EXTENT OF BUSINESS EDUCATORS AWARENESS AND ADOPTION OF WEB 2.0 TECHNOLOGIES FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES IN TERITIARY INSTITUTIONS IN SOUTHEAST NIGERIA

Background to the Study

In education, instruction is the facilitation of learning towards achieving identified learning goals. Oladosu (2009) viewed instruction as the process whereby the environment of the learner or an individual is deliberately managed to enable him/her learn to exhibit certain behaviours under specified condition(s) or as a response to a specified situation. Instructionis the direction of learning process towards imparting knowledge and skills which leads to learners acquiring certain capabilities.Educational instructioncould be provided through traditional/teacher centered approach or student-centered approach. Traditional instruction provision involves the use of conventional means which is largely face-to-face to convey instructional materials through the use of classrooms and study centers. The traditional instruction delivery entails the physical presence of students to take place (Alaneme, Olayiwola&Reju, 2008). Riordan (1993) noted that traditional instruction delivery in higher education involves lecturing and presentation of information, and teaching taking place predominantly within the classroom. Redmann and Kotrlik (2008) described the traditional learner as one who would listen to class lecture, take notes and prepare for written test. Fowler and Mayes (2000) statedthat the traditional delivery of instruction is a representational view of learning, where acquisition of knowledge is illustrated in the learners‟

memorization or rote learning which occurs out of context.

In most tertiary institutions in Nigeria, instructional delivery of business education programmes is characterized with face-to-face method of teaching and learning. Mamman and Nwabufo (2014) affirmed that instructional provision in business education programme is carried out using conventional methods in which students are told what to learn, where to learn as well as when and how to learn. The traditional learning environment cannot prepare the students for the contemporary world of work and business environment which exists today.Igberaharha (2009) noted that traditional teacher-centered instruction in tertiary institutions has proved ineffective for producing graduates who can perform optimally. Rapp (2005) stated that teacher-centered instruction is no longer a viable learning for today‟s digital age learner.Polka (2001) noted the need for institutions to migrate from using a teacher-centered model of instruction to a student-centered model of instruction. The author explained student-centered model of instruction as an instructional model where learners use their experiences to actively construct understanding that makes sense to them, rather than have understanding delivered to them in already organized form.The pedagogical model that is student centered focuses on collaboration between teachers and students.

The advent of internet and technological devices has presented challenges to teacher centered mode of instruction delivery. Barnett, Keating, Harwook andSaam (2004) asserted that internet technologies such as e-mail, course websites and news groups have added value to teacher centered traditional classroom knowledge delivery and have impacted course delivery and design in many colleges and

universities. The advent of the internet and associated learning technologies has produced a climate in which online learning is seen as a means of improving higher education instructional delivery. Yuen, Yaoyuneyong and Yuen (2011) asserted that the advent of Web 2.0 as a learning technology has transformed the internet into a global network of interconnected learning communities and have changed the ways teachers and students interact.

Web 2.0 is an internet-enabled web application which allows people to collaborate, get actively involved in creating content, generate knowledge and shareinformation online. Williams and Chinn (2009) noted that Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, social networks, and virtual worlds have become popular and have made their way into the classroom. Wilclox, Winn andFyvie-Guald (2005) asserted that Web 2.0 technologies enhance learning, teaching and assessment strategies, quality of staff/student relationships and collaborative approaches to student learning.Highlighting the benefits of Web 2.0 technologies usage to the student, Franklin and Hermelen (2007) noted that Web

2.0 help students become creators of content (not just consumers) who participate in learning activities and gain the opportunity to innovate and create in a collaborative multi-media environment. The authors further noted that Web 2.0 technologies have the potential to enhance and interconnect school communities to widen participation, keep alumni in contact and expand educational institutions‟ ability to symbiotically co-exist with industry.

The purpose of teaching is to impart learning and promote understanding.Enonbun (2010) stated that teaching is the process of passing knowledge and information to students and a coaching process that can be modified to suit the learning needs of the students.Business educator as a teacher is expected to be abreast with the use of technology to effectively cater for the learning needs of today‟s learner who are referred to as „digital natives‟(young learners who access and process information quickly, multitask more easily, prefer graphics to text, random to sequential access, thrive on instant gratification and rewards, and prefer games to serious work –(Prensky, 2001). Business educator is a teacher who imparts knowledge and skills needed to prepare individuals for the workplace and for self-reliance. A business educator in the context of this study is same as teacher or lecturer in business education programme.

