The role of technology in education has been critical in the potential of computer technology to transform teaching and learning. This study explored nursing students' information and communication technology competence and confidence. It presents selected findings that focus on students' attitudes towards information and communication technology as an educational methodology. Information and communication technology is integral to contemporary nursing practice. A cross sectional study was used and the sample consists of 74 undergraduate nurses. The result showed that 95.8% undergraduate nurses have good competence level of ICT and 88.7% undergraduate nurses have positive perception towards the use of ICT while the remaining 11.3% have a negative perception. Findings of the study revealed that majority of the undergraduate nurses have a positive perception and good competence level about ICT. It is therefore the role of the lecturers to design students' curricula program emphasizing importance role ICT in nursing.
TopBackground Of The Study
The role of technology in education has been an important question since the potential of computer technology to transform teaching and learning. It remains an important issue today with debates about the impact of technology on our society, the implications of quick and easy online access to information for knowledge and learning and the effect of technology on young people’s social, emotional and physical development frequently in the news (Higgins, Xiao, & Katsipataki, 2014). The way we live, work, and learn has changed with the implementation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). ICT opens doors to new innovative methods to deliver education across the lifespan. In higher education, e- learning as a part of ICT has been endorsed as a tool for developing ‘21st century skills’ (Barker, Omoni, Watiti, Wakasiaka, Mathai, & Lavender, 2013). Students can access a class through a website and participate in lectures and group discussion in real time. Materials may also be provided asynchronously; students access the website, follow lectures or complete assignments according to their own schedules. Furthermore, it can help students gain knowledge and skills faster than traditional instructor-led methods (Bloomer & Jones, 2013).
ICTs facilitate personal communication and provide access to all kinds of information, implying a methodological change to teaching and a need for both lecturers and students to adapt to the use of such tools (Surià, 2010). There is also no clear differentiation between ICT and related terms such as e-health or telehealth (Lipke, 2014). ICT is the emergence of tools of microelectronic and telecommunications that are used in interchange of quantitative and qualitative data. ICT in education is divided into three categories: instruments (such as: TV, DVD, computer), instructional method (video and multimedia modules) and dissemination (TV broadcast, CD or Web). The choice of technological tools and the way it is used is partially determined by what is expected in terms of education, learning and teaching objectives. According to Adeosun, ‘to tech or not to tech’ education is not the question; the real question is how to harvest the power of ICT to make education more relevant, responsible and effective for school setting and lifelong learning (2010). It is therefore important to take stock of what we know about the impact of digital technology on education from what we have learned over the last fifty years (Higgins, Xiao, and Katsipataki, 2014).
In Nigeria as well as other African countries nursing is regarded as one of the key professions that play a significant role in the nation’s health care delivery system (Agbedia, 2012). Competency in the use of information systems and patient care technology is invaluable in today’s health care services. Nursing, being a core health profession, is not left out of this expectation; hence nurses are expected to be abreast of the trends in ICT usage. It is, however, unclear how the nurse educators have embraced this clarion call. ICT is an important tool in promoting evidence-based practice and learning in nursing education.(Eswe and Adejumo, 2014).ICT is invaluable in preparing undergraduates for further education and future employment. It supports conventional classroom work, as well as design and development of learning materials. Teaching materials such as books, journals and virtual libraries are easily accessed as ICT provides a gateway to the world of resources, especially those in electronic form (Eswe & Adejumo, 2014). This study explored nursing students’ information and communication technology competence and confidence among undergraduate nursing students in College of Medicine, University of Lagos. This study was guided by the following questions: