Basic Information And Communication Technology Skills Research Articles

Librarians’ ICT skills and service delivery in private universities in Nigeria

This paper examined the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills of librarians for service delivery in private universities with particular reference to Southern Nigeria. The study adopted the survey research method. Forty-five (45) private university libraries in Southern Nigeria and their librarians constituted the sample size for the study. The study’s samples consisted of 181 librarians in the private universities, hence, total enumeration was adopted. Questionnaire was used for data collection from the respondents. Out of the 181 copies of the questionnaire distributed, 173 were returned and found valid for analysis. Data gathered was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 21 and the results were presented in frequency count, percentage, mean and chart. Findings of the study revealed that librarians in private universities in Southern Nigeria delivered various library services to their users. The librarians have acquired basic ICT skills and were versatile in its application for Internet searches, information retrieval, social communication and Microsoft-office related activities with the exception of programming skills. Majority of the librarians acquired their ICT skills through self-learning. The finding revealed that the acquisition of ICT skills by librarians in Southern Nigeria private universities is relevant to their delivery of improved library services. The paper recommended that regular acquisition of relevant ICT skills is essential for librarians and university management should support librarians’ ICT capacity development at national and international levels as this would enhance their relevance and get them abreast of the latest development for effective service delivery.

Teachers’ Level of Training on ICT and the Implementation of ICT Curriculum in Some Public Primary Schools in Mezam Division, North West Region of Cameroon

Purpose: This paper buttress the importance of training teachers on use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as one of the major boosters the government could support implementation of ICT curriculum in Cameroon public primary schools. This study examined teachers’ level of training on ICT and implementation of ICT curriculum in some public primary schools in Mezam Division.
 Methodology: The study employed a mixed method research design consisting of a cross sectional survey and an interpretive phenomenology. The sample was made up of 375 teachers and 72 head teachers who were teaching in public primary schools in Mezam Division. Data was collected using questionnaires and interview guide. Data obtained was analyzed using descriptive statistical tools and thematic analysis approach.
 Findings: The study found that teachers’ level of training on ICT has a positive and significant influence on implementation of ICT curriculum. In order to become confident users in the classrooms, teachers require extensive, on-going exposure to ICTs to be able to develop their ICT competences, evlauate and select the most appropriate resources. Not only does training aid teachers in the development of ICT competence, it equally helps teachers to recognise ICT as an essential teaching and an enabler of other teaching and learning practices.
 Conclusion: This study conclude that teachers’ level of training influences the implementation of ICT curriculum.
 Recommendations: The study recommend that teacher training colleges should ensure that the period given for practical implementation of ICT curriculum is proportionate to the period spent in class to acquire theory on the implementation of ICT curriculum. The study also recommend Ministry of Education as well as the Regional Pedagogic Inspectors for ICT to organize regular and practical in-service training with demonstration lessons that help teachers develop basic, intermediate and advanced ICT skills.

“A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODEL OF TECHNOLOGICAL PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE (TPACK), SCHOOL CULTURE AND ICT LITERACY ON THE TECHNOSTRESS OF SCIENCE TEACHERS”

Teachers' Information and Communication Technology (ICT) literacy skills in employing teaching-learning modalities opened new avenues for making the teaching and learning process more dynamic and engaging. This study developed a model of TPACK, School Culture, and ICT Literacy Skills on Technostress of Science Teachers in secondary schools of Bukidnon Divisions in the School Year 2021-2022. The study examined teachers' best predictors of technostress, resulting in the development of a structural equation model (SEM). Descriptive, correlational, and causalcomparative designs were utilized, employing adapted survey questionnaires as instruments to obtain information from the 320 participants. Mean, Pearson Product Moment Correlation, Multiple Regression, and SEM were the statistical tools used. The results show that the level of science teachers' technostress, TPACK, and school culture was high and moderate in ICT literacy skills. Moreover, there was a positive and signicant relationship between the science teachers' TPACK, school culture, and ICT skills with their technostress. The ICT skills and school culture were predictors of science teachers' technostress. Finally, the best t model of science teachers' technostress is best predicted by ICT skills and TPACK. Hence, the model suggests the following: ICT Skills and TPACK inuence teachers' technostress; the collaborative inuence of teachers on ICT Literacy Skills and TPACK leads to less technostress; teachers' high level in TPACK with their basic level in ICT are inuential factors in their technostress, and less technostress when there is basic ICT Skills and high TPACK levels with regards to doing the new modality of teaching and learning.

