Application of ICT in Classrooms in Rural Area

This survey aims at placing the jobs faced by school in Jada local Government Area ( LGA ) . The quality of instruction in schools in the rural country is less compared to the quality of instruction in the urban centres. A study and an interview were conducted in order to, place what the jobs are. From the consequences, the undermentioned jobs were identified ; deficiency of substructure, low quality of instruction, unqualified instructors and deficiency of financess to keep the school. As consequences of these jobs the pupils in such schools are neglecting there external scrutinies therefore they do n't acquire admittances into universities conveying a halt to their instruction. This paper suggests the execution of information and communicating engineering ( ICT ) to work out the jobs faced by the School in Jada with the aid of the authorities and private organisations. Introduction Education is a really of import facet in the development of a state. An educated person can carry through so much for himself and his state. Education empowers people to follow their dreams, to do alterations in their lives and the lives of others. In an article published in Onlinenigeria the missionaries foremost introduced instruction to Nigeria in the fiftiess. The first instruction section established was in the southern Nigeria in the twelvemonth 1887 ( Education, 2010 ) . Ibadin a professor in University of Benin mentioned that â€Å" between 1960 and 1998, primary and secondary school registration increased from 2,912,619 to 17,942,000 or 516 per centum rate addition † ( 2010, p.87 ) . This shows the fast turning figure of educational institutes in Nigeria. Both rural and urban countries have turning Numberss of educational institute. Despite the addition, the educational position in rural countries is much less compared to that in urban centres, it is just to state tha t instruction in rural countries have non yet run into the needed educational criterion. For illustration, the quality of instruction in urban topographic points like Jimeta in Adamawa province is more than that of rural topographic points like Jada Local Government Area. The public presentation of school in Nigeria is measured by how good they do in external scrutinies. Schools in Jimeta are executing much more than schools in Jada. The schools in the rural countries have unqualified instructors. Furthermore, the authorities merely concentrates on the urban countries while pretermiting the rural countries. Because of this carelessness, the rural schools do non hold the necessary substructure in making a good acquisition and healthy environment. The execution of information engineering would assist in developing the educational criterion in rural countries. Methodology The range of this research was based on Jada Local Government Area and Jimeta in Adamawa province. The methods used in garnering information were, interviews, studies and internet research. Thirty people answered the study, 15 from Jimeta and 15 from Jada Local Government Area. Two people were interviewed ; the local authorities president of Jada and a instructor from Jada secondary school. Consequences of Findingss The study was in two subdivisions. The first subdivision focused on the condition/state of the school, while the other subdivision focused on how many people have entree to computing machine and in what ways has the computing machine affected them. Most of the people in Jimeta agreed with the fact that there are good qualified instructors and the acquisition environment is a healthy 1. The entire antonym was the consequence in Jada, from the study it showed that the schools in Jada local Government do non hold adequate tabular arraies and chairs, text editions are out dated and they lack other learning stuffs. From the consequence above it did non come as a daze that merely 5 per centum of the people who took the study knew what a computing machine was. In add-on, from that 5 per centum none of them own or have used a computing machine before. They have no thought, that the usage of computing machine can help them to be more efficient in their work. The contrary was the instance for the people surveyed in Jimeta ; 85 per centum have used a computing machine before and 60 per centum have entree to a computing machine. From the 60 per centum that have entree to the computing machine all agreed that it has made their work less feverish and it has besides made them more efficient. In an Interview with the Chairman of Jada ; Alhaji Usman Bamanga mentioned that the ratio of instructors to pupils is 1 to 70, which is really bad. In add-on to that, he besides stated that the instructors are largely unqualified. The Chairman besides stated that most of the times you would happen pupils seated on the floor because there are no tabular arraies and chairs in the schoolrooms. Furthermore, some of the text editions available are outdated and the instructors are the lone people who have entree to them. When asked if there are any computing machines available in the school, the president said â€Å" In a topographic point where there are no chairs for the pupils to sit on, do you anticipate them to hold computing machines. The merely available computing machine in this topographic point is in my office. † Harmonizing to the president, the ground why the school is in a really bad status is because the authorities do non supply plenty support to instruction in rural countries. The sum of money provided by the authorities merely helps pay the wages of the instructors and the school can non afford to purchase other larning stuffs needed for learning. In add-on, the sum paid