HILLA LIMANN TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF APPLIED SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION AND COMMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

WA

GHANA

Iddrisu Bamie Mubashir-Ahmed

ICT Department

School of Applied Sciences and Technology

Research Proposal:

An Evaluation of the Level of Integration of ELearning Resources in some Ghanaian Technical

Universities

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 2021```

INTRODUCTION

Background to the study

The demand for a well-educated workforce has driven many countries to rethink their

education systems. An education system has to be suited to the demands of the technological age

so that a competitive edge can be maintained. Such demand for a technology savvy workforce is
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reflected in Alvin Toffler’s declaration (in Rosenberg, 2001: 3), that “the illiterate of the 21

century will not be those, who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and

relearn.” An ancient proverb says: “if we don’t change our direction, we’ll end up exactly where

we are headed” (in Rosenberg 2001: 41).

The world today is in a rapid technological advancement which is evidenced by the

use of modern Information, Communication Technology (ICT). Kennedy & McNaught,

(1997) indicated that ICT is a force that has changed many aspects of the way we live. Many

developed countries, including United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada,

France, Japan and Germany among others, have over the years, used ICT to transform their

economies.

Adogbeji and Akporhonor (2005) stated that ICT has played such a significant role in the

world that there is hardly a field of activity in life where it is not evident. Goh Chok Tong of

Singapore as cited by Lenis (2004) underscores the importance of ICT to the development

and transformation of economies by indicating that the future belongs to countries who make

the most productive use of Information and Communication Technologies. Tong further

added that a country’s natural resource alone was no longer a determining factor in the

country’s development (Lenis 2004). Speaking in 2004 in Dublin, Ireland, Kofi Annan, former

United Nations Secretary-General, indicated bridging the digital divide requires matching the

powerful new tools for development with the people who need them most and that while education

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unlocked the door to development, increasingly it was information technologies that could unlock

the door to education (Shinde 2005).

ICT is a potentially powerful tool for extending both formal and non-formal

educational opportunities to learners. Moore & Kearsley, (2005) stated that students are

starting to appreciate the capability to undertake education anywhere, anytime and anyplace.

Advocates of Technology have made several claims regarding the potential benefits of

information technology in education. Oliver & Towers (2000) indicated that ICT have the

capacity to provide support for customized educational programmes to meet the needs of

individual learners. Means (1994) classified the uses of Information Technology (IT) in

education into four broad categories: it can tutor; it can explore; be applied as tools and it can

communicate.

IT is used as a tutor when it does the teaching directly, typically in a lecture-like or

workbook-like manner. Tutorial use includes expository learning, in which the technological

system provides information. It also includes demonstration, in which the system displays a

procedure and practice, which requires the student to solve problems, answer questions, or

execute a procedure.

IT is used to explore, when it allows teachers and students to move through

information or obtain demonstrations upon request. Through the discovery or guided

discovery that accompanies the exploration, the student can learn facts, concepts, procedures,

and strategies as he or she interacts with the system.

IT applied as tools for teaching and learning provide students with the same kinds of

tools generally found in the workplace or the home. These technologies, unlike technologies

that tutor and explore, are not designed explicitly for school use, but can be put to

educational purposes. Examples include word processing and spreadsheet software, video

cameras, and video editing equipment.

As students and teachers gain access to higher bandwidths, more direct forms of

communication and access to sharable resources, the capability to support these quality

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learning settings will continue to grow. Oliver & Towers (2000) also indicates that ICT will

continue to drive these forms of learning further. ICT as an educational tool is enhanced by its

ability to make information individualized, interactive and asynchronous. The application of ICT

in education is perceived as a means for transforming the teaching and learning processes, and has

thus been met with significant enthusiasm. Hakkarainen et al (2000) as cited by Mfum-Mensah

(2003) pointed out that ICT is a transformative tool and its full integration into the school systems

is necessary to prepare students for the information society they will inherit.