STUDI RETROSPEKTIF PADA INISIATIF LITERASI DIGITAL DI PROVINSI KALIMANTAN UTARA

Digital literacy as part of information literacy is important in the development of the world of information and technology today, and also as a capital to participate in digital society. The European Union Commission has provided a three-stage initiative in assessing the extent to which digital literacy has progressed in society, which are: Stage 1. Access to technology; Stage 2. Basic ICT (Information and Communication Technology) skills and; Stage 3. Increase public participation in the information society. By using a retrospective study, this paper has attempted to see how digital literacy initiatives are in North Kalimantan Province, based on the steps recommended by the European Union Commission. The data used in this paper comes from the Central Statistics Agency both nationally and from North Kalimantan itself, as well as from official national news information and from the Province of North Kalimantan. Some of the data placed on the Stage 1 initiative has shown that the percentage of access to the internet by the people of North Kalimantan is above 95%. Furthermore, in the Stage 2 initiative, it was found that the ability to use computers (desktop PCs, laptops, notebooks, tablets) was still low, but the percentage value was not too far from the national average for computer use. This has also been balanced with the number of people in North Kalimantan who have used mobile phones. Then in the Stage 3 initiative, some local government support was found to encourage community involvement in the use of ICT, one of which was by launching public service applications, as well as being involved in virtual events, which indirectly familiarized the community with technology. The North Kalimantan government has also supported content creators also has increased the competence of news creators. Some suggestions have also been written at the end of this paper to improve digital literacy in North Kalimantan Province in the future.

Integration of ICT in Teaching and Learning in Secondary Schools in Kigezi Region, Uganda

Embracing of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) by most secondary schools in Uganda, especially in Kigezi region is faced by a number of challenges which had not yet been clearly documented. The purpose of this study was to establish whether ICT is being integrated in the teaching and learning process among selected secondary schools in Kigezi region. The study was guided by MICTIVO model (2009) of ICT integration. The quantitative research approach was the main approach while the qualitative approach was complementary. A sample of 332 students and 24 teachers from six (6) schools were required to participate in the study. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire and analysed using SPSS. The findings from the study indicated that ICT is not being used in the teaching and learning process, most of ICT Infrastructures were not available in schools and most respondents lacked the basic ICT skills and competencies. The model developed revealed that location of the schools and the year of existence were found to be significant while class and gender were found to be insignificant to ICT adoption in secondary schools. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that government and stakeholders should ensure that; schools are provided with the necessary ICT infrastructure, recruitment of qualified computer teachers, recruitment of computer laboratory technicians, continuous retooling of both students and staff and schools should encourage ICT usage at home.

Empirical evaluation of basic Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills of final year students of Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku

This research work titled “Empirical Evaluation of Basic Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Skills of Final Year Students of Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku” used UNESCO ICT-Competency Framework for Teachers version 3, 2018 as a conceptual framework to assess basic ICT skills and competency level of students. It employed evaluative survey design using questionnaire as the instrument of data collection, designed and administered to all the 51 Part-Time final year students. Analysis of the research result using SPSS Version 20 shows that 4 (7%) of the students lack basic ICT skills, 13 (25%) of them are average in the use of ICT tools and 14 (27%) of them have above average ICT skills. A mean of 3.7 shows that 74% of the students agree that their ICT Instructors possesses the requisite professional skills and competencies to teach. Since 25% of the students can averagely use ICT tools, the researcher recommends that the Government should implement the Monitory and Evaluation of its huge investment in ICT in Education by making sure ICT Facilities are used for teaching and learning in schools.