by the pupils for their tuition fees is really undistinguished compared to the financess need to upgrade the criterion of the school. Interview with the instructor ; a instructor from the school was picked because he would cognize more about the jobs traveling on in the school. One of his major concerns among few others was, the pupils do non like coming to school and that the parents are non making anything about the state of affairs. In add-on, even if they are in school the pupil happen it difficult to concentrate in category because of the conditions of the schoolroom. The instructors besides complained that the figure of pupils in the category, he pointed out that he can non separate the chopper pupils and those that need excess attending. Those that needed the excess attending would stop up non larning anything at the terminal of the session. He besides complained that most of the clip the school does non supply them with larning stuff. For illustration, sometimes the instructors use their ain money to purchase chalks and other composing stuffs in order to learn their category while in some state of affairs w hen the instructors do non purchase the stuffs larning does non happen. Problems Faced by Classrooms in Jada Local Government Area From the study and interviews conducted, it is clear that schools in the rural country are confronting so many jobs. These jobs are: Low figure of schools in the country ; as motioned above, there is merely one school in Jada available to the population of 1000 pupils in the country. Because of that, the categories are overcrowded doing it impossible for the instructor to command the pupils. If there are excessively many people in a room with hapless hygiene, this makes it easier for the spread of diseases. In add-on, in a category where there are about 70 people in a room, would do it easier for the spread of diseases. In an article published by the World Resources Institute it stated that â€Å" Overcrowding and insanitary family conditions favor the transmittal of the disease, which is spread by droplets from a cough or a sneezing or common custodies ( Airborne, 1999, P. 4 ) . † Furthermore, excessively many pupils to a instructor, causes larning to be limited to little figure of pupils. The higher the figure of pupils in a category the more hard it would be for the instructor to command the category. With a crowded schoolroom, it would be hard for the pupils to be attentive. The crowd would besides increase noise doing deflecting other pupils ready to larn. Another, job faced by this school is the quality of instruction given to them. Most of the instructors in the school are unqualified ; they can non be accepted by other urban school so they come to the rural countries where they have no pick but to use them. The rural schools such as the one in Jada have no pick because they do non hold the money to pay for qualified instructors. The deficiency of qualified instructors has affected the public presentation of the school in external scrutinies such as Western African Examinations Council ( WAEC ) , and the National Examinations Council ( NECO ) . Supporting this statement is Vincent.O.Ibadin saying that aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦the ultimate quality of instruction is determined by the instructor, as he transmits the value of instruction to the pupil. In line with this, Merton ( 1957 ) in a paper titled â€Å" The Self Fulfilling Prophecy † , pointed out that, â€Å" a instructor ‘s outlook can and does rather literally affect a pupil ‘s academic public presentation. † Similarly, Aghenta ( 1998:44 ) emphasized that, â€Å" what the instructor does and how he does it are of import in the finding of quality of instruction. The instructor is every bit of import in the finding of measure of instruction. † Hence, possibly the National Policy on Education ( FGN, 2004:39 ) . ( 2010, p.89 ) The quotation mark above shows how the making of a instructor has a batch to make with the public presentation of their pupils. As a consequence of unqualified instructors, the pupils do highly hapless in external scrutinies, and because of their public presentation, they do n't acquire admittances into third establishments. The pupils therefore end up remaining at place making what their grandparents have been making, taking them back to where they started. This discourages the parent from seting their kids into schools and it encourages the figure of dropouts in schools. They feel that instruction is a waste of clip ; they instead send their kids to work and lend to the household income. In add-on to all the jobs, the school does non acquire adequate money to run the schools. The environment in which the pupils survey is really bad, the school does non hold adequate money to purchase up-to-date text editions and other substructures such as tabular arraies. How ICT Can Help Solve the Problem. The execution of computing machines and the proviso of cyberspace installation would assist work out some of the jobs faced by Jada secondary school. The job of outdate information and text edition: With computing machines and the cyberspace, the instructors and pupils can hold entree to information they need. The demand to purchase a text edition is non necessary. There are so many e-books, e-libraries and so much more out at that place that are free and unfastened for the populace to utilize. Distraction doing larning to be limited to few Numberss of pupils: The computing machine can assist pull the attending of the pupils. For illustration, in a category where there are three people to a computing machine, their attending would be on what is on the computing machine, ( the computing machine here