Unstable Power Supply Research Articles

Health professionals’ perceptions of electronic health records system: a mixed method study in Ghana

BackgroundElectronic Health Record systems (EHRs) offer significant benefits and have transformed healthcare in developed countries. However, their implementation and adoption in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remains low due to challenges and competing interests. Health professionals’ perception of EHRs can influence their adoption and continued use. The objectives of this study are to explore the perception of health professionals regarding implemented EHR systems in three hospitals in Ghana and identify factors influencing their perception and satisfaction.MethodsIn this study, we employed a concurrent mixed method design to collect data from study participants from May to June 2023. The quantitative part employed a descriptive-survey and the qualitative (in-depth interview) techniques was applied. After obtaining written informed consent from each respondent, a structured survey questionnaire was filled out by the health professionals from three hospitals. An a priori power calculation was used to determine the sample size for the quantitative component. Two hundred and sixty-three (263) health professionals completed the questionnaire from the three facilities. A purposive sampling technique was used to select fifteen [1] participants for the interviews. A semi-structured interview guide was used for the in-depth interviews. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded into themes using QSR Nvivo 12 software before thematic content analysis.ResultsOur findings revealed that 213 (80.99%) health professionals perceived the EHRs as beneficial to patients and were generally satisfied. An overwhelming majority, 197 (74.90%) of the health professionals, were satisfied with its use and expressed interest in continuing to use the system. The majority of health professionals viewed the EHRs to have improved their work and workflow processes and provided the desired results. However, few other health professionals were dissatisfied with the system because they viewed the EHRs as frustrating due to unstable internet connectivity and power supply. Other concerns were related to the privacy and confidentiality of patient information. They believe access to patient information should be on a need-to-know basis, and patient information should not be accessible to all other clinicians except those involved directly in their care processes.ConclusionThe study revealed that health professionals have a positive perception of the implemented EHRs, are highly satisfied with them, and are interested in continuing to use them. However, health professionals’ concerns about the unstable power supply, poor internet connectivity, security, and confidentiality of patient’s information need attention, to mitigate their frustrations and boost their confidence in the system.

Challenges of e-library in developing countries higher educational institutions

Higher educational institutions in developing countries around the globe have come under rigorous criticism in the current era due to the poor quality of their products. Presently, there is an urgent need for higher education institutions in developing countries to catch up with innovations in teaching, learning, and research practices in developed economies. This paper explores the objectives, Information resources, basic requirements for accessing electronic library resources, advantages and disadvantages of E-library as well as the role of the use of Electronic Library in Higher Educational Institutions in Developing Countries. It also so examines the challenges associated with the use of electronic Libraries in higher educational Institutions in Developing Countries. These include the unstable power supply, Inability of vendors to supply the needed hardware, Change of contents, Lack of Digitization, Unified agreement, Economy, Network infrastructure, and Operational hours among others. It highlights the fact that electronic libraries are vital for efficient teaching, research, and learning in higher educational institutions of developing countries in the 21st century and as a result are a main concern. On the other hand, the paper stresses that to address the Challenges Associated with the Use of Electronic Library in Higher Educational Institutions in Developing Countries, the government at all levels should collaborate in funding libraries and make them more open to researchers’ needs in the country, the e-library should be equipped by employing professionals in the field of librarianship with ICT technical know-how that can give quality contributions to national development in spheres of life, among others.