Church Population Growth Prediction Using Predictive Analytic (Linear Regression Model) Technique

The world today has become highly technological and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been identified as one of the basic pillars on which the modern society stands. In Nigeria today, competency in basic ICT skills is now regarded as one of the basic requirements for our day-day activities in religion, economic, financial and political. The use of available ICT tools equally enhances the validity of results and assist management in planning and budgeting for growth. The church cannot be an exception in this regard as “spreading the gospel” is the goal of the churches by growing the number of new members using available tools. The issue of church growth transcends many areas of church activities and the application of the ICT infrastructures could be gainfully put into use in some of these areas for greater impact on church development. The difficulties confronting church organisations in respect of church growth are becoming unsurmountable for those that have refused to embrace and deploy Information and Communication Technologies to enhance growth and its resultant complexities. In this paper, a system capable of predicting church growth with the application of Linear Regression Model (LRM) using the historic data of a growing church is presented. The results demonstrated the importance of predicting the population of organisations such as religious centers that often have a growing teeming population of members. Such results of prediction using ICT tools would be an essential guide in the budgeting requirements of such organisations. Keywords: Prediction, growth, tools, ICT, normalize, linear, budgeting DOI: 10.7176/CEIS/12-1-05 Publication date: January 31 st 2021

Teachers’ Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Skills Assessment: Basis for a Comprehensive ICT Training Program

The study described the extent of knowledge in ICT skills of 180 teachers as a basis for a training plan in a selected schools division in Region 3. A descriptive survey method was utilized having a weighted mean and standard deviation to treat the data collected. It was concluded that the teachers displayed a proficient extent of knowledge in basic ICT skills. However, some of the skills enumerated have a low mean and were close to the adjacent group scale of the lower level of knowledge. Furthermore, they showed limited knowledge in some advanced computer applications which are necessary for the construction of instructional materials. The self-assessment revealed that they are knowledgeable in ICT skills, but they do not know how to use it in complex applications. The skills for development based on the training needs assessment reiterated a combination of skills which further clarified that not all skills under a certain application are known. It is then recommended that training needs assessment should always be conducted by school administrators to gather data on the actual needs of the teachers as a basis in planning a thorough training matrix to ensure that the development and training provided are based on the needs of the teachers.

Perception of college students regarding the use of ICT: A case study in Monterrey, México

The presenWe often take for granted that students have the basic skills and mastery of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), however, it has been confirmed that not all students are equally competent in this regard. From the theories of socialization and acceptance of the technology, a structural equation model (SEM) is built to explore the variance in basic ICT skills levels of students at a business school. With the application of a questionnaire that measured in detail ICT skills of new students in a higher education institution in Mexico, the main findings show that according to the tables of impact value between constructs and the significance between constructs, the skills have a significant and significant negative impact on the side of anxiety / behavior and on the side of the utility there is a strong, significant impact.

Basic Information and Communication Technology Skills among Canadian Immigrants and Non-Immigrants

Male immigrants are disproportionately employed in information and communication technology (ICT) industries and occupations in Canada. The authors use a measure of basic ICT skills to document dif...

Underrepresentation of Women in Canada’s Information and Communication Technology Sector: What Can We Learn from a Canadian Survey of Adult Skills?

The proportion of women in Canada’s information and communication technology (ICT) sector is well below their proportion in other fields. One hypothesis for this phenomenon is that women may not have the “right stuff” to be heavily involved in ICT. We use basic ICT scores derived from Statistics Canada’s 2012 Survey of Adult Skills, which is the Canadian portion of the 2012 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies as a proxy for the “right stuff.” We find that, after controlling for appropriate covariates, Canadian women score higher than men on basic ICT skills. However, women with the same ICT test scores are much less likely than men to be employed in ICT occupations. We also find that hourly wages in ICT occupations are lower for women, but this wage gap is no greater than that in the general labour market. Given the current and projected shortages of ICT professionals, women represent a large, yet untapped, pool of talent for this sector.