is like a mini instructor to them ) . The computing machine provides a fun manner of acquisition, through educational games and multimedia, this makes the pupils to be excited and willing to larn more. The article Computers in the Classroom: How Information Technology can Better Conversation Education, it acknowledged that â€Å" It is possible to do a talk more piquant and entertaining by utilizing the presentation tools available to us with computing machines and associated package ( 2003, P. 2 ) . † Unqualified instructors: The instructors can foster their instruction by inscribing in universities that offer on-line grades. They can besides educate themselves with resources out at that place and happen out what is new and learning techniques that would assist them in their instruction. Problem of pupils dropping out: When ICT is implemented in the school it would function as a incentive for larning to the pupils. The pupils would be willing to come to school and larn about what is go oning in the universe. Implementing ICT can assist upgrade their external scrutiny consequences, which would acquire them admittance into the university. This would in bend encourage parent to set their kids in school, because they can now see advancement. Quality of instruction: To sum up how information and communicating engineering can work out the jobs of Jada secondary school, it would in the procedure addition the quality of instruction of the school. Harmonizing to the curate of instruction he stated that vitamin E acquisition could assist work out, the job the state ‘s instruction is confronting ( Sam ) . Government Roles in Solving the Problems For the job of unqualified instructors, authorities policies should be implemented to guarantee that merely qualified staffs are employed to learn. In add-on, those instructors that are already in the school system should travel back to school to foster their instruction to the criterion required. Government can besides put a policy to turn to the issue of overcrowding. A policy can be created that states â€Å" A instructor should hold non more than 40 pupils in a schoolroom. † When the execution of these policies is successful, it would turn to the issues of overcrowding and unqualified instructors learning in rural schools. The last and the most of import job is the issue of money, which generated most of the jobs. As identified by the president of Jada Local Government, the fund given by the authorities does non supply the basic demands needed to run the school. The authorities should concentrate on instruction in the rural countries as they do the urban countries. The authorities can non be the lone beginning of financess for the school ; there are other private persons and organisations that are willing to supply the aid. An illustration of a non-profit organisation aimed at assisting schools in Nigeria is â€Å" SchoolNet Nigeria is a non-profit administration created to turn to the usage of ICT in Nigerian secondary schools with the support of several authorities ministries. ( Agyeman, 2007, p.6 ) † Decision In decision, when ICT is implemented in Jada secondary school it would upgrade the criterion of instruction in that country. The alterations would non merely be limited to the school and its pupils but to the hereafter of Jada Local Government Area. The pupils would come out with consequences that would take them to any university in the state and compete with other schools in the urban countries. The kids Jada Local Area would hold control of what they want to be in the hereafter. As instruction makes you who are and what you ne'er believing you can go. If this is excessively be successful in every rural country in Nigeria so the jobs of Nigeria are solved Application of Ict in Classrooms in Rural Area This project is focused in implementing ICT in rural area, and the case study is on fufore local government in Yola. As we all know rural areas in Nigeria lack quality and basic education, when you talk about education in rural area what comes to our head is low standard of learning, poor education, not well equipped class rooms for student’s education or lack of proper infrastructure suitable for education. An article defined rural education as: There is little dispute that basic education1—often characterized as the reading, math, and other skills and knowledge taught in the first four years of primary school—is critical to economic and social development. Without basic skills, according to one definition, a person cannot comprehend the instructions on a bottle of medicine or a bag of fertilizer or read a government notice. Neither can the person compute a bill or write a letter. Without basic skills, it is impossible to develop one’s potential or to contribute in anything more than a rudimentary manner to society (Greaney, 1999). (Moulton, 2001) Fufore Local Government is settled area in the southern part of Adamawa with five major languages known as Fulani (largest), Bata, Verre, Laka and Pere, it consist of 1500 people that live there, most of them engage in cattle rearing, poultry, farming etc. When i went to observe these schools i noticed there were at least 300 children that went to both nursery and secondary schools, but the problem is they lack facilities that will make these students feel they are learning which makes some students even drop out of schools and start engaging in house work activities. This project focuses on schools in fufore that need ICT services to improve student’s knowledge and ability to learn in order for these schools to have equal education as the students in urban schools, if students in the rural area are not given equal education as students in the