IMPACT  OF E-LEARNING ON TERTIARY EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In many areas of the world, the use of information and communication technology (ICT) is becoming a fundamental aspect of education. Despite persistent limits brought on by economic obstacles, Nigeria is not falling behind as ICT steadily makes its way into educational systems. Fundamentally, education is a discipline like any other; it is an area of human knowledge that is primarily concerned with preparing society's youth for adulthood (Olojo, 2010). Education, according to Gbamanja (1989), is a process that aims to influence a learner's behavior. Education, in general, is viewed by behaviorists as a process of modifying people's behavioral patterns. People have created numerous strategies for conveying their thoughts, wants, and wishes to others since ancient times. People used to congratulate in geographically limited clusters in which communication was properly done by vocal and written communications in early civilized times. Smoke signals, carrier pigeons, and other long-distance communication systems were explored as civilization extended across broader geographical areas. The usage of fire signal by Greeks in the eighth century B.C. for conveying alerts, pleas for aid, or announcements of particular occurrences was one of the earliest documented optical linkages. However, E-learning, as defined by (Ajisola, 2012), is the use of Internet technology to improve knowledge and performance. Learners can tailor their experiences to meet their personal learning objectives using e-learning technologies, which give them control over content, learning sequence, pace of learning, time, and often media. They can also use e-learning technologies to manage access to e-learning materials, technical standardization, and peer review methods. Faculty face multiple research possibilities as well as ongoing obstacles in documenting scholarship as a result of e-learning (Adewunmi, 2012). E-learning innovations are pointing to a revolution in education, allowing for personalised learning (adaptive learning), boosting learners' interactions with others (collaborative learning), and changing the teacher's position.

Furthermore, the world is advancing at an unfathomable rate in terms of the usage and transmission of knowledge. Knowledge and information may be shared and cross-fertilized in real time, according to Olaniyi (2006), using information technology. As a result, it's important to pay attention to how information technology has impacted the educational sector via the internet. E-learning has been defined as one of the contemporary age's educational challenges, one in which forward-thinking academic institutions must make bold attempts to flourish and compete favorably in a worldwide market where education is a commodity (Ola, 2013). E-learning has also evolved into a new paradigm and philosophy in the library and educational sectors, with the goal of serving as a development platform for today's knowledge-based society. All types of electronic aided learning and teaching that are procedural in nature and attempt to influence the production of knowledge with reference to the learner's own experience, practice, and knowledge are referred to as e-learning (Jeff, 2002). Whether networked or not, information and communication technologies serve as unique media for implementing the learning process. With circuits across the globe delivering speech, text, photos, and a variety of other sorts of information, these communication networks have become a vital part of everyday life. As a result of recent technological advancements, computers have become more generally recognized, less priced, and accessible to the general public. E-learning, on the other hand, is described by Horton (2005) as the use of the internet and digital technology to create experiences that teach our fellow humans. E-learning is the transfer of skills and information using a computer and a network. It is the process of learning via the use of electronic applications and procedures (Uduak, 2004). The Internet, intranet/extranet, audio or video cassette, satellite TV, and CD-ROM are all used to provide content. It is used by educational institutions to supplement and assist classroom instruction while also providing courses to a larger number of students throughout the world. It may be self-paced or instructor-led, and it incorporates text, graphics, animations, streaming video, and audio as well as other material. E-learning has the potential to change the way we teach and learn in the future (DfES, 2003). In many aspects, advances in ICT have altered the way we teach and learn; for example, extending access to post-secondary education, boosting educational resource availability, and promoting meaningful engagement among learners. Using ICT to its full potential has become a vital strategy for institutions seeking to provide a cost-effective, efficient, and adaptable learning environment for fast increasing and varied populations of learners (Everest, 2005). Many academics have seen remote and online education as an inferior option for people who don't have access to traditional higher education institutions (HEIs) or who aren't interested in deep learning (Rich, 2008). Technology-enhanced learning, including distant and online training, is now widely accepted as a valid tool for educating individuals to engage in a technologically driven global world (Esther, 2006). A multidisciplinary approach to online pedagogical research acknowledges the importance of technology-enhanced teaching and learning in the mix of many tactics. Its importance in the global economy has been bolstered by a new culture that many instructors have adopted. A society that is adamantly opposed to education as a privilege (Ezinne, 2004). In university education, e-learning has shown to be a very successful way of supplementing traditional teaching and administrative methods. Students in many courses at many universities now have web access to lecture notes and selected digital resources to aid their studies, as well as personalized web environments where they can participate in discussion forums with their class or group, and this new type of access allows them to study more freely. As a result of the spread of different e-learning technologies in Nigerian institutions, it is vital to investigate the effects and implications of these technologies on higher education (Grace, 2007).

1.2      STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Integration of technology to help education has been ongoing for many years (Kwan, 2010). In various regions of the globe, e-learning is not a new phenomena in terms of advancing education. Institutions in Nigeria are currently employing it to promote online education, which is blended with traditional classroom instruction (Faith, 2010). E-learning, or computer-assisted learning, refers to all types of electronically aided learning and instruction (Ajisola, 2012). As a result, it is appropriate to investigate how the advent of E-learning has influenced higher education in Nigeria, both favorably and adversely (Olojo, 2008). At the moment, Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), like many other institutions, has embraced the use of e-learning in the teaching-learning process, in which students interact with lecturers online, learn online, and write exams online, although it is still in its infancy. However, the focus of this study will be on how effective the university's use of e-learning has been over time.

1.3       AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1.3.1    Aims:

This study aims to determine if the introduction of e-learning to higher education in Nigeria is good or harmful, narrowing our focus on TASUED

1.3.2    Objectives:

i. Research the impact of e-learning on Nigeria's higher education system.

ii. The effects of e-learning deployment on both students and lecturers.

iii. To investigate the potential of e-learning in combination with traditional classroom learning, as well as the influence that combining the two can have on student academic achievement.

iii. To look at the availability and utilization of ICT resources in TASUED.

1.4       RESEARCH QUESTIONS

In order to achieve the above stated objectives, this study will answer the following research questions:

i. What are the impacts of e-learning on Nigeria's higher education system?

ii. What are the  effects of e-learning deployment on both students and lecturers?

iii. How can  the potential of e-learning in combination with traditional classroom learning, as well as the influence that combining the two can have on student academic achievement be investigated?

iii. What is the availability and utilization of ICT resources in TASUED?

1.5       SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Higher education institutions are increasingly turning to the Internet to provide their courses, both on and off campus. One of them, TASUED, is not left out of the equation. So, examining the impact of this technology on students and instructors at these institutions will reveal if it has beneficial or bad consequences on higher education.

1.6      SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will concentrate on the effects that the introduction of e-learning into higher education may have on both students and instructors. Also, aim to offer a synergy between face-to-face and e-learning education.

1.7       LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This research examines the impact of e-learning technologies on students and instructors at Ogun State's higher education institutions. Though the research was intended to include all of the institutions in the state, it was narrowed down to only one (Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu-ode.) as a case study owing to time constraints, funding constraints, and a varie

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