UTILIZATION OF COMPUTER FOR INSTRUCTION IN ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY

In carrying out this study, three research questions and three null hypotheses were developed to guide the study. Descriptive survey research design was employed in selecting the respondents for the study. The study was carried out in Kwara State covering the three State Colleges of Education in Kwara State. The population for this study was 232 comprising 102 Senior lecturers (Chief Lecturer, Principal Lecturer) and 130 Junior Lecturers (Lecturer I, Lecturer II, Lecturer III and Assistant Lecturers) in Kwara State Colleges of Education located in Ilorin, Oro and Lafiagi. Due to the manageable size of the population of NCE technical education lecturers in Kwara State, the entire 232 lecturers were used for the study. Therefore, there was no sampling. The instrument for the study was a structured questionnaire developed by the researcher and it is titled: Utilization of Computer for Instruction in Electronics Technology Questionnaire; ‘(UCIETQ)’. The questionnaire items were developed from the literature reviewed. The instrument was face-validated by three experts. The experts were requested to assess the items of the instruments in terms of clarity, relevance and appropriateness in addressing the problem of the study and research questions under investigation. Their comments and corrections were incorporated in the final draft of the instrument. To establish the internal consistency of the questionnaire, Cronbach Alpha reliability technique was used in which reliability value 0.74 was obtained for use of computer for instructional planning, 0.70 for instructional delivery, 0.83 for instructional evaluation while an overall reliability coefficient of 0.76 was obtained for the entire instrument. Data for the study were collected by the researcher with the help of two research assistants. The research assistants were briefed by the researcher in order for them to be acquainted with the system of administering the questionnaire and to enhance the return rate of the instrument from the respondents. Out of the 232 copies of the questionnaire distributed, 221 copies were retrieved and completely filled representing 95.3% rate of return. The data collected were analyzed using mean for answering research questions while t-test statistics was used for testing the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance and at 219 degree of freedom. It was found out that, all the 36 identified items in the study are ways through which computer can be used for instruction in electronics technology in Kwara State Colleges of Education. Specifically, the study found that computer can be used for enhancing instructional planning, instructional delivery and instructional evaluation in electronics technology in Kwara State Colleges of Education. Based on the findings, the study among others recommended that the State government through its ministry of education should help package the identified ways in which computer can be used for instructional planning, delivery and evaluation as a useful guide for lecturers in tertiary institutions in the state.

Information and communications technology has become highly important in everyday affair among policy makers, economists, academics, general public and private organizations. Seminars, conferences and workshops are being organized every year across the world on the relevance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) which emphasizes its importance for the society as well as individual development. Curtin (2002) opined that information and communication technology is a set of tools and application that are facilitated by electronic means to capture, store, process, transmit and display information. According to Ogechukwu and Osuagwu (2010), information and communication technology is the processing and maintenance of information and the use of all forms of computer communication network and mobile technologies to mediate information. Information and communication technology is an umbrella term that includes any communication devices or application, encompassing; radio, television, cellular, phones, computer and other network hardware and software, satellite system and among others, as well as the various services and application associated with them, such as video conferencing and distance learning.

Information and communication technology is utilized in various context such as education, health care, agriculture, library among others. One of the ways by which ICT is utilized in education is through computer assisted instruction. Computer assisted instruction is the utilization of computer for instructional planning, delivery and evaluation (Aginam, 2006).