Three phase microcontroller based automatic change-over selection switch

The significance of electricity in a developed country cannot be underestimated because power instability problem affects the economy growth, productivity and infrastructure development. The issues of phase failure, losses and phase imbalance earth fault are main causes that lead to unstable and erratic power supply. Most homes and office complexes where single-phase supply is needed are supplied with three phases of power supply to allow change from one phase to another when there is fluctuation or complete outage of power supply on a particular phase. This operation is normally done manually and has caused a setback in terms of time wastage, strenuous operation, susceptibility to fire outbreak, electric shock and high maintenance frequency. When voltage supply on a phase is below 220V or above 415V, this system automatically disconnects the load from the phase and connects to another where the required condition is met. Therefore, this paper presents a Microcontroller Based Automatic Transfer Switching System which is made up of voltage sensing circuit, Hall Effect current sensor, relays, LEDs and LCD of PIC16F877A microcontroller. A system flow chart was developed, programmed with MikroC software and simulated using Proteus electrical software design. A 10KVA single phase generator was used as alternate power source. The load capacity of the design was determined by decoupling Maxwell’s Equations of 8KW and power loss using pointing vector equation as 0.25% of the peak load. The switch is tested to have function optimally within ±5% nominal voltage of 220 - 415V supply and produced approximately 20 seconds elapses during the entire process of power supply changeover. Hence this device is suitable for Industrial and Domestic use where 3-phase power supply is available with a stand-by power source.

Optimal sizing and placement of battery energy storage system for maximum variable renewable energy penetration considering demand response flexibility: A case in Lombok power system, Indonesia

Indonesia is a tropical climate country with considerable renewable electrical energy source prospects, including photovoltaic (PV) and wind energies. Nevertheless, several variable renewable energy sources (VREs) have exhibited uncertain attributes and substantial reliance on natural conditions, leading to unstable load-related power supply risks. Hence, integrating battery energy storage systems (BESSs) with VRE generators is a dependable approach to bolster renewable energy generator applications on a large-scale grid while providing load demand flexibility. This study determined adequate sizing and placement of the BESS to achieve maximum VRE generator penetration while considering the demand response flexibility. Key indicators, including technical minimum load and system ramp capacity, were identified to achieve maximum penetration of thermal generators. This study also combined a unit commitment procedure with direct current optimal power flow (DC-OPF) as a novel approach to determine the maximum VRE penetration level. An optimization problem model concerning mixed integer linear programming (MILP) was subsequently employed in this study using the CPLEX solver in the general algebraic modeling system (GAMS). The study is based on the IEEE RTS-24 system modified and a real-life case study of the Lombok energy system in Indonesia. Results from the simulated Lombok power system highlighted that optimal sizing and placement of the BESS could lower system costs by 37.66%, 33.63%, and 22.26% compared to the current system conditions during the weekday, weekend, and the lowest day scenarios, respectively. The VRE penetrations of the generators were also higher than the current system conditions by 83%, 51%, and 39% during the weekday, weekend, and the lowest day scenarios, respectively.

EXTENSION WORKERS UTILIZATION OF E-EXTENSION IN DISSEMINATION OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY IN GOMBE STATE, NIGERIA

The study assessed extension workers’ utilization of E-extension in the dissemination of agricultural technologies in Gombe State, Nigeria. A total of 142 respondents were selected and data were collected using structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The result revealed that the mean age of the respondents was 42.5 years. Majority (73.2%) of the respondents were males and most (98.6%) of them were married. The result indicated that respondents had mean household size of 5 persons and (88.9%) of them had tertiary education. Furthermore, the mean working experience of the respondents was 10.0 Years. The major e-resource tools used in the dissemination of agricultural technologies were mobile phone ( = 2.86), whatsApp ( = 2.35) and radio ( = 2.01). The constraints faced by respondents in e-extension utilization were poor and unstable power supply (1st), poor attitude of extension workers toward e-resource tools usage (2nd) and inadequate facilities (3rd). The study concluded that extension workers were relatively using e-resource tools such as radio, mobile phone and television in the dissemination of agricultural technology. The study recommended that government and other development agencies should provide and improve rural electricity and telecommunication network.

