ICT Equipment Ownership and Utilization among Postgraduate Students: A Study of University of Agriculture

Abstract

Students' ICT capability in terms of ownership and utilisation, especially at the tertiary level of education is crucial to the effective delivery of teaching and learning. This study focused on ICT equipment ownership and utilisation among postgraduate students in an university. Survey method was adopted as the research design for this study. Questionnaires were designed and used as survey instruments. The population for this study were drawn from the postgraduate students of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB). The population was made up of 200 postgraduate students selected from the sampled institution for this study. Two hundred (200) copies of questionnaires were distributed among the respondents for the study and one hundred and ninety six (196) were returned. All the returned questionnaires were found usable. This study finds that ICT ownership and utilisation is high among the postgraduate students of FUNAAB. Majority of the respondents were also found to use ICT for various purposes such as word processing, course assignments, research works, project and term paper writing. Lack of fund and ICT illiteracy militate against ICT equipment ownership and utilisation among the PG students of FUNAAB. Based on the findings of this study, the authors concluded that ICT equipment ownership makes ICT utilization easier, ICT equipment ownership and utilization increase ICT skills while ICT equipment ownership and utilization also have direct positive effect on postgraduate students' academic activities and performance.