The Challenges of Technology-Enhanced Instructional System in Nigeria

The Challenges of Technology-Enhanced Instructional System in Nigeria

O. A. Sofowora (Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria), A. A. Adekomi (Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria), J. O. Adeyanju (Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria), T. A. Bada (Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria), L. M. Oyewusi (Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria), A. O. Egbedokun (Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria), Lanre Idowu (Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria) and F. M. Oyeniran (Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria)
Copyright: © 2010 |Pages: 14
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61520-749-7.ch021

Abstract

The development and deployment of innovative Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in higher education is being given prominent attention today. This is because of its pedagogical and socio-economic forces that include; greater information access; cost effectiveness, enhancement of collaboration and cooperation; and its ability to solve numerous problems confronting education in the developed and developing countries. It is also essential as it allows learners to acquire and exploit information within every sphere of human activities. However, the integration of technology into teaching and learning is facing some problems and challenges. This case presents an overview of the integration and application of modern technologies in providing higher quality teaching/learning in the Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU), Nigeria, how to solve the problem of providing equitable access to education and how to improve the teaching and learning of Science and Technology in Post Basic Institutions using Technology Enhanced Instruction. It also highlights the problems, challenges and the lessons learnt from such innovation using OAU Ile-Ife as a case study of Nigeria.
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Background

In Nigeria today, there are greater demands for university education. Every year there is a greater number of students than all the universities in the country can admit. According to Aworuwa (2009) quoting from the OAU Vice Chancellors speech to the Nigerian Tribune of 1st August2008, of the 30,000 qualified students that applied for admission, only 4,000 could be offered admission (0.13%) due to the problems of poor facilities, lack of space, shortage of academic staff, and poor funding. The situation is the same all year round. Aworuwa lamented the denial of educational access to thousands of qualified students (See Table 1).

Table 1.
A customer service approach to Distance Learning. Sources: cited from Aworuwa (2009)
YearTotal no of students who sat for UMETotal students admittedPercentage
2000-2001550,39960,71811%
2001-2002749,7279,76912.1%
2002-2003994,38151,8455.2%
2003-20041,o46,950104,99110.1%
2004-2005841,878122,49214.5%

Other problems facing university education in the country include overstretched facilities due to exponential increase in students enrolment, falling standard, high rates of drop out and failure, decreasing attractiveness of academic career to young and intelligent scholars .In addition to the above are other challenges of brain drain, obsolete equipment, negative attitude on both the part of the lecturers and students and poor economy.

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