Industry 4.0 Technology Adoption and Market Scalability of Small and Medium Enterprises in Southwest, Nigeria

The study examined the relationship between i4.0 technology adoption and market scalability of small and medium enterprises in Southwest, Nigeria. The objectives of the study are to; examine the level of awareness of small and medium entrepreneurs of i4.0 technology in Southwest, Nigeria, evaluate the challenges of adoption of i4.0 technology by small and medium entrepreneurs in Southwest, Nigeria, determine the facilities required for the adoption of i4.0 technology by small and medium entrepreneurs in Southwest, Nigeria. The study adopted the descriptive research design of the survey type. Multistage sampling techniques was used to select the samples of one thousand two hundred (1,200) respondents from the owners of MSMEs in Southwest, Nigeria. Structure questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. Findings of the study revealed that, majority of the small and medium entrepreneurs do not awareness about i4.0 technology in Southwest, Nigeria, the challenges identified as the problem confronting the adoption of i4.0 technology in Southwest Nigeria, which are lack of expertise about i4.0 technology, financial challenges, unstable power supply. The study concluded that, there is significant relationship between i4.0 technology adoption and number of markets covered by small and medium enterprises in Southwest, Nigeria; Based on the findings of this study, it therefore recommended that, owners of MSMEs in Southwest, Nigeria should embrace the adoption of i4.0 technology to increase their profitability.

ANFIS controller for photovoltaic inverter transient and voltage stability enhancement

Grid operations are evolving as a result of the extension of existing huge scope inverter-based power stations and sun oriented (PV) power plants. In light of these alterations, the grid code has been updated to mandate the use of inverter based. In the event of grid failure, power plants should remain online and offer dynamic backup. The term “momentary cessation of operation” is commonly used to describe this characteristic. Very little is known about how PV power plants' temporary shutdowns contribute to the larger issue of unstable power supplies, and very few studies have been published on the topic. While trying to settle this issue, this study offers an ANFIS regulator engineering for PV inverters to work on that ephemeral solidness about coordinated dynamo associated through this network. This examination shows how each direct electric current connect condensers on that solar cell inverter might be utilized to assimilate a piece of the dynamic energy put away in the coordinated machine during the brief delays by utilizing the ANFIS regulator framework introduced. Besides, the recommended approach further develops voltage solidness by infusing responsive power. The viability of the recommended control system is affirmed by the introduced exploratory and reproduced discoveries.

An Efficient Off-grid Express Cabinet Based on Wind-solar Hybrid Power Generation System

In order to effectively solve the shortcomings of traditional express cabinets such as limited service places and seasonal power supply obstacles, this paper studies an off-grid express cabinet using wind-solar complementary principle, which is mainly composed of near-ground and low-speed wind power generation device, solar photovoltaic battery pack, controller, battery pack and DC load. The double-axis tracking solar panels or fixed photovoltaic panels can be used for different regions. At the same time, it can be combined with a near-ground and low-speed wind power generation device to provide a stable power supply for the express cabinets. By programming the control, the power generated by wind-solar hybrid power generation is provided to the load as a priority. The remaining electric energy is stored in the battery pack. The system effectively overcomes the disadvantages of limited-service locations and unstable power supply caused by seasonal barriers in traditional express cabinets. It has the advantages of energy-saving, environmental protection, short payback period, and wide range of supply.

Application of Electronic Information Engineering Technology in Intelligent Communication

As a representative of advanced science and technology, communication intelligence technology has developed steadily in the past few years. At present, the wide application of electronic information engineering technology in electric power industry has a very important impact on the development and construction of electric power communication network. Electronic engineering technology provides a good solution to solve the problem of unstable power supply in China's power system, which not only promotes the development of the power industry, but also plays an important role in the maintenance of China's power system. In recent years, with the steady development of artificial intelligence technology, its application is also increasing, and it has gained more and more widespread social attention. Nowadays, with the continuous development of Internet technology and electronic computers, people's cognition of artificial intelligence technology and artificial intelligence products has slowly changed. The continuous progress of science and technology has made artificial intelligence walk in the front of today's scientific and technological development, and has attracted high attention and application from all walks of life. As the main communication technology produced in today's society, electronic engineering technology provides great convenience for People's Daily life. Electronic engineering technology is constantly innovating and breaking through on the basis of existing, and developing in the direction of intelligence.

