Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as a Source of Education in Selected Higher Institutions of Education in Zambia

Abstract

Application of ICTs in every sphere of life has taken a new high following the reduction in the cost of connectivity and access to ICTs in many parts of the global, Zambia inclusive. This paper aims to examine the stances of students towards the use of ICTs as a source of education. The methodology adopted was that of original research, with a qualitative approach. This study included 80 students from 8 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), both private and public. The independent variables of this study were gender, year of study and nature of program of study and preferred ICT gadget for use in acquiring education. In order to assess the attitudes of students towards the use of ICT in education, a five-point Likert scale was used across twelve statements. The results of the research show that students are very interested in using ICT as a source of education as opposed to other sources such as books from the library. The prevalent gadget used is the smart phone due to its portability and multirole usage. Thus, it is evident that ICTs have become very important pedagogical resources in approaching the teaching and learning processes in an innovative way.