The Internet and its associated applications, offers numerous advantages over more

traditional mechanisms for information dissemination and knowledge development. It is fast; it

allows for interactivity; it is independent of time and geography and offers almost unlimited

amount of information on almost any subject. Young, (2002) submitted that through online

technologies learning has become an activity that is no longer set within programmed

schedules and slots. Learners are free to participate in learning activities when time permits

and this freedom has greatly increased the opportunities for many students to participate in

formal education programmes.

The wide varieties of technologies that support learning are able to provide

synchronous and asynchronous supports for learning. Universities and other educational

institutions are, therefore, expected to equip students with skills relevant to meet these demands.

Administrators of universities have invested in computer technology and the Internet facilities

with the hope that easy accessibility of such technologies will prompt faculty members to not only

use the technologies, but also integrate them into their teaching.

According to Reeves & Jonassen (1996), the influence of technology on supporting

how students learn will continue to increase. The emergence of Internet as a learning

technology has coincided with a growing awareness and recognition of alternative ways for

learning. According to Galagan, (2002: p76), “classrooms could not possibly work today, but

centuries ago, they made sense: one literate person reading to the illiterate from what might have

been the town’s only book, but technology and times have changed”. The advantages that

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technology provides to training and learning include not only the possibility of one-on-one

interaction for every learner but the ability to simulate new ideas, the chance to try things out at

one’s own pace and to fail in private without the fear of ridicule from other students (Galagan,

2002). The Internet has also become an important instructional tool to facilitate the transfer of

many types of information from one computer to another. It is rapidly becoming an effective

means of communication in schools and colleges. Internet-based instruction has been modeled in

the form of one-to-one (tutor-to-student), one-to-many (tutor-to-group) and many-to-many (group-

to-group). Internet availability is providing ability to overcome traditional constraints to getting

essential knowledge out to those who need it most.

The growth of the Internet has changed learning methods. The recent advent of eLearning

technology has made training, teaching and learning on the Internet more feasible. ELearning is

arguably one of the most important ICT applications for facilitating teaching and learning to

geographically dispersed learners. According to Rosenberg, (2001: xv), “the biggest growth in the

Internet, and the area that will prove to be one of the biggest agents of change, will be in

eLearning.” In recent years, many have claimed that eLearning is the right answer to training and

learning needs. ELearning has been described as the “new frontier”, “a paradigm shift in the way

education is viewed and delivered”, a “new vision of learning”, and the most efficient and

effective method for rapidly distributing knowledge (ASTD, 2001 pg 2). This indicates that

learning institutions will have to constantly change and adapt to their environments if they are not

to lag behind.

Statement of the problem

According to Anderson & Kanuka (2003), the use of technology in education is growing

in all parts of the world. Bates (2000) argued that higher education institutions have to develop

strategies for integrating eLearning in their education delivery and support processes. Like in most

developing countries, the use of ICT and the implementation of eLearning in Ghana are still in an

early stage. It has been observed that Ghanaian Technical Universities, such as the Hilla Liman

technical University of Wa, Technical University of Bolga, Technical university of Tamale, etc

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have the basic ICT infrastructure (such as computers, Internet access, and local/wide area

networks).

With the availability of the basic ICT infrastructure in these institutions, it is expected

that these Universities would take a major role in modeling the adoption of eLearning for teaching

and learning. The reality on the ground does not seem that eLearning agenda has been seriously

pursued by the Technical Universities. It is not clear if such efforts have resulted in a

corresponding adoption and utilization of eLearning. Despite the numerous advantages that the

adoption and utilization of eLearning offer, Ghanaian Public Universities predominantly still use

the “traditional” model of education; which is based on face-to-face interaction. It appears that

eLearning adoption and utilization has been a neglected area in research study in Ghana. The

question that agitates the mind of many advocates of Technology is: what might have accounted

for this apparent lack of enthusiasm in the adoption and utilization of eLearning in Ghanaian

Technical Universities?

Purpose of the study

This study therefore attempts to evaluate the status of adoption and utilization of

eLearning in Ghanaian Public Universities. The goal is to use the information gathered to develop

strategies and actions that could be taken to overcome barriers identified and create awareness

among the stakeholders about the need to adopt and utilize eLearning in Ghanaian Universities.

