PATTERN OF UNDERGRADUATES’ PARTICIPATION IN THE ONLINE DISCUSSION FORUM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, NIGERIA
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Date
2011-07
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Merrick School of Business, University of Baltimore, USA.
Abstract
The paper examined the pattern of undergraduates’ participation in the online discussion forum at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria. A total of 745 undergraduate students selected from right faculties out of the ten faculties that made up University of Ilorin, Nigeria constituted the population of the study. Through a survey design, questionnaire was
administered to gather data from the respondents. Four research questions were developed and answered by the study. The results indicated that respondents from faculty of Communication and information sciences are participating in the online
forum and they are dully committed to it than respondents from other faculties. While respondents from Faculty of CIS have online discussion forum organised for the various courses offered in the faculty, respondents from other faculties depend largely on online forum of their disciplines’ association. Four prominent pattern of participation were identified. These are Socratic questioning, sharing of personal opinion and experiences, brainstorming and reaction posting. Furthermore, the study revealed an in-depth participation in the online forum by respondents’ from faculty of CIS with the majority making postings on a daily basis. Similarly, a lower percentage of respondents usually read and responds to posts received with the highest percentage recorded by respondents from Faculty of CIS. The results confirm encouragement of intellectual support in terms of sharing of knowledge and ideas between participants as part of the most common benefits. Incessant power outage and time factor based on tight schedule were identified as part of the problems participants encounter in the online
forum.
The paper made a more conscious effort in institutionalizing online discussion forum, creation and formulation of policies guiding the participants, introduction of user education together with conscious training of lecturer on online discussion forum for university lecturers in Nigeria Increase in students’ participation in the online discussion forum will always increase learning outcomes and achievement. To improve students’ participation in the online forum, the University authority should provide enough free Internet facilities/ outlets within the university community just as it is done in developed countries and some part of Africa especially South Africa. Moreover, universities around the world who have not being using online discussion forum to facilitate learning should consider doing so particularly those who have not put customised e-learning platform in place in their institution.
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Keywords
Online discussion forum, electronic discussion, online learning, online participation, Content contribution, Undergraduate students, University of Ilorin
Citation
Tella & Isah (2011). Pattern of undergraduates’ participation in the online discussion forum at the university of Ilorin, Nigeria. Journal of Information Technology Management. 22(3); 59 – 76