CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Introduction

The uses of technology in the educational system within the university of Buea provide information that has led to the impact of student performance in the university. The use of technology has go a long way to support low performance by student.

This chapter articulates the background of the study of the effect of modern technology on student academic performance in the university of Buea, it goes on to give the problem statement, purpose, objectives, research question, hypotheses, significant, scope of study, and operational definition of term.

 Background to the study

Teaching is becoming one of the most challenging professions in our society today where knowledge is expanding so rapidly that modern technologies demand the use of information and communication technology (ICT). ICT has become within short time one of the basic building block of modern society. Many countries now regard the understanding of ICT and mastering its basic concept as part of the core in education (UNESCO, 2002). In some countries such as Uganda government has established fully fledged ICT ministry since 2009 to stress the important of ICT in promoting economic growth and development.

Proponent of ICT suggest that our use of increasingly sophisticated and enabling technologies will continue to the extent that technology literacy will become a basic functional requirement for our work, social and personal lives. The National council for curriculum and assessment, UK (2004), note that as the pace of technological development continue to grow, children in our school today will live in a world where ICT will be increasingly embedded in their daily lives.

The use of computer in education is not a new phenomenon. In the 1970s its promoters claims that it will transform and save education (Lockard and Abrams 1994}. The late 1980s saw growing shift towards computer integration which emphasis the curriculum and not the tool. Its proponent felt that student will learn new skill as they needed them in other to make computer work for them. The computer could now be view more as partner as opposed to competitors and could be treated in more natural manner (Lockard and Abrams 1994).

The 1990 saw a heightened focus on increasing the use of computer technology in classroom, and not just the evangelist. Growing attention and pressure to implement technology in education is coming from much direction including parent and the business sector, not just department in education. One of the most significant features of the technological or digital era of more relevance to education is the internet technically and functionally as a worldwide network of computer and people interacting together.

To enhance and streamline the development in ICT sector, the government of Uganda formulated an ICT framework in 2003 to meet the challenges and the harnessing of the underlying potentials and opportunities of the system (National ICT Policy framework, 2003). Government recognizes that ICT has a big role to play in stimulation of national development, in particular, and globalization of the economy.

In recognition of need of ICT for development process, government undertook several initiatives to promote the development and application of ICT. Telecommunication sector was liberalized in 1996 by a policy framework which provided for the introduction of competition and licenses for operators. The liberalization of the acquisition, use and application of ICT led to a rapid expansion of the ICT industry in over the last ten years. The ministry of Education and Sport has approved a curriculum for ICT training for secondary schools. These schools are been equipped under various programmed including the school net and connected projects. However only a very small percentage of secondary schools are offering ICT training and in almost all cases the facilities are awfully inadequate for reasonable hand on experience (National ICT policy framework, 2003). The ministry of sport and education has formulated a ICT policy for education that it hopes to adopt so as to drive ICT training in school and other institution under its mandate.

More and more studies now support the claim that technology has great potential to provide new kind of instructional opportunities and to enhance knowledge and learning experience of both the teacher and the student (o”connor and Polin, cited in fleming-McConick, et la 1995).

However, the effect of ICT in teaching and learning is not yet fully established. Yet the need to prepare student for the information age is a reoccurring education theme worldwide since today student are to spend their career life in a very dynamic technological environment (mbwesa,2003).

University of Buea, being one of the oldest established was set up in the year 1993to serve as launch pad for equitable development in Cameroon by providing knowledge, skill and stimulate innovation in education, technology economic advancement and social development (research and education network 2003) however the university faces many challenges in regard to teaching and learning processes.

Classical instructional methods has been use and continue to be use in the teaching and learning process with their limitation in different circumstances varying depending on students and instructors needs. Little emphases is been put on the embarrassment of educational technology, yet if properly use ICT will provide an array of powerful tool that may help in transforming the present isolated teacher centered and text bound classroom into rich student focus interactive knowledge environment. If not well addressed, investment in development of ICT in the university will be wasteful and teaching and learning process will continue to be very slow limiting the university from achieving it development it is hope to bring in the university.

