AN EVALUATION OF E-LEARNING AND ITS IMPACT ON STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN TERTIARY INSTITUTION

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The use of information and communications technology (ICT) to improve and/or assist learning in tertiary education is referred to as e-learning. While maintaining a dominating interest in increasingly advanced applications, e-learning refers to both entirely online provision and campus-based or other distance-based provision enhanced in some manner by ICT (Eynon, 2005). The supplemental model includes activities ranging from the most basic usage of ICT (e.g., use of PCs for assignment word processing) to more sophisticated adoption (e.g., specialist disciplinary software, handheld devices, learning management systems, adaptive hypermedia, artificial intelligence devices, simulations, etc.).

E-learning has emerged as a new essence and fundamental concept in library services as well as the educational sector, with the goal of serving as a knowledge-based development platform for today's society. So, what exactly is e-learning? According to Farmer (2004), e-learning is all about computer-based learning. In today's environment, studying using a computer simply means acquiring information online via the internet or offline via CD-ROM, for example. To put it another way, it is the use of network technology to generate, promote, deliver, and assist learning at any time and from any location.

It has been discovered that students at higher education institutions who participated in e-learning outperformed those who took face-to-face courses. Folley (2010) discovered that students who participate in online or e-learning obtain higher grades than those who study traditional methods. As a result of this discovery, e-learning is rapidly gaining popularity, and many higher education institutions are implementing virtual learning systems. E-learning is extensively employed at numerous colleges throughout the world, including Covenant University. Some universities' e-learning adds little value to their teaching and learning activities, and they may not evaluate the influence of e-learning on student academic achievement. There hasn't been a lot of study done on the association between e-learning use and student academic achievement. Ge, Hui, and Tingting (2010). It has been discovered that students at higher education institutions who participated in e-learning outperformed those who took face-to-face courses. Farmer (2004) discovered that students who participate in online or e-learning obtain higher grades than those who study traditional methods. As a result of this discovery, e-learning is rapidly gaining popularity, and many higher education institutions are implementing virtual learning systems. E-learning is extensively employed at numerous colleges throughout the world, including Covenant University. Some universities' e-learning adds little value to their teaching and learning activities, and they may not evaluate the influence of e-learning on student academic achievement. There hasn't been a lot of study done on the association between e-learning use and student academic achievement.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

With the development of e-learning technologies, academics are faced with the issue of obtaining and utilizing IT skills for teaching purposes. According to several notable experts, the internet is an ideal instrument for learning since it provides learners with flexibility and convenience while also providing limitless chances for innovative instruction (Eynon, 2005). The use of new multimedia technologies and the Internet in learning is viewed as a method of improving accessibility, efficiency, and quality of learning by allowing access to resources and services, as well as distant exchanges and cooperation. E-learning has evolved into a new paradigm and philosophy in education, with the goal of serving as a knowledge-based growth platform for today's society. According to Farmer (2004), it is clear that the notion of e-learning is seen as extremely appealing as a new learning paradigm whose impact on the development of education in developing nations, particularly Nigeria, would be favorable. Despite the fact that little effort is put into its implementation, current research on e-learning in Nigeria demonstrates that putting e-learning on the educational agenda in Nigeria still faces a number of problems (Folley, 2010).

1.3 objectives of the study

The primary aim of this study is to evaluate e-learning and its impact on students' academic performance in tertiary institutions. Specifically, the study will

1.        Examine the benefits of e-learning for students in tertiary institutions.

2.        Determine whether e-learning has a significant impact on students’ academic performance.

3.        Identify the constraints of e-learning in tertiary institutions.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The study will be guided by the following questions;

1.        What are the benefits of e-learning to students in tertiary institutions?

2.        Does e-learning contribute significantly to students’ academic performance?

3.        What are the constrains encountered by students in user of e-learning in tertiary institutions?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be of great significance to all tertiary institutions as the findings will show the importance of e-learning and its impact on the academic performance of its students. It will also show the problems associated with e-learning. This study will be beneficial to the students as it will show the different e-learning tools they can use and their impact. Finally, this study will serve as existing material for further studies.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will be focused on the evaluation of e-learning and its impact on students' academic performance in tertiary institutions. The study will be restricted to examining the benefits of e-learning to students in tertiary institutions, determining whether e-learning has a significant impact on students’ academic performance, and identifying the constraints of e-learning in tertiary institutions. This study will be using students of two Universities in Edo State case study.

1.7 LIMITATIONS TO THE STUDY

In the course of carrying out this study, the researcher experienced some constraints, which included time constraints, financial constraints, language barriers, and the attitude of the respondents.

In addition, there was the element of researcher bias. Here, the researcher possessed some biases that may have been reflected in the way the data was collected, the type of people interviewed or sampled, and how the data gathered was interpreted thereafter. The potential for all this to influence the findings and conclusions could not be downplayed. More so, the findings of this study are limited to the sample population in the study area, hence they may not be suitable for use in comparison to other schools, local governments, states, and other countries in the world.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Evaluation: An act of evaluating something or someone

E-learning: Learning that occurs through the use of a computer

Impact: A marked effect or influence

REFERENCES

EduTools.(2009). CMS: Product List. http://www.edutools.info/item_list.jsp?pj=4 e-learning programme, Cambridge Journal of Education, 34(2), 223-239. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03057640410001700589

Ellis, A., O'Reilly, M., & Debreceny, R. (1998). Staff development responses to the demand for online teaching and learning. Southern Cross University, ePublication@SCU. http://epubs.scu.edu.au/tlc_pubs/39/

Eynon, R. (2005). The use of the internet in higher education: Academics’ experiences of using ICTs for teaching and learning. Aslib proceedings, 57(2), 168-180. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/00012530510589137

Farmer, J. (2004). Communication dynamics: Discussion boards, weblogs and the development of communities of inquiry in online learning environments. 21st ASCILITE Conference, 274-283. http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/perth04/procs/farmer.html

Folley, D. (2010). The lecture is dead long live the e-lecture. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 8(2), 93-100.

Ge, J., D., Hui, L., & Tingting, Z. (2010). A preliminary study of personal learning environment based on Ubiquitous Computing Model. In Ubi-media Computing (U-Media), 2010 3rd IEEE International Conference on (pp. 350-354). IEEE.

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