The Utilization of ICT in the Teaching and Learning of English Language at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Chapter One
Objective of the study
The main objective of the study is to investigate the utilization of ICT in the teaching and learning of English Language in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The specific objectives are;
- To explore the frequency and general and educational purposes of ICT use among students of University Nigeria, Nsukka
- To examine students’ perceptions and expectations of ICT use in English language learning in University of Nigeria, Nsukka
- To find out the expectations of ICT use in English language learning
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
The term ‘ICT’ is defined as “forms of technology used for creating, displaying, storing, manipulating, and exchanging information” (Meleisea , 2007, cited in Nguyen, Williams & Nguyen, 2012, p.3). This definition seems to be general; thus, within the scope of the current study, ICT specifically refers to computer-based technologies such as desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and software and internet-based technologies including email, websites, and social networking sites for the purpose of English teaching and learning (Davies & Hewer, 2009).
The Concept of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
The importance of information in human life cannot be over-emphasized. It is said that if one is not informed, one is deformed. Hence, it is a well-known fact that nothing can be done efficiently in an information vacuum. Wiener says that, “… to live effectively is to live with adequate information…”. Magnstle (1994) must be aware of this fact when he said that information is a tool for increasing relevance to the individual scientists. Wired, March 1994: Information is an activity. Information is a life form. Information is a relationship. Information is a verb not a noun, it is something that happens in the field of interaction between minds or objects or other pieces of information. Information is an action which occupies time rather than a state of being which occupies physical space. The word information derives from Latin “informare” which means “give form to”. The etymology thus connotes an imposition of structure upon some indeterminate mass. The way the word information is used can refer to both “facts” in themselves and the transmission of the facts. Thus, information contains a structure that has a meaning. According to Shannon and Weaver (1959), information is a purely quantitative measure of communicative exchanges. To Gregory Bateson, information is a difference that makes a difference. Information is data that (1) has been verified to be accurate, (2) is specific and organized for a purpose, (3) is presented within a context that gives it meaning and relevance, and (4) that can lead to an increase in understanding and decrease in uncertainty. The value of information lies solely in its ability to affect a behaviour, or outcome. A piece of information is considered valueless if, after receiving it, things remain unchanged. Information, in its most restricted technical sense, is a sequence of symbols that can be recorded as signs, or transmitted as signals. Information is any kind of event that affects the state of a dynamic system. Conceptually, information is the message (utterance or expression) being conveyed. Information is any type of pattern that influences the formation or transformation of other patterns. Information is any detected difference. Information is a repertoire’s collection detected somewhere within the system. Information is an abstract entity which has no separate existence on its own, because no difference can exist save there are real states between which the difference holds, and which constitute its mode. Information is the stimulus that has meaning in some context for its receiver. When information is entered into and stored in a computer, it is generally referred to as data. After processing (such as formatting and printing), output data can again be perceived as information. Krippendorf (1984:50) defines information as a change in an observer’s state of uncertainty. He compares information with energy. “Energy and information are measures of work. But whereas energy is a measure of the physical work required to transform matter of one form into matter of another, information is a measure of the (intellectual) work required to distinguish, to a degree better than chance, among a set of initially uncertain possibilities”.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
Participants
This study used a convenience sample of 149 English major students (129 female students and 20 male students) from five classes at University of Nigeria, Nsukka. All of the subjects were the second-year students who were taking the courses of Advanced Business English, Phonetics and Phonology, Academic Writing, and Reading and Grammar. The questionnaires were administered to the students during the break time with the assistance of the teachers who were in charge of these classes
Instrumentation
The primary instrument that was used to collect data in this current study was the questionnaire. The four-section questionnaire was designed with a total of 46 items in the close-ended format. The first section elicited background information. The second section, which was based on Jung (2006), entailed hours spent and general purposes of ICT use with eight options. The third section dealt with hours spent on using ICT to learn English with eight options.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
This chapter is about the analysis and presentation of data collected from the field through questionnaire. The analysis of the data with particular question immediately followed by the presentation of findings
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
The findings from the students’ responses on the frequency of ICT use for general and English learning purposes in this study revealed that the students spent more hours per week using ICT for general purposes (communication and entertainment activities) than for English learning purposes. Specifically, 88.4% of them spent more than ten hours a week using technology for non-educational purposes while only 33.5% of them spent more than ten hours using technology for English learning purposes. Similar findings were also found in Jung’s (2006) study showing that “the majority of the part icipants spent three to ten hours weekly using ICTs for general purposes whereas almost 40% of the participants less than one hour per week using ICTs for learning English”. These result s were also confirmed by the study of Melor, Maimun and Chua (2009), when they found that the general activities that the students spent more time on were communication (emailing, checking Facebook, chatting online), and entertainment (surfing the internet for pleasure, listening to online music, playing computer games) while they spent less time utilizing ICTs for the purposes of learning
As regards the perceived benefits of ICTs in English learning, the majority of the students (82.6%) indicated positive attitudes. According to the data, it can be concluded that there was a perception among the participants that the use of ICTs in language education could improve listening, speaking, reading, writing skills, grammar, and vocabulary. This survey result was in agreement with the previous study by Melor et al. (2010), who also found students’ highly positive attitudes towards language improvement through ICT use such as English vocabulary enrichment (89.4%), grammar improvement (84.8%), writing skills (74.3%), speaking skills (89.4%). In addition, most of the learners perceived that ICT applications would make language learning more fun. This could be explained that multimedia technology including visual aids, sounds, video clips, animations, and so on motivates learners, “attracts their attention and e levates their interest in learning” (Kuo, 2009, p.25).
