INFLUENCE OF GENDER AND COURSE OF STUDY ON THE ACQUISITION OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION (ICT) SKILLS AMONG STUDENTS OF FEDERAL COLLEGES OF EDUCATION (FCE)

ABSTRACT

The study investigates the influence of gender and course of study on the acquisition of  ICT skills among students of Federal colleges of Education (FCE),with particular reference to students  in FCEs :Okene,Pankshin and Kontagora in  north central geopolitical zone. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. Ex-post facto research design was used for the study. The population consists of four thousand, four hundred and fifteen students (4,415)The sample was made up of two hundred and twenty one (221) respondents. The instrument for data collection was the achievement/performance test. Data collected were analyzed using mean, t-test and ANOVA. The findings of the study indicate that gender influences ICT skill acquisition significantly. It also showed that though course of study influenced acquisition of ICT skill the influence is not significant. Based on the findings, some recommendations were made.            

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

 To live, learn and work successfully in an increasingly complex

information-rich and knowledge based society, the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) is necessary. According to the InformationTechnology Association of America (ITAA,1976)Information Communication Technology (ICT) is the study, design, development, implementation, support and management of computer-based  information systems, particularly software application and computer hardware. It deals with the use of electronic devices to collect, convert and store, protect, process, transmit and retrieve information. 

           Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are complex and heterogeneous set of goods, applications and services used for producing, distributing, processing and transforming information. Included in this set are outputs of industries such as telecommunications, television and radio broadcasting, computer hardware and software, computer services and electronic media such as the internet, electronic mail, electronic commerce and computer games (Gillian, 2006). 

          Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has the potentials to enrich the quality of Education, reduce the cost of education, expand access to education and educational resources, provide lifelong education, and reduce geographical and other forms of barriers in education(Nwafor,2007).For example, apart from the particular course of study a student is also equipped with such skillsas browsing and surfing the internet, Internet shopping/trading, accessing  wide range of information on various fields of interest through the internet. Expensive and scarce textbooks are easily accessed and downloaded at highly reduced rates 

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through the internet too. The use of General System on Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) and Electronic mails have helped to remove geographical barriers and reduce distances in time and space .People  can now stay where they are to seek and get desired information without having to embark on  journeys, thereby avoiding transport hazards.

            ICT holds tremendous potential for improving the lives of every one, including opportunities for employment, education, political empowerment, access to resources and information with a world outside the boundaries of homes. Opportunities presented by the use of ICT are borderless-ranging from classroom instruction ,administration, management, engineering, architecture, broadcasting ,design in Art and craft among others. A fundamental change is taking place in the nature and application of technology in all facets of human endeavors. This change has profound and far reaching implications that any organization which does not queue into this transition will fail. Banks are going cashless, Libraries are going virtual and documents such as Curriculum Vitae are now demanded and carried in soft copies rather than in hard copies which was the practice.

         ICTs goods and services have diffused at rates which set many records. As reported by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU, 1999) its  goods and services took shorter time to reach comparable percentage of the populace than other technologies, the number of countries connected to the global network has grown from just over 20 in 1990 to more than 200 in July 1999(Dadley,2001). The ICT sector forms what is known today as the knowledge sector and it is the fastest growing area of the global economy. Before the advent of the GSM, ownership of land phone especially in residential quarters was considered a luxury

3 and was essentially for the wealthy and the educated high class, but today thestory is different-the cobbler, the peasant farmer, the market woman, the house wife, the school child, the petty traders  now have access to cell phones.            

   Asogwa(2008) states that ‘Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are increasingly shaping educational institutions and the way in which education programs are developed, marketed, instructed, delivered, serviced and evaluated. The growth and development of any nation is hinged on its technological skilled labor force, the technological skills of the work force paves way for creativity, innovation and high productivity. The radical change the world is experiencing today is ICT anchored. Policy makers the world over are actively promoting the growth of ICT sector and seeking to maximize the positive effects. However, there remain noticeable disparities between the extent to which access and skills are available. The benefits of knowledge are not available to a large majority of the world’s population; the digital divide has become a central international development concern.