Research questions

The following questions have been set to guide the study:

1. What ICT facilities (Hardware and software) are available for eLearning in Ghanaian

Technical Universities?

2. What is the level of funding for eLearning in Ghanaian Technical Universities?

3. To what extent is eLearning being adopted and utilize in on-campus and distance

learning?

4. What is the level of readiness of learners to use eLearning platform?

5. What is the level of faculty members’ readiness to use eLearning platform

6. What provision has been put in place for quality assurance in eLearning?
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 7. To what extent do faculty members have the needed skills to use eLearning platform?

8. What are the attitudes of faculty members towards the adoption and utilization of

eLearning in the public Universities of Ghana?

9. What are the faculty members’ perceptions of ICT skills that would make them

competent in the use of eLearning in the Universities?

10. What are the challenges that hinder the adoption and utilization of eLearning in Ghanaian

Technical Universities?

Hypothesis

1. There is no statistically significant difference in the level of eLearning adoption in the

Technical Universities of Ghana

2. There is no statistically significant difference among Technical Ghanaian Universities in

respect to funding eLearning projects

3. There is no statistically significant difference between on-campus and Distance Learning

in terms of eLearning adoption and utilization.

4. There is no statistically significant relationship between the level of training of faculty

members in ICT and their competence in using eLearning platform

5. Perceptions of ease of use is positively associated with the learner’s’ readiness to use

eLearning platform

6. A perception of ease of use is positively associated with the faculty members’ readiness

to use eLearning platform.

7. Quality assurance policies in the Ghanaian Technical Universities predict the degree to

which a University is willing to adopt eLearning

8. The existing level of staff proficiency in technology and e-learning determine the degree

to which a Technical University is able and willing to adopt eLearning

9. Faculties with higher ICT competency show greater eLearning adoption rate in their

profession.

10. Faculty interest in eLearning predicts eLearning adoption and utilization in the Technical

Universities.
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 11. The Technical v Universities’ academic needs influence the decision to adopt eLearning

12. Presence of basic technological infrastructure in the Universities is a key determinant of

eLearning adoption

13. Learning style, ICT skill level and access to ICT facilities by learners influence the

decision to adopt eLearning

Significance of the Study

While the study on adoption and utilization of eLearning in education is common in

developed countries, same is almost unknown in developing countries. In Ghana, studies on

eLearning are apparently non-existent. This study will clearly identify, examine and address the

barriers to the adoption and utilization of eLearning in Ghana.

The result of this study would provide information on the relative importance of

eLearning which can be used by Ghanaian Universities and other educational enterprises, donors,

NGOs and governments to strategize their eLearning agenda.

The results of this study will also serve as a valuable baseline study on the status of

adoption and utilization of eLearning in Ghanaian Technical Universities so that growth or

decline of eLearning can be tracked in Ghanaian Universities.

Delimitations

The parameter of this study is to evaluate the level of the adoption and utilization of

eLearning in four public Universities of Ghana. The study is not interested in looking at ICT

integration in teaching and learning in general.

Limitations

ELearning in the context of Universities is a broad concept. This implies that time, adequate

funding and other logistics are needed to effectively conduct a comprehensive study to cover all

the public and private Universities in Ghana. The study is limited to only the ten Technical

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Universities in Ghana. Indeed, the conclusion drawn from the findings may not wholly represent

the level of adoption and utilization of eLearning in the traditional universities in Ghana.

Preliminary Definition of Terms

For the purpose of this study, the following concept requires operational definitions:

ELearning:

In this study, eLearning is referred to as the methods of learning that use electronic instructional

content delivered via the electronic media such as Internet, Intranet, audio/video, CD-ROMs and

interactive TV.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Learning from existing literature will enable the researcher build upon what has been done in the

area of eLearning adoption and utilization. This would help to further establish the need for the

present research.

The study will review relevant research and empirical studies including books, journals,

conference papers websites that are devoted to the discussion of the topics.