Joint energy beamforming and bandwidth allocation for cooperative localization in passive sensor networks

Passive sensor networks (PSNs) harvest continuous radio-frequency (RF) energy to work. However, the location information is difficult to maintain with unstable power supply for each passive sensor node. Cooperative localization is a promising solution utilizes the cooperation between the nodes with unknown positions to maintain the location information. And the localization performance relies on the attained energy from the energy access point (E-AP) and also the allocated bandwidth for each node. In this paper, we analyze the impacts of energy beamforming and bandwidth allocation on the cooperative localization performance of PSNs. We formulate the Fisher information matrix (FIM) and deduce the squared position error bound (SPEB) for the proposed network. Then, we propose an alternative optimization method for jointly energy beamforming and bandwidth allocation. Firstly, we employ the first-order Taylor expansions based on the trust region method to allocate the bandwidth of each node. Secondly, the Lagrangian multiplier based energy beamforming strategy is proposed. Then, the bandwidth allocation and energy beamforming calculations are executed alternatively and iteratively until the global optimal solution is achieved. The simulation results indicate that our proposed two-step method can achieve high precision positioning in different scenarios, and the SPEBs of proposed method reach 10−3 m2.

Diagnosing grid’s service quality issues: the virtual microgrid and the digitization and innovations in the power distribution grid.

Power quality issues from small and medium-sized grid-integrated solar photovoltaic systems (PMGD), whose plant capacity is less than or equal to 9 MW, challenge electric power distribution companies like ENEL Distribución S.A. in Chile. To tackle these challenges, leveraging rapidly configurable, scalable, and easily deployable distributed energy resources (DER) through a virtual power plant (VPP) is crucial. This paper introduces a "virtual microgrid," a specific VPP design and functional specification that swiftly diagnoses and resolves power quality issues. Virtual power plants use renewable energy sources, energy storage, and smart energy management to provide ancillary services to the grid. With the expanding PMGD market in Chile and globally, there is an urgent need for deployable DER to energize feeder sub-sections during reliability events and create grid pathways between DER and loads. Thus, DER are essential for enhancing grid flexibility, reliability, and maintaining the stability and integrity of electric supply quality standards. VPPs can reduce high costs associated with utility grid power capacity deficiencies in areas with unstable power supply, enhancing resilience and flexibility without compromising system stability. This study presents a novel approach—currently at the conceptual development stage—for diagnosing service quality issues related to grid supply through the rapid deployment of a configurable and fully scalable virtual microgrid. This solution is particularly relevant for zones in Santiago, Chile, where ENEL Chile faces challenges due to the increasing presence of PMGD—independent solar farms injecting all their production into the grid for profit, as permitted by current Chilean electric law (N°88/2019 of Ministry of Energy). Such practices negatively impact grid service quality standards, which can be mitigated through the deployment of virtual microgrids. The concept of a "virtual microgrid" emphasizes rapid configurability, scalability, and ease of deployment, tailored to address specific grid quality issues. Unlike previous efforts, this approach focuses on seamlessly integrating DER with existing grid infrastructure to quickly address and mitigate power quality issues caused by PMGD.

Sintered Electrospun Fibrous Electrodes via Compression and Laser Perforation for Redox Flow Battery

The principal sources of new renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, depend strongly on the weather conditions, leading to the unstable electric power supply. Energy storage systems (ESS) has been developed to address this problem. One of the most promising technologies for energy storage device is redox flow batteries due to its high capacity and design flexibility. In particular, the vanadium redox flow battery is considered as a next-generation battery because of its safety and high efficiency, but not yet widely deployed owing to its low power density. The carbonized electrospun fibrous materials have been utilized as electrodes to overcome the flaw, because of their high specific surface area for reaction, high porosity to support flow and diffusion, and good electrical conductivity through the interconnected fibers. Typically, smaller fiber is preferential due to the exponential increase of surface area, but the small pores among the fibers reduce the permeability, limiting the electrolyte transportation or increasing parasitic pumping costs. In this study, flow battery electrodes made of electrospun carbon fibers were synthesized by applying compression during the stabilization stage. The objective was to create flow battery electrodes with higher volumetric surface area to support the electrochemical reaction while retaining the permeability. A porosity reduction of 12% was attained by this method, yielding a 50% increase of volumetric surface area, while the in-plane permeability and tortuosity were found to remain consistent. In addition, the holes perforated by a carbon dioxide laser addressed the issue of low through-plane permeability caused by the compacted fibers. All electrospun samples outperformed commercial carbon mats in flow cell tests. The compressed samples showed markedly better performance in the activation region but showed serious mass transport polarization at higher current density. The laser perforations significantly eliminated this flaw, yielding the best performance over the entire range of current density. Figure 1

