Digital Technologies and Resources for Learning Under Lockdown

Introduction

The phenomenon of the digital revolution is universally accepted as one of the most transformational innovations in recent human history. Digital innovation has enabled smarter service delivery across various sectors of our society, particularly the educational landscape. In support of this assertion, Bresciani, Ferraris, Romano, and Santoro (2021) affirmed that all sectors and types of organizations are somehow affected in one way or the other by digital technologies such as social media, mobile devices, and cloud computing which offer unique opportunities in unprecedented ways. Interestingly, more of these technologies are being developed yearly by tech giants and introduced into the market to create more value and improve competitiveness among users (Majchrzak, Markus & Wareham, 2016). This paper focuses on the realistic effect of digital technology on learning settings, in which the physical learning environment is replaced by cyberlearning environments through the use of smart electronic devices which according to Mogas, Palau, Fuentes and Cebrian, (2022) are all hinged on the 4^th Industrial Revolution (4^th IR), thus creating paradigm shifts in the educational ecosystem.

The unique functionality of these devices is most appreciated in providing improved communication between people across various geographical locations and time zones, thus barring all geographical limitations. This submission was well enunciated by Bakare (2018) who asserted that the use of digital technologies (such as social media) is not inhibited by time, means, and location due to its ubiquitous nature. Jobirovich (2021) referred to these technologies as a set of combined methods, production processes, and software and hardware for editing, storage, distribution, and use aimed at redefining the phase of the educational landscape. As noted already, this technology is a tool for remote communication between teachers and students for knowledge sharing and information dissemination as it supports face-to-face communication through teleconferencing.

More appealing about this digital innovation is its ability to make information accessible in other formats (e-resources) and also the convenience it brings to bear in the learning processes. Students' can attend classes from the comfort of their homes, and the tutor can provide them with the relevant information resources from any location just with the click of a button. In addition, digital technology allows lecturers to configure their instructional material to suit the new digital learning environment, and assess as well as grade students online seamlessly. The need for effective integration and utilization of this system became reinforced by the global pandemic in 2019 (Obiakor & Adeniran, 2020) which redefined the educational scenery globally. This paradigm shift in the worldwide educational ecosystem was not herculean for academic institutions in developed countries. But on the other hand, was a struggling process for most African countries of which Nigeria was not an exception (Bakare & Ademakinwa, 2020) as the infusion of these technologies into the nitty-gritty of the instructional life-cycle was alien since the system had been weaved round face-to-face form of teaching methodology (Agbele & Oyelade, 2020).