Roger’s theory of diffusion of innovations will be the theoretical framework for the

conduct of this study (Rogers 2003). Besides, literature would be reviewed under the following

thematic subheadings:

 Conceptual framework: eLearning

 The state of the ICT infrastructure in the Technical Universities of Ghana

 The use of ICT for eLearning in higher educational institutions

 Skills needed for the use of eLearning

 Learners’ attitude and perception towards adoption and utilization of eLearning

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  Faculties’ attitude and perception towards adoption and utilization of eLearning

 Faculties’ perception of ICT skills needed to utilize eLearning

 Challenges in the adoption of eLearning

 The role of eLearning security management system in adoption of eLearning

 ICT Training and development needs of University workers to use eLearning platform.

METHODOLOGY

This chapter describes the research design that would be employed for the study, the

population and sample from which data would be collected; instrument that would be used to

address the research questions and the hypothesis. The chapter would be concluded with data

collection procedure and data analysis.

Research Design

Gay and Airasian (2000) noted that the research design indicates the basic structure of a

study. This study would employ descriptive survey method utilizing mixed methodologies in

which both quantitative and qualitative methodologies would be used in data collection and

analysis. Descriptive research involves collecting data in order to test hypothesis or answer

research questions concerning the current status of the subject of the study (Gay 1981). According

to Fraenkel & Wallen (2000) descriptive survey seeks to find answers to questions through the

analysis of relationship between or among variables.

The selection of this research design is based on the fact that research questions and the

hypotheses driving this study require different data collection strategies. The use of mixed

research methodologies has additional advantage of triangulation of the study. Patton (2002)

suggests that an important way to strengthen a study design is through triangulation or the

combination of methodologies in the study of the same phenomenon. Tellis (1997) warned

researchers not to rely on a single informant, but rather seek the same data from a mix of all

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methods. This can mean using several kinds of methods of data collection including using both

qualitative and quantitative approaches. Katundu (1998) stated that the use of more than one data

gathering instrument-the triangulation method –is considered vital in an under-researched study.

The researcher needs to be opened to more than one way of looking at a phenomenon. ELearning

adoption and utilization is under-researched in Ghana. Triangulation has, therefore, become a

powerful tool to solve over reliance on a single data source.

There are difficulties involved in descriptive survey. According to (Fraenkel & Wallen

2000), descriptive designs are easily influenced by distortions through the introduction of biases to

measuring instrument. It also has an element of subjectivity since it is based on personal opinion

or judgments. These disadvantages, notwithstanding, descriptive survey is considered the most

appropriate for carrying out the study of eLearning adoption in Ghanaian Universities.

Population and sampling

The target population of this study would be the students, (on-campus), faculty (On-

campus) and administrators drawn from ten Technical Universities in Ghana which are

purposively selected. The Universities are the Accra Technical University, Koforidua Technical

University, Ho Technical University, Takoradi Technical University, Kumasi Technical

University, Sunyani technical University, Cape Coast Technical University, Bolga technical

University, Tamale Technical university and Wa Technical University. These Universities, which

would be the focus of the research study, are expected to have committed substantial resources

towards acquisition of ICT infrastructure in the delivery of their academic programmes. Again,

these Technical Universities adoption of eLearning ought to be of prime concern to them because

of the hands on training or demonstrations required in technical education. These Universities are

purposively selected because it is believed that any conclusion drawn on the bases of the data

collected would reflect the national profile of eLearning adoption and utilization in Ghana.

The accessible population would be 1240 respondents. Thus; in each of the four Public

Universities, 5 Deans of Faculty and 5 Administrators or Head of departments would be

purposively selected. Two hundred on-campus students as well as 50 faculty members would be

selected using stratified random sampling technique.

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 The stratified random sampling technique is intended to ensure that every student and

every faculty member of the Universities under studied would have an equal and calculable

opportunity of being selected for the study. This would improve the representativeness of the

sample by reducing sampling error. According to Asher (1995) Stratified sampling techniques is

said to be very reliable with a high degree of representativeness of results.

Instrumentation

The main instruments for the study would be a questionnaire and interview guide.