Understanding individual-level digital divide: Evidence of an African country

Digital divide, the differential in access and use of information and communication technologies (ICT) represents an obstacle to the information society. This study proposes a new theoretical model based on the extended unified theory of acceptance, and use of technology (UTAUT2), Schwartz's basic values and ICT skills to explore the role of values on ICT acceptance and, examine how these factors explain the digital divide. The research model was tested in the context of a sub-Saharan country (Angola). Empirical results suggest that ICT use is mainly influenced by habit, ICT skills, and benevolence.

The role of ICT self-efficacy for students' ICT use and their achievement in a computer and information literacy test

Students' self-efficacy in using information and communication technology (ICT) is among the most important motivational constructs that are related to their ICT acceptance, use, and literacy. The present study attempts to generate new knowledge about the role of ICT self-efficacy for students' ICT use and their computer and information literacy (CIL). Using the Norwegian data obtained from the International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) in 2013 (N = 2410 students in grade level 9), we distinguish between self-efficacy in basic and advanced ICT skills and examine the relations to students' ICT use for different purposes (school-related task learning, study purposes, and recreation) and their achievement in a CIL test. The results show that: (1) self-efficacy in basic ICT skills is positively related to CIL achievement, whereas self-efficacy in advanced ICT skills shows a negative relation; (2) ICT use and ICT self-efficacy are positively correlated for some of the ICT use purposes; (3) there is an indirect effects of ICT use on CIL achievement via ICT self-efficacy; (4) this indirect effect holds for both female and male students. Our findings point to a potential mechanism that links ICT use, self-efficacy, and CIL. Implications for future research and educational practice are discussed.

Exploring the Self-Reported ICT Skill Levels of Undergraduate Science Students

Computers have taken an important place in the training of science students and in the professional life of scientists. It is often taken for granted that most students have mastered basic Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) skills; however, it has been shown that not all students are equally proficient in this regard. Starting from theories of socialization and technology acceptance we report how we constructed a structural equation model (SEM) to explore the variance in the basic ICT skill levels of science students. We also present the results of a test of this model with university bachelor’s science students. Basic ICT skills were measured using a new, elaborate instrument allowing students to rate their skills in detail. Our results show that science students score high on basic ICT skills and that our SEM explains a large part of the variation in the ICT skill levels of these students. The most explanatory power is coming from four variables: the perceived ease of use and the perceived usefulness of a personal computer, the anxiety for using a personal computer, and students’ belief that ICT is necessary for scientific research.

The role of ICT in early childhood education: Scale development and research on ICT use and influencing factors

Nowadays, more and more authors are convinced that ICT (information and communication technology) in early childhood education provides multiple possibilities for young children. The current study, conducted in Flanders, aims to get a clearer picture of ICT use in Flemish preschools. For this purpose, a questionnaire was composed consisting of newly developed and existing scales. Based on the answers of 232 preschool teachers, two types of ICT use are distinguished in early childhood education, ‘ICT use supporting basic ICT skills and attitudes’, and ‘ICT use supporting contents and individual learning needs’. ‘ICT use supporting basic ICT skills and attitudes’ occurs more frequently and is related to the grade of the preschoolers, teachers’ self-perceived ICT competences and the number of years of experience with ICT at school. ‘ICT use supporting contents and individual learning needs’ is strongly related to the grade of the preschoolers, teachers’ self-perceived ICT competences, ICT professional development and teachers’ attitudes towards the possibilities of ICT for teachers in early childhood education. This indicates that professional development is a crucial factor in stimulating ICT use that transcends teaching basic ICT skills and attitudes.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT): Components, Dimensions, and its Correlates

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has been identified as one of the crucial factors that affect teaching effectiveness and student learning worldwide. UNESCO, many international organizations, and many governments emphasized the importance of ICT and try to incorporate ICT into education systems. This study examined self-assessed computer competency in thirteen ICT areas from two samples, e.g., the United States and Mexico. Reliability tests were conducted, and rank analysis was done among them. By using factor analysis, these thirteen areas were grouped into three categories: ICT ICT skills; and skills and attitudes towards ICT. Subjects showed the highest scores in basic ICT skills, which include knowledge of computer systems, use of the operating system, search internet and communication and networking. The multimedia skills and attitudes towards ICT demonstrated the second highest scores. Advanced ICT skills that include image processing, use of database, technological platforms, and web 2.0 tools was found to have the lowest competency scores among subjects. Multivariate analysis was also conducted and found that age and gender are two significant factors to predict ICT competency, and age was found to have a non-linear relationship on advanced ICT skills.

