CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Education is a key factor for sustainable development (Chimombo, 2005). The significance of education, especially in developing countries, is increasing because of progressing pressure to catch up with the developed world regarding, for example, global competitiveness (Hawkins 2002). Predictably, educational settings are different in developing countries than in developed countries, such as low quality of education and narrow possibilities in attending schools in rural areas because of far distances and high opportunity costs. Chimombo, 2005 opined that country-specific circumstances have to be improved regarding compulsory and free education to foster general access to education. In Article 26 of the 1948 UN universal declaration of human rights the right of obligatory and free education for everyone is already committed (UN Human Rights 1948).

The continual emergence of new technologies has placed academic staff under increasing pressure to react to these substantial changes within a very short and often unrealistic time-frame. As stated by Bates and Poole (2003), one of the major challenges of teaching with technology is that you cannot possibly keep up with the technology. The paradox of technology enhanced education is that technology changes very rapidly and human beings change very slowly. Electronic resources are regarded as the extract of information that are developed through modern information communication technology devices, refined and redesigned and more often stored in the cyber space in the most concrete and compact form and can be accessed at the same time from immeasurable points by a great number of audience.

E-Learning resources is not important than how much resources you have, than how feasible they are, in other words, resources should be readily accessible to all. Before the development of computer and internet technology, printed version of resources like books, journals, encyclopaedia, dictionaries, work books, and the likes played significant roles in learning process. Usually, these printed versions are not easily accessible to all and are also expensive in nature. For example, if two students want to refer to a particular book simultaneously, two separate copies of the same book must be needed in the library. Instead of having the printed version of the book, if we have electronic or e-version of the book, the same book can be easily accessed simultaneously by many and also can be accessed from their drawing room with the help of a personal computer. In this computer age, e-version of books, journals, etc or e-resources in general have become inevitable and hence it is very much needed to convert the printed version into e-version for future needs.

Consequently, the teaching and learning practices of Nigeria are undergoing a shift from the old methods to extensive usage of e-learning resources. However, little or no efforts have been recorded in the identification of influence and impact of e-learning on academic performance of student in tertiary institutions. As the use of e-learning is becoming more and more widespread in higher education it has become increasingly important to examine the impact that this learning style has on student’s performance. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate students’ access to e-learning resources and their academic achievement in college of education using Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Lanlate, Oyo State, Nigeria.

1.2  STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The importance of education is increasing because of increasing pressure to catch up with the developed world regarding, for example, global competitiveness (Hawkins 2002). Before the advent of e-learning many people who wanted to obtain tertiary degree had to compete for the few places that were offered by the public institutions. Those offered places had to apply for study leave as they had to go through the traditional learning system. This kind of further education system was characterized by limited number of students that could be absorbed per an academic year and consequent removal from their places of work for the duration of their study.

Several research works have been carried out on academic performance especially on students, but not much on e-learning students within the Nigerian educational system. There seems to be any study that focuses on the students’ access to e-learning resources and their academic achievement in college of education in Nigeria. Certainly, that is what this study will focus on using students of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Lanlate, Oyo State, Nigeria.

1.3   RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following are some of the questions which this study intends to answer:

i)                   what is the prevalence of e-learning among the students of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education?

ii)                 what are the prevailing factors that affect e-learning among the students of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education?

iii)               What are the reasons for the use of e-learning among the students of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education?

1.4   OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study was to investigate the student access to e-learning resources and their academic achievement in college of education. However, the specific objectives were:

i)                   to  examine the prevalence of e-learning among the students of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education

ii)                 to establish the prevailing factors that affect e-learning among the students of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education

iii)               to survey the reasons for the use of e-learning among the students of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education.

1.5   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study sought to investigate the students’ access to e-learning resources and their academic achievement in college of education. The study would provide knowledge and guidelines to that may be of help to policymakers. The research is therefore of importance for planners, and other social scientists. Finally, this study provides an input to the students, teachers and researchers in the areas of e-learning.

1.6   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will cover undergraduate students of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Lanlate, Oyo State, Nigeria.

1.7  LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Apart from time constraint faced by the researcher, another limitation was that the study did not consider all students studying through the e-learning mode but only focused on the students of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Lanlate, Oyo State, Nigeria.

1.8  DEFINITION OF TERMS

The following terms were used in the course of this study:

Academic achievement:  is the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has achieved their short or long-term educational goals.

Access: a means of approaching or entering a place.

E-learning: learning conducted via electronic media, typically on the Internet.

Student:  learner or someone who attends an educational institution.