According to Leedy (1993), questionnaire is one of the best impersonal observation techniques

used for eliciting data. Respondents are more likely to respond honestly because of the inherent

anonymity.

The first instrument for the study would be a questionnaire labeled “ELearning

Perceptual Survey Questionnaire”. This would be used for collecting data from faculty and

students of the Universities chosen for the study. The questionnaire would elicit information on

their perception and attitude towards eLearning adoption, utilization and factors affecting its usage

in the Universities.

The researcher made questionnaire will be semi-structured, consisting of a mixture of

closed and open-ended questions. Questionnaire is favored by many people that do research

because it affords users an inexpensive and effective data collection tool that is structured and

manageable. Wilkinson & Birmingham (2003) outlined why many researchers use questionnaire

as follows: first, vast amounts of data can be collected with minimal effort. Second, once data has

been collected, the instrument can facilitate the identification of relationships among quantifiable

data. Third, respondents’ anonymity is easily protected as data can be collected without having to

identify respondents. Fourth, survey instruments can be used several times for different research

endeavors or with modifications. Fifth, once appropriately coded, they can facilitate extremely

quick analysis of data with minimal rates of error. Sixth, it is easy for the researcher to maintain

control over the direction of topic and issues for discussion. However, lack of personal contact

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with respondents might result in low response rates requiring the researcher to follow-up with

phone calls and letters thereby expending more resources than planned (Wilkinson &

Birmingham, 2003). Despite the fact that questionnaire does not provide an opportunity to collect

additional information through probing; it is known to provide a wider coverage. On the other

hand, the open-ended questions would help the researcher to determine the general feelings of the

respondents in respect of eLearning adoptions and utilization.

The second instrument would be an interview guide which would be labeled “ELearning

Status Interview Guide”. This is intended to be used during the interview session for Deans of

Faculty and Administrators.

The interview session would enable the researcher get in-depth information concerning particular

points identified in the survey which needs further probing. Thus in this study, the interview

method would be used to elaborate on data collected through the survey instrument and to provide

alternative data that could help shed more light in some cases.

According to Yin (2003) and Denzin (1984) interviews present a means for triangulation

to improve validity of results. Interviews have been used by researchers for a long time as a tool

for collecting detailed information concerning a topic or subject (Wilkinson & Birmingham,

2003). “Much of what we cannot observe for ourselves has been or is being observed by others;

the interview is the main road to multiple realities” (Stake, 1995, p. 64). According to Yates

(2004, p. 156), “Interview literally means to develop a shared perspective and understanding…

between two or more people”. In other words, the researcher and the participant develop a

common perceptive regarding the issue under discussion (Yates, 2004). Interest in understanding

lived experiences of other people and the meanings they attach to those experiences forms the

basis of in-depth interviews (Seidman, 2006). They enable the researcher to interact directly with

participants thereby providing new insights about the issue being researched (Russ-Eft & Preskill,

2001). The use of interviews in research can reflect the importance being attached to the research

(Wilkinson & Birmingham, 2003) because it is by far more resource-intensive as the researcher

has to elicit information from a single respondent at a time. This method, therefore, would provide

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a systematic and comprehensive data that would enable the researcher ascertain the true picture of

the status of eLearning in Ghanaian Public Universities.

Validity

To ensure the validity of the instruments, the questionnaire would be made available to

the researcher’s colleagues who have adequate knowledge in the validation of instruments and the

supervisors to review and comment on, with the view of establishing content and construct as well

as face validity. The areas of focus would be appropriateness and clarity of the questionnaire

items. The feedback received would help the researcher to delete items considered inappropriate.

Furthermore, biased, unclear and ambiguous items would be modified to reflect the research

questions and hypothesis they are intended to measure.s

Pilot Testing

To ascertain the reliability of the instrument, the researcher would conduct a pilot test of

the instruments on a sample of 20 students, 5 Lecturers, and 2 Deans of the Technical University

of of Wa, Tamale, Bolga. The researcher would personally administer the instruments to these

target groups. Self-administration of questionnaire according to Best (1970), has the advantage of

establishing rapport to explain to the purpose of the study to the respondents and explain the items

that may not be clear. It also facilitates consensus on reasonable time and date to come for the

answered questionnaire.

