THE EFFECT OF ELECTRONIC LIBRARY ON STUDENT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN TERTIARY SCHOOLS IN NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

The fundamental goal of any library is to provide enough and current information and material resources to the parent institution in order to support the academic curriculum (Ali, 2005). With the expansion of library collections and technical advancements in information handling and retrieval techniques, it is vital to provide information to students and other library users on how to access and retrieve such resources. The university library provides library instruction, also known as "user education," "instructional program," and "teaching the use of library and information sources," among other terms, to ensure that students have the intellectual abilities and skills to retrieve information and construct a framework for learning (Hsiao, 2000). As a result, good library education will improve information retrieval and information of library resources. Libraries and librarians are involved in the gathering, processing, preservation, and distribution of information resources in various formats as a result of the flood of scholarly and scientific publications. The amount of information accessible now, however, is too big to be retrieved readily, according to the literature. As a result, users must be able to sift through and pick important data (Fortson, 2010). Without effective library training to students who may not have visited or had prior understanding of how to use library resources, the act of information selection is impossible, and there can be no good relationship between the students and the library (Ben, 2007). As a result, user library is required for the most effective use of information resources, particularly in libraries and information centers. Two-thirds of those polled said they would wait for the CD-ROM to become available before printing rather than using the print tool if it was busy. However, a study of online scientific information searching in Delhi's science and technology libraries found that a significant number of users (nearly 60%) face a variety of issues while browsing electronic information, including a lack of knowledge about the resources, a lack of trained staff, and insufficient terminals. Ali (Ali, 2005). Teachers, students, and research researchers at universities and research institutions have also been studied in regards to their usage of electronic resources. Seventy-eight percent (78%) of respondents believe that using UGC – Infonet e-journals has increased their reliance on their research work, and that they require current article alert services as well as electronic document supply services (Madhusudhan, 2008). Magara (2008) examined electronic information access and consumption in underdeveloped nations at Makerere University in Uganda's East African School of Library and Information Science. Only 190 of the 250 targeted students answered, resulting in a 76 percent response rate. Users obtain a number of benefits from electronic resources, according to the study, such as access to a larger range of information and increased academic performance as a result of access to high-quality information. Electronic resources, according to Dadzie (2007), are excellent research tools that complement print-based resources in a traditional library environment in Ghana. According to her, their benefits include access to information that may be prohibited to the user owing to physical location or financial constraints, access to more recent information, and broad linkages to relevant resources. Chisenga (2004) conducted an investigation of the usage of ICTs in 10 African public library systems. Despite the fact that most libraries have internet access, only a small percentage of them offer web-based information services to their patrons, according to the poll. However, the study identifies four barriers to effective electronic resource provision in those libraries, including a lack of strategic planning, a lack of adequate or consistent funding, a lack of use of the Internet to provide information services to users, and a lack of consistent training for users in new ICT services. Anyadike (2000) discovered a link between library use and academic success among students. His research found that students who use the school library do better than those who do not. Gardner (2012) said that American higher education is undergoing a significant transformation that necessitates examination. Other studies have looked into the relationship between library use, student learning, and student engagement; for example, Laird (2005) discovered that participation in information and library-related activities (for example, using the library website to find academic resources, asking librarians for help, etc.) was positively and moderately correlated with student engagement in other areas; namely, participation in information technology was associated with factor . (for example, working with other students on class projects, working with other students outside of class, etc.). Some academics have looked at the link between library usage and academic performance, according to Nicholson (2003); however, many of those studies have limitations owing to their age or sample size limits (Scotti, 2010). Furthermore, many libraries do not collect data on students' use of services in order to preserve library users' privacy; as a result, there are few studies exploring the relationship between library use and student outcomes. School counselors have the ability to improve the nature of their schools' success atmosphere. They can also choose from a wide range of treatments to assist students improve their academic performance (Brown, 2009). School counselors have a critical influence in kids' use of the library. For example, school counselors are recognized as professionals who are well-versed in transforming bad personalities into positive ones and bringing about behavioral changes via the use of guidance and counseling strategies (Anyanwu, 2004). Early examples of the application of information technology to education include computer-assisted instruction (CAI), instructional television (ITV), and programmed instruction (PI). Web-based training programs and degree-granting programs from fully approved schools delivered via "distance learning" are the most current and possibly most recognizable examples. When technology becomes mainstream, it succeeds. Chalkboards, instructional films and videos, overhead projectors and transparencies, software such as Microsoft PowerPoint, and arguably the most popular of all, the textbook, are all excellent examples of this. Both teaching and learning may be thought of as processes, or restricted segments of greater streams of activity. One is done by the teacher, while the other is done by the student. Teaching may or may not result in learning (Baer, 2009). There is no established or definite link between the two processes. However, according to Wenger (2008), teaching and learning are not fundamentally related. More crucially, teaching and instructional materials are tools for learning in ways that aren't always consistent with pedagogical goals. For example, reading assignments in a literature course might result in students learning that has nothing to do with the teacher's intended learning objectives. To put it another way, what is taught and what is learnt may not be the same thing.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Nigeria's declining educational standards and diminishing literacy rate have gotten a lot of attention over the years, but the country's political leaders have done nothing to address the situation (Malone, 2007). There is no doubt a plethora of viewpoints on how to enhance the quality of education in Nigeria. The country's educational institutions are broken; they are not able to provide high-quality education, especially in this digital age. Basically, not all Nigerian higher education institutions are networked (connected to the internet). This might be due to the expensive cost or neglect. Because the majority of students enrolled to higher education institutions in Nigeria are computer illiterates, they are unable to take advantage of the benefits and incentives offered by the E-library, resulting in a reduced or poor level of learning success (Kubey, 2001). In light of the aforementioned issues, the purpose of this study is to determine to what degree an E-library may aid in the growth of the educational system at Nigeria by improving students' academic performance in higher education institutions.

1.3     OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The primary goal of this research is to determine the impact of electronic libraries on students' academic achievement in Nigeria. The research, especially the tertiary institution, aims to:

i. Determine the type of library that students are presently using.

ii. Determine the extent to which the university's implementation of E-library services has benefited its students.

iii. Determine the issue that students have when accessing the E-library.

1.4   RESEARCH QUESTIONS

i. What are  the types of library  students use presently?

ii. What are  the extents to which the university's implementation of E-library services has benefited its students?

iii. What are  the issues that students have when accessing the E-library?

1.5   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This research is important for teachers, parents, and students. This research will assist students at Nigerian tertiary schools in understanding the impact of E-Libraries on their academic achievement.

1.6   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The research will provide more information to researchers about the impact of electronic libraries on student academic achievement in Nigerian tertiary schools. Hence, selected Universities in Lagos State will be sampled.

1.7   DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Due to time constraints and a lack of funds to undertake the study, the research was confined to a single local government area.

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