ICT uptake and use as a tool for personal adjustment and academic pursuit among undergraduate students at Kenyatta University

Abstract

The intention of this paper was to explore ICT uptake and use as a tool for personal adjustment and academic pursuit undergraduate students at Kenyatta University in Kenya. To establish this, the study sought to investigate on the first years’ students ICT basic computer proficiency and the challenges the students experienced in up taking ICT at high schools and universities. The study was done in Kenyatta University, a public university in Kenya among first year students taking Bachelor of Education degree. A total of 104 students were randomly selected and data generated using a questionnaire. The results indicate that majority of students had experienced challenges uptaking and using ICT in the university. Only a few students owned computers. Few students had, with female students being more than males. Proficiency by age was also low. By degree program Joint Admission Board (JAB) students reported higher proficiency than those in Self Sponsored Programme (SSP). There were also differentials of proficiency in terms of categories of high schools attended and rural versus urban. Among the challenges reported were inadequate number of computers, faulty computers and computer illiteracy. They recommended that the university could offer ICT classes and increase the number of computers to enable them to become ICT proficient. The study recommends that the ministry of education should make it mandatory for all secondary schools to have ICT infrastructure and teachers trained in ICT in all secondary schools