Students Access to Information Communication Technologies in Open and Distance Learning mode in Tanzania: A case of The Open University of Tanzania
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61538/huria.v11i0.506Abstract
The success of open and distance learning programmes relies heavily on having an efficient and reliable delivery channel to reach out students. The utilization of Information Communication Technology (ICT) as a tool to deliver services to the students provides efficient and reliable delivery channel which is also cost effective. A study was undertaken to assess the utilization of ICT facilities existing in the Open University of Tanzania (OUT). A sample of 97 from The University of Tanzania at Dar es Salaam, Mbeya and Arusha regional centers were interviewed. The study adopted a cross sectional survey design by using open and closed ended questionnaires and focus group discussion (FGD). Analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software. The study found out that a number of admitted students who access computers at OUT computer labs is very small, and those who do visit the labs at most visit it once a week. Internet access was also found to be a problem. Majority ranked Yahoo their favourite wesite, followed by OUT website, and Google as favoured websites. In the OUT website the most surfed/used resources were Students Academic Registration System (SARIS). The resources which focus more on academic issues were visited less frequently. It is recommended that ICT knowledge and skills to be encouraged to OUT staff and students in order to ensure both stakeholders benefit in improving the quality of education offered through ODL Programmes at OUT.References
Biru, M. D. T. (2002). ICT Penetration and Usage in Ethiopia: Baseline Study.
Chaplin, E. (2002). 'The Impact of Public Library ICT Facilities on People living in areas of social exclusion'. Dissertation- University of Sheffield.
Chou, C., Wu, H., & Chen, C. (2011). Re-visiting College Students’ Attitudes toward the Internet-based on a 6-T Model: Gender and Grade Level Difference. Computers & Education, 56:939-947.
Department of Trade and Industry (2000). Closing the Digital Divide: Information
Communication Technologies in Deprived Areas a report by Policy Action Team 15 (online). London: DTI. http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/seu/publications/pat/pat15.doc [Accessed 6 August, 2010].
Hashim, R. (2010). Antecedents of ICT attitudes of distance education students. The Turkish Online Journal of educational Technology, Vol.9, issue 1
IMFUNDO (2001). Partnership for IT in Education Inception Report. www.imfundo.org visited 28 March, 2010.
Jegede, P. O. (2009). Age and ICT-related behaviours of higher education teachers in Nigeria. Issues in informing Science and Information Technology, 6 :770-77
Komba, W. L. M., (2009). Increasing Education Access Through Open and Distance Learning in Tanzania: A Critical Review of Approaches and
Practices. International Journal of Education and Development
Liu, S. (2011). Factors Related to Pedagogical Beliefs of Teachers and Technology Integration. Computers & Education 56:1012-1022.
Mikropoulos, T. A and Natsis, A. (2011). Educational Virtual Environments: A Ten-year Review of Empirical Research (1999-2009). Computers & Education 56:769-780.
Papastergiou, M. (2010). Enhancing Physical Education and Sport Science Students’ Self-Efficacy and Attitudes Regarding Information and Communication Technologies through a Computer Literacy Course. Computers & Education 54:298-308.
Sadia, A.S (2008). Barriers to Development in Open Learning and Distance Education: Bangladesh Open University.
Swarts, P. and Mwiyeria, E. (2010). Tanzania: ICT in Education Situational Analysis.
URT (2007). Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy for Basic Education.
Wagner, N., Hassanein, K., and Head, M. (2010). Computer Use by Older Adults:
A Multi-disciplinary Review. Computers in Human Behaviour 26:870-882.