RETRACTED: Investigating the Factors Affecting Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Usage of Turkish Students in PISA 2009

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become an indispensable part of the 21 st century. Having basic ICT skills is now seen as an important attribute that members of the young cohort should possess in order to be successful in life. Thus, countries all over the world, including Turkey, have attempted to adjust their educational policies to this new phenomenon of ICT. In this context, this study aims to investigate the impact of both household- and school-level factors on the ICT usage of students in Turkey. Given the multilevel structure of the data, the hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) method was used for statistical analyses. The results of the analyses show that there are significant differences between schools in terms of students' ICT usage, both for entertainment and school-related tasks. These differences, however, are mostly explained by the household-level factors. The only school-related factor that seems to be important for students' ICT usage is the student's involvement in ICT-related tasks at school.

ICT Training for Special Education Frontline Professionals: A Perspective from Students of a Master's Degree on Special Education

A large number of special education professionals agree on the fact that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is an important tool for teachers and students to overcome barriers and promote the acquisition of skills. ICT can promote school and social integration by diminishing the obstacles for students with Special Education Needs (SEN). A correct educational implementation of ICT depends strongly on the teacherâ??s awareness of the possibilities of their application and his/her training and capacity to adapt to the differentiated learning styles that he/she encounters in his/her teaching of SEN students. However, the lack of or no training on ICT is one of the most frequently pointed reasons for not using or for misusing the potential that ICT can offer to the education of pupils with SEN as pedagogical tools or as individual Assistive Technologies (AT). The findings of a survey conducted with teachers attending a Masterâ??s Degree on special education, balancing the acquisition of general ICT skills and facts on specially oriented ICT solutions for students with learning disabilities, will be reported here. The educational support provided by trained and specialized professionals at ease with basic ICT skills and assisted by specialized means and techniques constitute a form of aid for the student who needs to see his/her disadvantage reduced or overcome.

Teachers’ journeys towards critical use of ICT

Teachers have a central role in developing new learning models in schools. This paper describes a study that explored teachers’ confidence and competence in using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as they participated in an ICT development project conducted by an Australian education system in 12 primary schools. The project aimed to develop ICT integrated teaching practices by providing in‐class equipment and teacher professional development in ICT use, curriculum development and teaching strategies. The study used qualitative data from teacher records of Professional Development and Action Learning to identify three of four stages proposed to describe teachers’ ICT learning. Teachers moved from gaining basic ICT skills, to conducting ICT‐focused lessons and eventually appropriate ICT integration. Teachers who progressed to the third stage were able to exploit additional learning opportunities and begin to make fundamental changes to their pedagogy, but needed more time to reach the final stage of challenging existing pedagogical structures.

Examining teachers’ beliefs about ICT in education: implications of a teacher preparation programme

The survey presented in this article examines current teachers’ beliefs and attitudes towards information and communication technologies (ICT) in education. A total of 1165 primary and secondary education teachers participated in the study, immediately after following a training programme on basic ICT skills. The authors’ results showed that the majority of the teachers in the sample have positive attitudes towards the training programme they attended, the general role that ICT can play in education and the integration of ICT in the educational process. The authors’ findings also revealed some parameters that interfere negatively, thus making many teachers cautious of or sceptical about ICT integration in educational practice. Multivariate analysis identified three groups of teachers that exhibited a consistent approach: a group of teachers having positive attitudes towards the items of the research, a second group with negative attitudes and a third one with neutral beliefs about ICT in education. Moreover, the authors’ analysis extracted significant information on the profile of the teachers within each of the three groups. They found that personal factors (subject matter, teaching experience and gender) are strongly associated with the beliefs and perceptions teachers hold about ICT in education.