Universities are gradually evolving and moving from the purely traditional system to the modern technological induced system˳ The rate of this technology driven state of universities globally is unprecedented˳ This makes it imperative for new entrants who are not abreast with information and communication technology (I˳C˳T˳) skills to catch up at relatively short times˳ Thus, an immediate orientation course in I˳C˳T˳ targeted at developing the competencies of students in coping with the technologically charged university environment must be a prerogative of universities˳ This would aid in boosting teaching and learning activities at the universities while maximizing the expected behavioral change in learners after their education at the university˳
The course activities at the universities today are streamlined in technology˳ For instance, the teaching and learning materials are now in electronic formats˳ These e-resources must be downloaded by students from specific websites given by the lecturer˳
Sometimes, some lecturers hold virtual classes online with their students due to geographical constraints due to emergency workshops, conferences, and meetings˳ In addition, numerous assignments require that students carry out extensive research using online databases˳ These assignments are mostly to be submitted electronically to the electronic mailing address of the lecturer or uploaded on a virtual platform created by the lecturer or institution˳ Thus, if a student is deficient in I˳C˳T˳ skills, how can s/he cope with this technologically induced university environment?
Some may bicker that students at the Senior High school level were required to take lessons in I˳C˳T˳ to cushion them for the tertiary education steeped in technology˳ True this may be, the majority of the students at the High school level were not privileged to have had this opportunity due to many challenges˳ This may be as a result of the lack of technological accouterments as well as qualified instructor in the field to better handle the instruction delivery˳ These pool of students at most local communities and some urban centers are thus, highly deficient in technology˳ When they find their way to the universities, they meet an entirely unfriendly environment full of technology which they must speedily get abreast with all by themselves˳ Fast learners are able to learn these I˳C˳T˳ skills quickly from friends who were privileged to technological training while slow and shy students’ ends up throwing in the towel to university education˳
Others experience the first attack of unfair grading as the primary by-product of their deficiency in technological skills˳ Sadly, these ‘snail-to-technology’ students are objects of ridicule by their colleagues and some lecturers who are technology-privileged˳ This is much experienced when group assignment and presentations are to be carried out on virtual platforms˳ Demoralized students usually fall prey to absenteeism to lectures that are solely technology grounded˳ This gap that exists between students who are able in technology and those who are deficient must be bridged˳
An immediate remedy would be the organization of I˳C˳T˳ lessons tailored to meet the requirements and expectations of students at the university˳ This short course or orientation must be carried out in the very first week of student’s admittance to the university˳ It can even be scheduled as part of the orientation sessions usually promulgated at virtually all universities globally˳ This training aimed at endowing new entrants with basic skills in I˳C˳T˳ would help them to be able to cope and succeed in their newly found technologically induced environment˳
Tertiary institutions must make it a priority to organize this I˳C˳T˳ lessons since the traditional face of universities is being fast transformed into technology-induced condition˳ This great feat would aid in beefing up academic work at the universities while arresting the ill of truancy on the part of students due to lack of technological skills˳
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