nsukka.  Its focus lies  on the  strategies  for improving  the utilization  of information  communication and technologies  and  the  development  of  information  literacy  among  undergraduate  students  in University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

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