ICT literacy and utilization of electronic information resources by students in Ndejje University

Abstract

The study objectives were to establish the relationship between attendance of ICT training programmes, ability to use ICT hardware facilities and ability to use ICT application software and Utilization of Electronic Information Resources (UEIR). Stratified random sampling and purposive sampling techniques were used. Students from Main Campus and Lady Irene Campus served as respondents by filling in self-administered questionnaires and a few were interviewed, one ICT Administrator and one Library Administrator were also interviewed. The data analysis at univariate level was based on computed relative frequencies (or percents) and descriptive statistics such as means At bivariate level, all hypotheses were tested using Pearson’s correlation method. Lastly at multivariate level, the dependent variable (UEIR) was regressed on all the three independent variables that is training, hardware and software at ago using multiple linear regression. Qualitative data were presented by reading the exact answers in the interview guide and giving them side by side quantitative statistics. The study found out that, all the three independent variables that is; attendance of ICT training programmes, ability to use ICT hardware facilities and ability to use ICT application software were significantly positively linearly correlated with the dependent variable (UEIR). The study concluded that attendance of ICT training programmes, ability to use ICT hardware facilities and ability to use ICT application software have a great influence on utilization of electronic information resources. Recommendations were that university management should be proactive and conduct training needs assessment regularly in order to offer both the right skills and e-resources and also equip the computer laboratories and library with more computers for students to practice and develop their skills.