After a week, the same instrument would be administered again to the same set of

students and Lectures of UDS. The short duration of time would prevent intervening experiences

of the respondents. The reliability co-efficient would, therefore, be calculated using Cronbach

alpha.

Data collection procedure

To start with, an introduction letter would be sought from the researchers’ department.

Secondly, a preliminary contact would be made with the Registrars of the four Universities

targeted for the study. A copy of the letter from the researchers department would be given to

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them. The purpose and the significance of the study would be discussed with them. Permission

and support would be sought from them for the exercise.

The researcher would engage 4 Research Assistants to help in the administration of the

questionnaire to the respondents. The administration of the questionnaire is intended to last for 3

weeks. The first week would be used for the questionnaire distribution. The second week would be

dedicated to the retrieval of the questionnaire. As the Research Assistants are going round for the

questionnaire, the researcher would use the period to conduct the interview with the Deans of

Faculty and the Administrators personally.

Data analysis

According to Sarantakos (1998) the analysis of the data allows the researcher to organize

data collected during the study in order to assess and evaluate the findings and arrive at some

valid, reasonable and relevant conclusion. In this study, data collected would be represented in

descriptive and inferential manner. The data would be analyzed using the Statistical Package for

Social Sciences (SPSS v17).

An overview of the open-ended responses that express similar thought on an issue would

be brought together. According to De Vaus (1991) open-ended questions often produce multiple

responses that require the creation of several variables to capture the responses. It is, therefore,

best to construct a number of variables into which responses can be sorted and coded. A multiple

responses approach would be used for coding the open-ended items.

In the case of the data that would be collected through the interview session, the

responses would be transcribed and patterns observed would be categorized to reflect the research

questions and hypothesis. The descriptive analysis would involve presenting the information in the

form of cross-tabulations. This would be used to answer all the research questions.

In order to empirically test the differences among the Universities used for this study, the

mean and standard deviations of the variables would be calculated. A one-way Analysis of

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Variance (ANOVA) would be conducted on hypothesis 1 and 2 to find out if the differences are

statistically significant. To determine exactly where the statistically significant differences exist,

the researcher would follow the ANOVA test with a Tukey’s HSD post hoc test multiple

comparisons.

In the same vein, independent sample T-Test would be conducted on hypothesis 3 to

determine statistically significant differences between on-campus and distance learning in terms of

eLearning adoption and utilization.

The researcher would apply correlation matrix analysis on hypothesis 4 to 6. The intent

of the correlation analysis is to confirm any relationship between the identified factors outlined in

the research hypotheses.

Finally, multiple regression analysis would be computed on hypothesis 7 through to

hypothesis 13 to statistically establish the best predictors to eLearning adoption and utilization.

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 Provisional Timeline

The following schedule of activities shall be followed:

Session Activities Dates Duration

1.  Provisional Registration
 Fee payment
 Working on the Concept proposal
 Assignment of Supervisors 1/09/2021 1/12/2022 6 Months
 Preparation of proposal
 Defense of the proposal at the Department

2.  Proposal approval by the Graduate School 1/01/2022 1/03/2022 2 Months

 Substantive Registration by Graduate School

3.  Preparation and testing of instruments 1/05/2022 1/09/2022 4 Months

 Obtaining relevant research permits
 Piloting of instruments
4.  Data Collection/Field work 1/10/2022 1/06/2023 8 Months
 Data analysis
5.  Thesis writing 1/07/12023 1/01/2024 6 Months
 Notice of submission
 Submission

6.  Oral presentation / thesis defense 1/02/12024 1/05/2024 3 Months

7.  Revision and submission of corrected thesis 1/06/2024 1/09/2024 3 Months

8.  Thesis editing 1/10/2024 1/11/2024 1 Month

9.  Submission of final thesis 1/11/2024 1/12/2024 1 Month

Total 34 Months

20