THE EFFECT OF USING INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (I.C.T.) IN THE TEACHING AND LEARNING IN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

THE EFFECT OF USING INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (I.C.T.) IN THE TEACHING AND LEARNING IN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
 
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Information and Communication Technology has a role in the learning and teaching tool. Information and Communication Technology invites both teachers and students in the learning and facilitation process. Information and Communication Technology (I.C.T.) has been proven to be a very important aspect of the technology process. The use of Information Communication Technology by learners offers enormous potential to enhance learning in all subjects, as well as for Business Education in College of Education, Ekiadolor-Benin. Numerous studies show that the quality of learning (e.g. Davis et al 1997) can be significantly enhanced when I.C.T. integrated with teaching research done by Bransford et al (1994) showed that I.C.T. can enhance critically thinking information handling skills the level of conceptualization and problem solving capacity.
          The novel technology is supposed to add value to education and to support effective pedagogy by providing knowledge for learners and by enhancing communication that promotes learning (Privateer 1999) Gregory Bracewell and Laferrere (1996) also noticed that the opportunities for networking and collaborative learning indicate that several principles of theories which promote learning. The importance of Information Communication Technology aim education has promoted UNESCO, Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education in Bangkok to design a project named “preparing the next generation of teachers through I.C.T. This project aims aimed at assisting Teacher Education Institution in Asia and Pacific region to prepare teachers on how and when to best use the technologies for teaching and learning. It is one of the most recent initiative of UNESCO for professional development of teachers which the organization has supported for sixty years (UNESCO undated).
          The educational effectiveness of I.C.T. depends on how they are used and for what purpose. And like any pother educational tool or mode of educational delivery I.C.T. do not work for everyone, everywhere in the same way. It is difficult to qualify the degree to which I.C.T. have helped expand access to basic education since most of the interventions for the purpose have been small scale and underported I.C.T. helps students learn Business by promoting and developing ownership of their work and the direction they choose to take. This can have a positive effect on their motivation and degree of engagement in their work. It helps in their choice of learning styles and so promotes greater independence. Using Information Communication Technology (I.C.T.) can help students to:
1.   Gain confidence and independence
2.   Access select and interpret information
3.   Test reliability and accuracy
4.   Communication with others and present information
5.   Evaluate their work
6.   Improve efficiency
7.   Be creative and take risks
8.   Recognize pattern relationship and behaviour
9.   Model and predict
10.        Review and modify their work to improve the quality
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The most frequent uses of I.C.T. is to enhance learning in Business Education lesson will be hardware and software that facilitate tuning, audio and visual stimuli, recordingresults and visual images. Feedback (both visual and through numerical data) and searching for and sharing information via the internet, data bases and e-mail
          The absence of the stated tools in most of our schools will seriously affect the teaching and learning of Business Education. The non-educated of Information and Communication Technology in the curriculum of College of Education, Ekiadolor-Benin has led to the chumming out of graduate teachers who lack confidence, knowledge and expertise in Business I.C.T. into their respective subject areas in the teaching and learning environment.
OBJECTIVE OF STUDY
This study is to investigate the implication of using I.C.T. in the teaching and learning of Business Education in College of Education, Ekiadolor-Benin.
          The study will also examine the effect of lack of confidence, knowledge, and expertise of Business Education teachers with respect to using I.C.T. in the teaching and learning environment.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research questions have been drawn up for this study:
1.   Does teacher’s confidence to use I.C.T. in Business Education lessons affect students’ performance?
2.   Do teaches’ gender affect the frequent of use I.C.T. in Business Education lessons?
3.   Does student’s use of I.C.T. software and hardware in learning affect their performances?
4.   Do the frequency of student’s use of I.C.T. for learning affected by the number of years of teaching experience of the teacher?
SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
This study seeks to provide answers to the following: Does the school curriculum in all levels of education in Nigeria contain Information and Communication Technology and learning Business Education in our schools (Primary, Secondary and Tertiary)?
          To what extent has I.C.T. been successful integrated in the school curriculum and in the teaching and learning?
          To what extent has I.C.T. software and hardware enhance teaching and learning of Business Education?
          To what extent are students given opportunities to use I.C.T. in Business Education?
          Are students aware of relevant I.C.T. software and hardware that can enhance and promote their performances in Business Education?
          Does the frequent use of I.C.T. software and hardware in Business Education lessons facilitate timing audio and visual stimuli?
DEFINITION OF TERMS
I.C.T.: Information and Communication Technology. Technologies that facilitate by electronic means, the acquisition, storage, processing, transmission and dissemination of information in all forms including voice, tent, data graphics and video.