The role of a teacher (business educator)in the instructional process is to make student learning possible. Emphasis is placed on a learning procedure where learner participation is enhanced with the use of technological devices. Okpala (2014) stressed that teachers are responsible for monitoring changes in technologies, determining if they apply to their learners and seeking ways to use technologies to compliment and support instructional methodologies. Okolocha, Ile and Okolocha (2012) noted that for business educators to apply on-line delivery of instruction, they must first be familiar with hi-tech tools and utilize effectively the tools in teaching and learning process. Bates (2011) further noted how critical it is for educational institutions to have processes in place that encourage dynamic

change, innovative uses of technology, monitoring and evaluation of what works and what does not. Ramsden (2003) advocated that teachers should think deeply about what and how they want their students to learn, placing emphasison active participation and social aspects of learning guided by the discipline they teach in. The author further promoted that active participation and social aspects of learning should serve as the framework for the design of learning experiences which will ensure that students develop the understanding and abilities they need in order to respond and shape the world they live in.

The integration and adoption of Web 2.0 technologies in higher education/institutions of advanced countries has witnessed rapid growth. Studies such as Barnett, Keating, Harwook andSaam (2004), Jones, Gaffney-Rhys and Jones (2011), Yacipic and Hevendanli (2013) have shown that most tertiary institutions in developed countries adopt Web 2.0 technologies in their educational activities to facilitate delivery of lectures, provision of study guide and sharing of articles and publications. In Nigeria, the integration of Web 2.0 technologies in teaching and learning in tertiary institutions has witnessed slow growth (Dike, 2011). This may be as a result of mass unawareness, as Manir (2009) stated, that a large number of people are still unaware of the use of technology in education.

Certain factors could influence awareness and adoption of Web 2.0 in the teaching and learning process. Gender can be an influencing factor in awareness and adoption of technologies by business educators forinstructional delivery. Research studies have found that male teachers tend to be aware andadopttechnologies in teaching than their female counterparts (Kay, 2006; Wozney, Venkatesh&Abrami, 2006, Collins & Hide, 2010).Age could be an impelling factor on awareness and adoption of Web 2.0 technologies by teachers. Asfari (2009) reported that young educators tend to adopt technologies in teaching more than older teachers. Proctor, Williams, Stewart, Poschen, Snee, Voss and Asgari-Targhi (2010) also found young educators to be more aware of the educational benefits of Web 2.0 than adult educators.

In addition, teaching experience could influence teachers‟ adoption of Web

2.0 technologies in instruction delivery.Baek, Jong and Kim (2008) and Yeun, Yaouyuneyong and Yeun (2011) reported that experienced teachers are less ready to utilize technologies than less experienced teachers. The reason for this disparity could be that fresh teachers are more exposed to the use of technology in the course of their training than older teachers.

The introduction of modern technologies in instructional process has transformed pedagogical practices. Al-Daihani (2010) asserted that instructional paradigms have shifted focus from the memorization of material by students to the application of knowledge to particular problems. Web 2.0 exerts significant impact on instruction as it provides multiple opportunities for students‟ engagement, communication, active and self-driven as well as collaborative learning.

The researcher is worried that business education students seem not to harness the enormous educational potentials of Web 2.0 technologies as they are constantly busy with their laptops and mobile phones taking pictures, chatting,

updating profiles even when classes/lectures are on. This ugly situation could be traced to whether or not business educators are aware of the educational benefits of Web 2.0 and whether they adopt it in the instructional process. Ezenwafor (2012) affirmed that the extent students are exposed to the use of technologies depends on lecturers‟ competency and use of technologies to engage them in practice sessions. The extent Web 2.0 can benefit business education students is enormous but what is not known is the extent lecturers‟ are aware and adopt the resources for imparting knowledge and relevant skills. It is against this backdrop that this study was conceived to empirically reveal the status of business educators on the use of Web

2.0technologies for instruction which will guide objective actions to improve students‟ use of these technologies for learning effectiveness.