Evaluation of Information Communication Technology Competencies for Learning amongst Undergraduate Students' in Kenyan Public Universities

Abstract

Public universities have invested in Information Communication Technology (ICT) to equip students with the digital skills to enable them to easily access information and support them in the learning process. As such, universities have introduced an ICT introductory course to equip them with the necessary skills to fit in the ICT environment of learning. Unfortunately, there is a huge gap on the expected and actual use of ICTs in learning. Therefore, it is necessary to establish the student’s competency levels in ICT, their ability to use ICT in teaching and learning and explore the challenges they face in the use of ICTs. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. It targeted third year undergraduate students who have been in the university long enough to have interacted with ICTs frequently. The study used a questionnaire that had both open and close ended questions. A sample size of 55 students undertaking a Bachelor’s Degree in Education in a population of 218 students was identified. The findings indicated that although students undertook a course in Introduction to Computer Applications and appreciated its use in learning, they were not competent enough to make good use of ICTs. The study indicated that students faced challenges such as high internet costs, unreliable internet connectivity, limited technical knowledge and lack of computers among others. The study recommends that universities can partner with internet service providers to enable students to access internet services and acquire personal computers at affordable rates.