Students’ Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: This study was meant to evaluate the knowledge and utilization of information and communication technology (ICT) resources by students in the Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, University of Calabar and recommend possible reforms to enhance knowledge and use of ICT by the students. Methods: A 31-item questionnaire was developed to evaluate the knowledge and use of ICT by students in the Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, University of Calabar. The questionnaire was administered to 240 students in the Faculty through random sampling after it was tested for validity. Data obtained were evaluated in terms of percentages and simple differences. Results: About 88 (40%) students had good knowledge of ICT while the remaining 132 (60%) did not have good ICT knowledge and were not trained previously. It was also discovered that all the Departments in the Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences did not have adequate ICT facilities. The results also showed that few students in the Faculty use ICT facilities for assignment, research and updating lecture notes while most students (n=194, 88.18%), use the available ICT facilities mainly for social networking and recreation. Conclusion: ICT use by students in the Allied Medical Sciences faculty, University of Calabar, is low due to inadequacy of the ICT facilities and lack of training and competence. Keywords: COMPETENCE, STUDENT, KNOWLEDGE, UTILIZATION, ICT, RESEARCH