THE IMPACT OF ICT SKILLS AND USE OF E-RESOURCES BY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN ABIA STATE POLYTECHNIC

CHAPTER ONE:

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Because electronic information resources are systems in which information is stored electronically and made available via electronic systems and computer networks, undergraduate students must be aware of them in order to use them. According to Prangya and Rabindra (2013), awareness is essential for effective use of electronic information resources. When materials are near at hand, the user's ability to access such information resources is greatly diminished. However, when they are open access (i.e., not subscription-based), students locate them and use them for whatever purpose they need. Undergraduate students need information literacy abilities to effectively use EIRs, and if these skills are not present, their academic and research requirements will be hampered. Watt and Igbo (2010) emphasize that the user's capacity to traverse the labyrinth of electronic resources provided through technology-based terminals is critical to their usage of electronic information resources (EIRs). Electronic information is also becoming more significant in the academic world (Egberongbe, 2011). As a technique to increase the use of electronic resources, end-users should be equipped with skills such as information literacy, information retrieval, and computer abilities, among others (Adekinya & Adeyemo, 2006).

The use of electronic information resources by Abia State Polytechnic undergraduate students is fraught with difficulties, such as the country's inadequate telecommunications infrastructure, which has been a matter of controversy among scholars and higher education institutions (Adomi, 2005). Poor telecommunication infrastructure, poor navigation skills in navigating e-resources, high cost of Internet subscription, epileptic Internet subscription, unreliable power supply, poor user skills, and restricted access to e-resources are all major challenges that undergraduate students at Abia State Polytechnic face when using e-resources. It's important to emphasize that when undergraduate students are aware of e-resources, they use them to their full potential for academic and research objectives. It's also vital to note that in order for students to effectively use electronic resources, they must be knowledgeable in the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in order to acquire autonomous access to a variety of electronic information resources throughout the world. According to Bozimo (2007), e-resource utilization in Nigerian academic libraries is very low.

Although the value and usage of e-resources has grown over time, users, particularly undergraduate students in higher education, still rely on one other's abilities to identify specific knowledge parts. The capacity to identify when information is required and to access, analyze, and use information resources effectively, according to the Final Report of the American Library Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy (2001), is an information literacy talent. According to Tyagi (2011), effective use of e-resources is dependent on fundamental computer abilities, awareness of what is available and how to use it, and the capacity to outline a research topic. Many variables influence how undergraduate students acquire the aforementioned skills and knowledge, including their degree of computer expertise, their fields, gender, academic position, and access. Prangya and Rabindra (2013) go on to say that lack of ICT skills training, insufficient infrastructure, and the high cost of accessing various e-resources are the barriers to appropriate and full usage of EIRs.

Academic libraries' main objective is to assist teaching, learning, and research in ways that are in line with and supportive of the institution's mission and goals. Furthermore, library materials and services should be adequate in terms of quality, depth, variety, and currency to support the institution's program (Okorie & Agbola, 2012). Books, journals, and magazines have been replaced by E-books, E-journals, and E-magazines as libraries have evolved into digital and virtual libraries. Print media is progressively losing place to electronic forms of content, according to Narayana and Gouder (2005). The researchers said that the Internet and the web are continually influencing the creation of new modalities of scholarly communication; their potential for delivery is enormous, since they bypass the geographical limits that print media imposes. In addition, the period between the publishing of a product and its delivery has been considerably decreased. Because most polytechnic libraries need greater research, the Internet is critical for efficient retrieval and addressing information demands. To be able to obtain this information at the library, an information seeker must have a high degree of knowledge of the library's information resources, particularly electronic information resources. However, in this digital age, understanding of electronic resources is critical, since print materials are increasingly being phased out.

1.2 Statement of the problem

In the past, information resources were mostly presented on paper. As information is generated at an exponential rate, the need to make it readily available and accessible to all has become a problem, prompting the search for an alternative medium for storing and disseminating information resources (Adomi,2005). Information can be stored in one place and made available to all at the same time using the Internet and other electronic information resources, such as CD-ROMs, databases, and OPACs. Many studies have been conducted on students' use of academic libraries, but none has been conducted on the awareness and use of e-resources in the Abia State Polytechnic library. Furthermore, students at Abia State Polytechnic are expected to be aware of the polytechnic library's electronic resources (Okorie,2012). However, it is claimed that the majority of the institution's students are unaware of the library's electronic resources. This research examines the influence of ICT skills and the use of e-resources by undergraduate students in this context.

1.3 Objective of the study

The primary objective of the study is as follows

1.        To evaluate  the Impact of ICT Skills And Use Of E-Resources by student of Abia state polytechnic.

2.        To examine the level of students frequency use of electronic resources in the library.

3.        To find out the  reasons for students utilization of electronic information resources in the library.

4.        To investigate  the challenges students face in the utilization of electronic resources.

1.4 Research Questions

The following questions have been prepared for the study

1)        What is the Impact of ICT Skills And Use Of E-Resources by student of Abia state polytechnic.

2)        What is the level of students frequency use of electronic resources in the library?

3)        What  are the  reasons for students utilization of electronic information resources in the library?

4)        What are  the challenges students face in the utilization of electronic resources?

1.5 Significance of the study

This study will examine The Impact of ICT Skills And Use Of E-Resources By Undergraduate Students.

The study will be beneficial to the management of the Abia state polytechnic on the need to improve on the ICT department and the use of electronic resources.

This study will also be beneficial to the academic community as it will contribute to the existing literature.

1.6 Scope of the study

This study will evaluate the Impact of ICT Skills And Use Of E-Resources by student of Abia state polytechnic. The study will also examine the level of students frequency use of electronic resources in the library. Furthermore, the study will find out the  reasons for students utilization of electronic information resources in the library. Lastly, the study will investigate  the challenges students face in the utilization of electronic resources. Hence the study will be delimited to the Abia state polytechnic.

1.7 Limitation of the study

This study was constrained by a number of factors which are as follows:

Just like any other research, ranging from unavailability of needed accurate materials on the topic under study, inability to get data.

Financial constraint , was faced by  the researcher ,in getting relevant materials  and  in printing and collation of questionnaires.

Time factor: time factor pose another constraint since having to shuttle between writing of the research and also engaging in other academic work making it uneasy for the researcher.

1.8 Definition of terms

ICT skills: ICT skills are about understanding and applying a range of computer programmes, software and other applications.

E- Resources: all the products which a library provides through a computer network.