The World Bank (2003) Citing Rodrigues and Wilson,( 2000) stipulated that ICT is the set of activities  which facilitate by electronic means the process transmission and display of information. According to United Nation Economic and Social commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP, 2001) ICTs refer to technology people use to share, distribute and gather information and to communicate, through computer and computer networks. In this study, ICT is viewed as a set of tools that can be used to process, avail and access information and communicate services or product.

The service and product may include hardware and software; internet, telephone/mobile phones, telefax, type writer, calculator, radios, hydraulimachinees use in industries among others. Bakkabulindi(2002;2000) observed that ICT are of two major type namely; ICT for converting or processing data into information such as adding  machines , calculators, typewriters, and computer and ICT for communication of data  and or information from one place to another; this include telegraph, telephone, telefax, and computer network. Interaction refers to the relation between the user and these gadgets.

In this study, ICT further refer to the availability, accessibility and user-ability of these gadgets. Availability implies the presence of these ICT resources, accessibility means the degree to which these ICT resources are easily accessible by as many people as possible. Usability to the capability of the student and teacher to use these resource to achieve specified goals.

Learning refers to concerted activity that increase the capacity and willingness of student to acquire and productively apply new knowledge and skill to grow mature and to adopt successfully to change and challenges (warschaur, 1996). Such learning empower student to make wise choices, solve problem and break new ground. Learning certainly includes academic studies and occupational training through high school and beyond. In this study, learning will refer to the process whereby learners acquire and master knowledge and skill imparted in them by instructor and through interaction with technological tools in relation to their academic performance, work place preparedness and application of the acquired skill and knowledge.

Statement of the problem

Student performance remains central in academic achievement debate. ICT provide window for opportunity for educational institution and other organization to harness and use technology to complement and support teaching and learning student academic performance. Among the reason given for the dismal is lack of student motivation to learn and hence low achievement. Performance of student in the university of Cameroon has been very poor. In particular, the university of Buea has registered poor result at the end of course examination, hence there is a need to investigate the effect of modern technology in the university.

Purpose of the study

The main purpose of the study was to identify the perceived effect of the availability and user availability, accessibility and user of ICT resources on student learning and academic performance in the university using cross sectional survey design with a view to provide relevant recommendations.

Objectives of the objective

This study was guided by both the main and specific objectives

Main objective

To investigate the effect of modern technology on student academic performance

Specific objectives

1. To investigate the effect of the internet on student academic performance
2. To investigate the effect of social media site (Facebook, and WhatsApp) on student academic performance
3. To investigate the effect of cell phone usage on student academic performance
4. To investigate the effect of laptops on students’ academic performance

Main research question

What is the impact of modern resources on student academic performance in the University of Buea?

Specific research question

1. How does the internet influence student academic performance?
2. What effect do social media site Facebook and WhatsApp have on student academic performance?
3. What influence does cell phones have on student academic performance?
4. What influence does laptop have on student academic performance?

Hypothesis

The main hypothesis

HO: There is no significant effect of modern technology on student academic performance in the University of Buea

Ha: there is a significant effect of modern technology on student academic performance in the university of Buea

Specific hypothesis

HO1: There is no significant effect of internet on student academic performance in the University of Buea

Ha1: there is a significant effect of internet on student academic performance in the University of Buea.

HO2: There is no significant effect of social media sites Facebook and WhatsApp on student academic performance in the University of Buea

Ha2: there is a significant effect of social media sites Facebook and WhatsApp on student academic performance in the university of Buea

HO3: There is no significant effect of cell phone on student academic performance in the University of Buea

Ha3: There is a significant effect of cell phone on student academic performance in the University of Buea

HO4: There is no significant effect of laptops on student academic performance in the University of Buea

Ha4: There is a significant effect of laptops on student academic performance