Optimization of Communication Base Station Battery Configuration Considering Demand Transfer and Sleep Mechanism under Uncertain Interruption Duration

In the communication power supply field, base station interruptions may occur due to sudden natural disasters or unstable power supplies. This work studies the optimization of battery resource configurations to cope with the duration uncertainty of base station interruption. We mainly consider the demand transfer and sleep mechanism of the base station and establish a two-stage stochastic programming model to minimize battery configuration costs and operational costs. To transform the uncertainty expression in the first stage into a deterministic model, we design the K-Means-SAA algorithm to accelerate problem-solving and to compare it with the SAA algorithm. The case study results indicate that the proposed two-stage stochastic programming model can save 17.02% of the total cost compared to the expected value model. The proposed demand transfer and sleep mechanism can reduce the total cost by 41.92% compared to no mechanism. The results of numerical experiments and sensitivity analysis also verify the superiority of the designed algorithm in terms of running efficiency and solving time. Therefore, the model and algorithm proposed in this work provide valuable application guidance for large-scale base station configuration optimization of battery resources to cope with interruptions in practical scenarios.

Revolutionizing Green Transport: An Extensive Review of Hybrid Electric Vehicle Charging Stations and Electric Microgrid Integration

Electric vehicles (EVs), recognized as a strategic approach to reducing oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, rely on electricity instead of traditional fuels like petrol or diesel for battery charging, positioning them as a significant player in future energy landscapes. The anticipated decline in oil demand aligns with the increasing prevalence of EVs, making attention to charging infrastructure crucial. This paper extensively explores charging infrastructure considerations, emphasizing their significance in both urban and rural contexts, especially in regions with unstable or absent power supplies. Examining off-grid, grid-connected, and hybrid charging modes, the research delves into various EV designs, including those utilizing fuel cells or batteries.
 A thorough understanding of energy-source-based charging techniques and diverse power-level charging stations is presented, catering to readers' interests. With a focus on enhancing the longevity and efficiency of electric vehicles, researchers are investigating innovative charging methods, including microgrid concepts within charging stations. Recognizing electric vehicles as multi-energy systems, the paper underscores the importance of effective power management and control for optimal energy utilization.
 Additionally, the review scrutinizes the impact of electric vehicles on utility grid infrastructure & maintenance, evaluating various power management and control systems. This comprehensive review serves as a valuable resource for electric vehicle operators and research engineers, offering insights into the current state of the field and potential avenues for future exploration.

ELIXIR: An Expedient Connection Paradigm for Self-Powered IoT Devices

IoT devices usually work under power-constrained scenarios like outdoor environmental monitoring. Considering the cost and sustainability, in the long run, energy-harvesting technology is preferable for powering IoT devices. Since harvesting power is intrinsically weak and transient, the connection between IoT devices not only cannot be maintained constantly but is also extremely difficult to be established. In order to communicate, those devices should have a synchronized timeline so that both transmitter and receiver can start connection simultaneously. Yet due to the transient nature of ambient energy, volatile time data can be easily tampered with by the unstable power supply or corrupted completely by frequent power outages. As a result, unsynchronized IoT devices require significant efforts in time and energy to reconnect and communicate, which further escalates the performance degradation of the edge network. To adapt to ubiquitous self-powered scenarios on the IoT edge, we propose ELIXIR, an expedient connection paradigm, to synchronize swiftly and autonomously in a joint effort for self-powered IoT devices. The lightweight and highly efficient natures enable ELIXIR to be integrated into low-power IoT devices easily and efficiently. The experimental results show that the proposed ELIXIR can avoid a connection loop and help speed up the connection 2.83X and 1.84X faster than baseline methods.

