Universities are gradually evolving, moving from the purely traditional system to the modern technologically induced system. The speed of this technology-driven state of universities worldwide is unprecedented. This makes it imperative for newcomers who are not up to speed with information and communication technology (ICT) skills to catch up in a relatively short period of time. Therefore, an immediate orientation course in ICT aimed at developing students’ competencies to cope with the technologically charged university environment must be a prerogative of universities. This would help to stimulate teaching and learning activities in universities while maximizing the expected change in behavior of learners after their university education.
Studying at universities is now technically streamlined. The teaching and learning materials are now available in electronic form. These e-resources must be downloaded by the students from specific websites specified by the lecturer.
Sometimes, due to geo-restrictions due to emergency workshops, conferences, and meetings, some faculty hold virtual classes online with their students. In addition, numerous tasks require extensive research in online databases. These assignments are usually submitted electronically to the e-mail address of the lecturer or uploaded to a virtual platform created by the lecturer or the institution. So, if a student has poor ICT skills, how can he/she cope with this university environment driven by technology?
Some may argue that senior high school-level students had to take ICT classes to cushion them for technology-infused higher education. It may be true that the majority of high school level students have not been privileged to have this opportunity due to many challenges. This may be due to the lack of technological equipment as well as a lack of qualified instructors on site to better handle teaching. This group of students in most local communities and some urban centers is therefore highly technologically deficient. When they find their way to the universities, they encounter a completely unfriendly environment full of technology that they have to get used to quickly. Fast learners are able to pick up these ICT skills quickly from friends who have had the privilege of a technological education, while slow and timid students end up throwing in the towel and pursuing a university education.
Others experience the first onslaught of unfair grading as the primary by-product of their lack of technological skills. Unfortunately, these “snails-to-technology” students are ridiculed by their peers and some tech-savvy faculty. This is experienced a lot when group assignments and presentations are to be carried out on virtual platforms. Demoralized students typically fall victim to absenteeism from technology-only lectures. This gap between technically gifted and technically gifted students needs to be bridged.
An immediate remedy would be to organize ICT classes tailored to the needs and expectations of students at the university. This short course or orientation course must be completed in the first week of admission to the course. It can even be scheduled as part of the orientation sessions that are usually announced at virtually all universities worldwide. This training, which aims to equip new entrants with basic ICT skills, would help them cope and thrive in their new found technologically induced environment.
Tertiary institutions must make it a priority to organize these ICT classes as the traditional face of universities is rapidly being transformed into a technology-induced state. This great achievement would help strengthen academic work in universities while stopping the scourge of truancy on the part of students due to lack of technological skills.
Thanks to Dickson Adom | #Immediately #Arrest #Technological #Skills #Deficiency #University #Entrants