As far as the learners’ expectations of using ICT to study English are concerned, most of them hoped that ICT should be used more often for the teaching and learning process. What can be inferred from this finding is that the application of ICT to the classroom setting was quite limited. This limited access might be attributable to teachers’ preference for traditional teaching methods and their lack of knowledge in updated technology. Therefore, a small number of teachers employ ICT in their teaching and encourage their students or teach them how to do so (Dogoriti, 2010; Abdul Rahim, 2011). What is more, Dang (2011) made it clear that the limited use of ICT by the teachers was due to their fear of increasing workloads, which means that they would have to spend more time preparing the lesson and insufficient training in technology was also the factor leading to their unwillingness to employ ICT.
Conclusion
The findings in this research study highlighted that the majority of the students spent more time employing ICT for general purposes than for language learning purposes. Also, they showed strong positive attitudes towards the benefits of technology to English language learning and expected that ICTs should be used more frequently in English teaching and learning. These research results carry several pedagogical implications as follows:
First and foremost, the students in this study used technology for a greater variety of non-learning activities; thus, gaining a deep understanding of these activities “might shed light on how best to determine their educational uses” (Fujimoto, 2012, p.165).
Secondly, the learners expected teachers to instruct them how to search for and use learning resources on the Internet. This could be explained that the students lacked information literacy search skills (Ilogho & Nkiko, 2014; Baldwin & Balatsoukas, 2010). Henceforth, there should be information literacy search skills workshops on a regular basis aiming to give students detailed instructions on how to be in search of online resources to maximize their language learning
Finally, despite the fact that the investment of technology such as computers, and Internet access on campus is available, many students do not seem to see the great potential of technology in language learning. Therefore, students should be provided with information technology knowledge through training workshops so that they utilize ICTs in learning English effectively
Recommendation
The school administrators should encourage government to provide ICT facilities in the schools.
- The school administrators should also encourage individuals and NGO’s who are interested in supporting the schools to donate ICT facilities.
- The ICT facilities should be used during classroom interactions as they enhance all L2 learners’ contact with the target language without going abroad to study.
- The staff and students should be adequately trained at cheaper or no cost for proper utilization of ICT facilities
References
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- Abdul Rahim, P. (2011). The use of ICT among university lecturers: a pedagogical perspective. Malaysian Journal of ELT Research, 7(2), 1-32. Retrieved March 25, 2014 from http://www.melta.org.my.
- Baldwin, A. N., & Balatsoukas, P. (2010). A study of students’ searching strategies. CEBE Transactions, 7(2), 2-25.
- Buabeng-Andoh, C. (2012). Factors influencing teachers’ adoption and integration of information and communication technology into teaching: A review of the literature. International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDUICT), 8(1), 136-155.
- Caruso, J. B., Kvavik, R. B., & Morgan, G. (2004), ECAR study of students and information technology, 2004: Convenience, Connection and Control. Paper presented at the Third Annual ECAR/HP Summer Symposium for Higher Education IT Executives. Sedona, AZ.
- Chen, C. T. (2008). The effectiveness of incorporating the Internet to improve literacy skills of English language learners. Doctoral dissertation, University of Louisville. Retrieved March 25, 2014 from