Facilitators and Barriers in the Implementation of a Digital Surveillance and Outbreak Response System in Ghana Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Qualitative Analysis of Stakeholder Interviews.

In the past 2 decades, many countries have recognized the use of electronic systems for disease surveillance and outbreak response as an important strategy for disease control and prevention. In low- and middle-income countries, the adoption of these electronic systems remains a priority and has attracted the support of global health players. However, the successful implementation and institutionalization of electronic systems in low- and middle-income countries have been challenged by the local capacity to absorb technologies, decisiveness and strength of leadership, implementation costs, workforce attitudes toward innovation, and organizational factors. In November 2019, Ghana piloted the Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS) for routine surveillance and subsequently used it for the national COVID-19 response. This study aims to identify the facilitators of and barriers to the sustainable implementation and operation of SORMAS in Ghana. Between November 2021 and March 2022, we conducted a qualitative study among 22 resource persons representing different stakeholders involved in the implementation of SORMAS in Ghana. We interviewed study participants via telephone using in-depth interview guides developed consistent with the model of diffusion of innovations in health service organizations. We transcribed the interviews verbatim and performed independent validation of transcripts and pseudonymization. We performed deductive coding using 7 a priori categories: innovation, adopting health system, adoption and assimilation, diffusion and dissemination, outer context, institutionalization, and linkages among the aspects of implementation. We used MAXQDA Analytics Pro for transcription, coding, and analysis. The facilitators of SORMAS implementation included its coherent design consistent with the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response system, adaptability to evolving local needs, relative advantages for task performance (eg, real-time reporting, generation of case-base data, improved data quality, mobile offline capability, and integration of laboratory procedures), intrinsic motivation of users, and a smartphone-savvy workforce. Other facilitators were its alignment with health system goals, dedicated national leadership, political endorsement, availability of in-country IT capacities, and financial and technical support from inventors and international development partners. The main barriers were unstable technical interoperability between SORMAS and existing health information systems, reliance on a private IT company for data hosting, unreliable internet connectivity, unstable national power supply, inadequate numbers and poor quality of data collection devices, and substantial dependence on external funding. The facilitators of and barriers to SORMAS implementation are multiple and interdependent. Important success conditions for implementation include enhanced scope and efficiency of task performance, strong technical and political stewardship, and a self-motivated workforce. Inadequate funding, limited IT infrastructure, and lack of software development expertise are mutually reinforcing barriers to implementation and progress to country ownership. Some barriers are external, relate to the overall national infrastructural development, and are not amenable even to unlimited project funding.

Digital disruption of accounting information and quality of financial reporting of listed money deposit banks in Nigeria

This study investigates the digital disruption of accounting information (DDAI) and the quality of financial reporting of listed deposit money banks (DMBs) in Nigeria. The accuracy of financial reporting and the ability of the Nigerian banks to fully digitalize their services are both severely limited by infrastructure deficiencies and unstable power supplies. The goal of this study is to fill in the gaps in the existing literature on the significance of digital disruption of accounting information in DMBs in Nigeria's developing banking industry. The study employed a field survey research design and data were sourced with the help of self-structured questionnaires. The respondents were drawn from the staff of 13 DMBs listed in Nigeria. A total of 641 questionnaires were retrieved and validated for the study. The reliability and validity of the study instruments were confirmed with the help of the Cronbach alpha test with a range of 0.877 to 0.967 which suggested satisfactory reliability of the measures and further suggested that all the measurement scales of the instrument were good enough. The results showed that the mean values for each category ranged from 3.83 to 4.53 with an overall mean of 4.13. The regression showed that DDAI had a significant effect on qualitative characteristics. The study concluded that DDAI had a significant effect on the quality of the financial reporting of listed DMBs in Nigeria. The outcome significantly contributes to the idea that managers of DMBs should consider the digitalization of the accounting information process to improve the quality of financial reporting.

