CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
It is commonly thought that new technologies can make a big difference in education. In young ages especially, children can use the huge interactivity of new media, and develop their skills, knowledge, and perception of the world, under their parents’ monitoring, of course. E-learning includes all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. The information and communication systems, whether networked learning or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process. This often involves both out-of-classroom and in-classroom educational experiences via technology, even as advances continue in regard to devices and curriculum. E-learning is the computer and network-enabled transfer of skills and knowledge.
E-learning applications and processes include Web-based learning, computer-based learning, virtual education opportunities and digital collaboration. Content is delivered via the Internet, intranet/extranet, audio or video tape, satellite TV, and CD-ROM. It can be self-pace or instructor-led and includes media in the form of text, image, animation, streaming video and audio.
As information and communications technology (ICT) advances, organizations invest significant resources in ICT to support all aspects of organizational work from group work to individual teaching, training, and learning (Isakowitz et al. 1998).
The e-learning is not a new phenomenon in promoting education in some parts of world. Presently, some institutions in Nigeria are using it to promote distance education (DE) and lifelong learning. E-learning according to Sale (2002), is the use of electronic technology to deliver education and training applications, monitor learner’s performance and report learner’s progress. Hedge and Hayward (2004), defined it as an innovative approach for delivering electronically mediated, well-designed, learner-centered and interactive learning environments to anyone, anyplace, anytime by utilizing the internet and digital technologies in concern with instructional design principles. It is all about learning with the use of computers. In this age, learning with the use of computer is simply online ways of acquiring knowledge through the internet or through the offline – CD-ROM. The online involves the use of Internet Explorer/Navigator. It may be in form of Audio, Visual, and or Audio/Visual. The convergence of the internet and learning, or Internet enabled learning is called e-learning. The applications and process of e-learning include computer-based learning, web-based learning, virtual classroom and digital collaboration where contents is delivered via the internet, intranet/extranet, audio and or video tapes, satellite TV and CD-ROM (Islam, 1997). The revolutionary development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT’s) in education in the developed countries facilitated the establishment of 100% ICT – based University known as Virtual Universities. Here in Nigeria, very few of our conventional universities are now carrying out their academic activities through one form of ICT or the other. While the urge to embark on e-learning is still a dream to some because their infrastructure of ICT’s is very weak. The rapid expansion of ICTs in Nigeria offers an opportunity to consider its use in the promotion of DE. It offers students considerable benefits including increase access to learning opportunities, convenience of time, and place, making available a greater variety of learning resources, improve opportunities for individualized learning and emergence of more powerful cognitive tools (Khan, 1996, Pierre, 1998). Distance Education (DE) is a system of education characterized by physical separation between the teacher and the learner in which instruction is deliver through a variety of media including print and other ICTs to learner who may either have missed the opportunity earlier in life or have been denied the face-to-face formal education due to socio-economic, career, family and other circumstances. Jegede, (2003) defined distance education as education provided by a mode other than the conventional face-to-face method whose goals are similar to and just as noble and practical as those of on-campus full time face-to-face education.
Nigeria is the most populous nation in sub-Saharan Africa with about 140 million people (NPC, 2007), occupying a landmass of about 923,768 square kilometers and with over 274 ethic groups making up the federation. The social and economic dimensions of providing education for the population, within the context of prevailing national circumstances of dwindling financial and other resources in the face of developments needs are heavy. The ever-continuing growth in Nigeria’s population, the attendant escalating demand for education at all levels, the difficulty of re-sourcing education through the traditional means of face-to-face classroom bound mode, and the compelling need to provide education for all (EFA) irrespective of environmental, social or cultural circumstances have meant that the country must of necessity find the appropriate and cost effective means to respond adequately to the huge unmet demand for education. All these emerging situations have signal to the need for a comprehensive search for a more viable, robust, reliable, efficient, effective, and cost-beneficial educational solutions, which according to Jegede, (2003) and Sadeq, (2003) the most logical pathway to achieve these is by embracing distance education method.
What is learning?
Learning is the act of acquiring new, or modifying and reinforcing, existing knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information. Human learning may occur as part of education, personal development, schooling, or training. It may be goal-oriented and may be aided by motivation. The study of how learning occurs is part of educational psychology, neuropsychology, learning theory, and pedagogy.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The learning system is to an extent manually operated and reveals a number of problems.
- The recording of students that are available in lecture room for further reading is done manually on a book that appears rough. Thus, the books are exposed to physical damage, information can be lost and dust particles are accumulated.
- It also takes a lot of time to arrange these books in its serial number and moreover the book keepers always felt dizzy while arranging these books.
iii. These books which are kept in the library can easily be exposed to insect and other physical damages. Like; Fire, Water and Ants, etc.
1.3 Aim and Objective of the Study
The main aim of this study is to design and implement a collaborative E-Learning system for NOUN
Other specific objectives are;
- To present lectures/tutorials electronically
- An interactive learning platform is designed to share information across the air to the students and society.
1.4 Research Questions
- What benefit have e-learning management system initiate in your community?
- Have e-learning management system provide a better structure in education system?
1.5 Significance of the Study
The benefit of this platform are;
- Improve Access
Connect patrons with the information they seek with these promising electronic tools! Improved Access to Information: Portals, Content Selection, and Digital Information focuses on how you can improve access to information using electronic reference resources.
The product of the National Open University of Nigeria Libraries, Improved Access to Information offers library administrators new approaches for overcoming the proliferation of electronic information and making it readily available to students. This project will help you provide essential understanding to student and secure their patron base.
- Wider Access
In the case of wider access, this expresses the evolution of transporting information through an online video tutorial, voice recommendation, and online library. Most times student do value this platform, because of its more accessibility to their various courses.
The National Open University of Nigeria portal previously had an online test known as (I-Learn). This platform known as (I-Learn) has been of good help to the students, in order to read their books and download some tutor mark assessment materials.
iii. Improve Information Sharing
Sharing of information through online e-learning system has been a multi-purpose and strategy for student to have a standard impact to their studies. In fact this methodology has been the best for students, both in the aspect of distance-learning and nearby centres. This pattern has innovated a style that grants the students a free access to share and save their leisure time in reading their books online.
This e-learning system has also helped the students to profound and understand the importance of reading mostly online.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The scope of this study covers the E-learning as a whole, and its flexibility for students and society to read online.
- Online video tutorial
- Online student conversation
iii. Online tutors assignment
1.7 Limitation of the Study
This project was constrained by the following factors:
(a) Financial Constraints
Bearing in mind the economic situation of the nation, it was found difficult in making both ends meet, because of the exorbitant nature of things nowadays in travelling for the collection of data needed for the project.
(b) Time Constraints
Looking at the interval between the resumption and vacation of the final semester for the project to be completed, the time given seemed to be short for the collection of required information for better work to be done.
(c) Non-Availability of Material
During this project, it was noticed that the required materials needed for the project are not documented. Those that were documented lacked storage facilities where they can be reached.
1.8 Definition of terms
- Internet:This is the process by which information or data can be transferred from one computer network to another through the communication of internet protocol known as (ip).
ii.Storage: Information gathering can be easily stored on the hard-drive for easy surfing of documented files more especially for future use. E.g. (Video tutorial, Tutors mark assignment, etc.).
iii. Portability: this platform (E-Learning Management System) is been organize in a way that will benefit the student and as well the society, more especially whenever the fill like surfing the internet for more educative instruction.
- Broad Access:this expresses the evolution of transporting information through an online video tutorial, voice recommendation, and online library. Most times student do value this platform, because of its more accessibility to their various courses and video tutorials.