urban area there is a result of inequality. Unequal tools in an unequal environment create unequal results† (Ukpe, 2010). Implementation/ Application of ICT in class rooms in rural area is going to benefit the society as a whole, and both the teachers and students. It goes a long way to help the society, because when students start using ICT in classrooms some of their friends at home will also find it interesting this will make them also want to start schooling and know what school is about. This study will also be used as a case study to many parts of rural areas in Nigeria, making them aware of how value ICT is in our generation and also making these local students to fit into any schools they find themselves in in urban schools because this implementation of ICT will not only make these students concentrate on just computer and information studies they will also learn how to apply the knowledge in their various courses. Methodology In order to have reasons for the implementation of ICT in classrooms, i will have to compare this primary/secondary schools in rural area with the once in urban. The methods i used are personal observation, interview and online research (internet). We can see most urban schools have well functioned classrooms with well equipped IT services such as using projectors in class rooms, computers, wireless LANs, File management using databases. In order to convince these organisations we have to state the reasons why we think ICT is important for these locals in rural area. Just looking at an example of an urban schools such as Abti Academy in Yola, Capital science in kuje, El-Amin International school in Minna; we can see they all have what it takes for them to have a well knowledge of what IT is all about, they do class interactions, they submit their works in timely manner especially the senior students, it broadens their minds which they can relate to other courses and apply them when necessary, The students have full access to the lab to do research, take courses in computer education, type documents and gather information on relevant topics for their coursework and from every observation i noticed that schools in the urban area have high rankings in their external and internal exams such as mock exams, WEAC exams . In order to know what is really the problem of these schools towards their lack of ICT knowledge an interview was taken with most principals in these rural schools shown below. 1. Do you know what a computer is? 2. Do you intend to learn how to use it and do you intend to teach these students if you have the chance to? 3. Do you own a computer? And do you know how to surf on the internet with it? 4. What do you think about implementing ICT in classrooms? 5. How do you think it will affect the students? Interview Summary: Results The interview was conducted with three different principals of three different areas in fufore, but all their answers were closely the same. They stated they’ve had an experience using a computer, that it would be great to have such an opportunity to use computers and other IT services in their schools, it will surely help the students and enlighten them about what the world is all about now. They stated that they’ve all being provided by the school with just one computer and an internet connection, and in a rural place like fufore I believe there is a limited amount of power supply which makes it even more difficult to use this computer by anyone. They stated students in their area are in need of ICT in classrooms in order to making teaching easier for both the teachers and students, they also have a problem with their teachers who don’t acquire computer skills, it will be difficult for them to teach and guide these students through. ICT will greatly affect and have a positive influence on these students, they will have an opportunity to be going for national competitions because these services will not only improve them in one area, they will also have the ability to speak proper and fluent English, they can also learn how to type by doing their course works on their computers and doing research on the internet which will even help the senior students in history classes. They also mentioned that students in this area are always willing to learn, so it won’t be a problem for them to get used to it. Development and Implementation of ICT in class rooms in rural area: Fufore LGA Through ICT in rural schools it will expand the access to student’s education, now that technology is one of the things that help us develop in this world. So we have to make the rural schools aware of that which will greatly affect both the students and their lectures, it will also make them aware of what is happening in our world today (News) by browsing on the internet, also help them improve interactions in terms of video conferencing and distance learning; through video conferencing it will enable to share ideas and know about other courses that are not offered in the school. ICT is an extensively strong technology for extending and expanding educational opportunities in formal and informal ways, in this case rural schools. ICT is a technological development that reflects the new society and has its place within education. However, as with many new initiatives, ICT obviously has its problems that over time will be addressed. Meantime, ICT should continue to be promoted to assist with education and learning. I will heartedly agree with anyone who states that ICT is a valuable tool for both teaching and learning – speaking as someone who got the last lessons plan for my teaching from the Internet- but I can’t help feeling that the emphasis on the use of ICT detracts from other current ‘sexy’ education issue – socialisation. I believe that developing teachers’ social and counselling technique is a greater priority than their ICT skill (Sime & Mark, 2005). Access to remote learning resources: when this implementation is done, with the use of internet, teachers and students will no longer have to depend on textbooks for learning or even buy them due to how expensive they can be, they teachers can just find textbooks on the net and direct the students to access them too. With the use of Internet services you will find a means of learning materials or tools in almost every subject and can be accessed every day at anytime and also by unlimited number of people that can use it. This is significant for many schools in developing countries. Students will have control towards self learning: For example, teachers can just give a research paper as an assessment for the students, during that research they also learn a lot through searching and browsing different articles. This also broadens their minds to also think fast, observe the situation of the research, allowing their minds to take over and have control of what they are doing and also making their own opinions and what they think. Motivation to learn: the use of multimedia computer software that include sound effects, pictures can be used in learning process for people in rural areas, also as interactive radios and other performance. This will motivate the locals to learn because it’s new to them and then i believe that some locals tend to understand pictures or graphics rather than reading them that way they understand better. Use of modern teaching tools: in rural areas they still have an old way of teaching their students; some don’t even have notebooks, or other writing materials. Through ICT, students can learn how to manage their files on computers rather than writing notes in their notebooks, also teachers have PowerPoint to present to the class by that they can just write short notes on what the teacher is talking about. In order to improve the school from my own point of view it needs these requirements for students to have a basic idea of ICT is about. 1. Provision of hardware resources for internet connectivity such as WAN, LAN, MAN. 2. Software packages for learning or academic related CDs which they can install in their computers to improve self learning. 3.  Television for the nursery school students because children in nursery school learn faster with images rather than using books, and Projectors for the primary and secondary students. 4. A well functional and equipped computer that contains at least 15 computers. 5. Power supply via solar energy, because electricity isn’t that reliable and effective in rural areas, and besides this implementation is based in fufore which is always sunny every day. So solar would be a good source of electricity. These implementations can be done with the help of private organisations and even the government, we all know nothing is free; these organisations can get profit out of this successful implementation and project. They will keep implementing ICT and improving other schools in this area. Since i noted that not all teachers have enough computer skills to handle the students learning or to control these equipments, the organisations also have to supply the schools with well trained teachers/experts to show them how to take care of things just for some time. This is an expensive and vital project due to many resources that are needed, power supply because without power supply these resources are just going to end up being there without no one using it and also this is the future of our children to enlightened them and making them have a knowledge of IT, making them have the same and equal education the urban schools are having so they won’t feel left out. After these resources have been implemented and are already in use, in observation we are going to experience and expect these changes in the schools: †¢ The students should have the ability to think as fast and be smart like the students in urban schools and also their results will likely match up. †¢ An increase in the students that will enrol in schools because most students in rural areas don’t really care about education, some are drop outs and with a new system it will motivate them to also learn like their friends. †¢ Will be able to compete in national competitions with other schools. †¢ Know how to use these ICT services provided to them and also apply them when necessary Conclusion From all observations we can see how value education is and rural education cannot be compared to the urban because they have more experience in ICT than the locals have. ICT in class rooms has a lot of advantages and benefits to our daily life now, makes students acquire skills, skills that will take them to the next level, skills that will improve their way of thinking and will also change their lives because after school they can go to these urban areas and get a good job instead of staying in their area and doing the basic occupation such as farming. Technology is part of our world now and its used in our daily activities, with the aid ICT in class rooms they will have access to distance learning which will enhance their learning skills and ability, not only within the class room but globally or worldwide. In order for these students to be equal with students from other developed schools, they need to be given a chance; they need to be given the opportunities that are being given to the more fortunate schools/students. Nigerian Government, private organisations and private sources have to come together to make this possible for our generation and also to help the nation.