MOVING TOWARDS DIGITALIZATION: UNVEILING CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS OF E-MARKETING IN LEAST DEVELOPED ECONOMIES – THE CASE OF YEMEN

This study aims to shed light on the challenges and potential opportunities for e-marketing in developing economies with particular reference to Yemen. Secondary data from relevant reports, research papers, books, and other Internet resources is used in the study. The current study indicated that e-marketing in Yemen confronts several challenges, including poor communication infrastructure, lack of e-marketing knowledge, limited Internet and social media users, an unstable power supply, lack of trust, and lack of government incentives. However, there are prospects for e-marketing to thrive in Yemen, such as the growing youthful population, the rise in mobile phone users, and the introduction of 4G technology. The study suggests investing in infrastructure, increasing digital literacy, resolving security concerns, and active collaboration among businesses, government entities, and other stakeholders. Implementing these suggestions can improve e-marketing effectiveness and contribute to the country's economic growth.

Assessment of the Readiness of Institutions and Undergraduates’ Attitude to Online Learning Mode in Nigerian Universities

The emergence of the corona virus pandemic and the rate of the spread affected a lot of activities across the world. This led to the introduction of online learning mode in several countries after institutions were shut down. Unfortunately, most public universities in Nigeria could not switch to the online mode because they were not prepared for it as they do not have the technological capacity to support a full online learning mode. This study examines the readiness of University and attitude of undergraduates towards online learning mode in Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife. It investigated the skills and competencies of students for online learning as well as the University’s readiness towards online learning mode and effort was made to identify challenges of online teaching and learning in the study area and suggested solutions were advanced. OAU was selected because it is adjudged to be the leading Information and Communication Technology (ICT) driven institution in Nigeria. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. A total of 256 academic staff and 1503 undergraduates were selected across six faculties out of the thirteen faculties in the University. Questionnaires were used to elicit responses from the respondents. The result showed that students have the skills and competence to operate e-learning facilities but are faced by challenges such as high data cost, erratic power supply, lack of gadget among others. The study found out that the university was not prepared for online learning mode as it lacks basic technological facilities to support it. The study equally showed that while lecturers possess certain skills in using some e-learning applications, they were limited by the unavailability of online support gadgets, poor internet connectivity, and unstable power supply. Furthermore, the assessment of student attitude towards online learning mode shows that the students found the online learning mode very challenging as they had to bear the huge cost of data. Lecturers also faced same challenge as they had to pay a lot to buy data and the networks were sometimes unstable. The study recommended that adequate funding needs to be provided to public universities by the government while management of institutions must build technological capacities to support online learning mode in the hybrid form and on full basis in case of future emergencies.

Factors Affecting Technology Integration in Colleges of Education

Learning technologies are gradually taking center stage in the education system of the various economies and are becoming a dominant tool for teaching and learning in the various higher institutions of learning. Various forms of learning technologies have evolved in this 21st century with the notion of improving content management, lesson presentation, teachers’ portfolio building, curriculum design and management, assessment, teachers’ competencies development, and reaching the learner beyond the traditional face-to-face model of teaching have increasingly become pervasive within various forms of learning environments. Institutions of higher education are increasingly turning to these technologies to resource and support their teaching and learning environments under distributed circumstances, face-to-face or blended. However, before the widespread deployment of these technologies, information regarding the effective implementation of these all-important learning technologies are very sparse. This study is geared towards gaining a better understanding of the factors that would influence the effective integration of these learning technologies into the teaching and learning in the various colleges of education in Ghana as well as the challenges they are likely to face. This research employed a mixed method. Among the factors likely to influence technology integration in the various colleges as discovered by this research are: tutors’ attitudes toward new media, pedagogical knowledge, perceived ease of technological use, perceived usefulness of technological solutions, availability of technological resources, and motivation. Some of the challenges colleges are likely to face are lack of technological infrastructure, high cost of the internet coupled with low bandwidth, unstable power supply, lack of administrative support, curriculum overload, and lack of in-service training.