Exploring the Experiences of Rural College Students in a Global Village

Authors

  • Samuel Amponsah Esayidi TVET College Umzimkhulu Kwazulu-Natal

Keywords:

Global Village. Information and Communications Technology. Information Technology. Training and Vocational Education and Training College. Computer Illiterate. Social Media Questionnaire Tool

Abstract

For the past few years, the concept of the world becoming a ‘global village’, as a result of much reliance on information technology (IT) has taken centre stage in the language and works of many people. The concept has caught up well with people in developed countries but in the developing countries, the same may only be said for those blessed to be residing in the urban centres. The purpose of this research is to get into the world of first semester students of Esayidi Technical and Vocational Education and Training College (Umzimkhulu Campus) in order to explore their experiences in a global village and establish the extent they use IT tools for communication and educational purposes. An explorative survey research approach was used to explore the experiences of the forty participants employed for this study. The participants were recruited by means of the lottery sampling system and the social media questionnaire tool was used to collect data from them which was descriptively analysed. Findings from the study indicated that the participants in this study mostly resided and schooled in rural areas so had not been exposed to the concept of a global village but were gradually making use of ICT tools for communication and educational purposes since enrolling at the college.

References

• Amponsah, S. (2014). The use of student teams achievement divisions as a teaching strategy in English first additional language in Kwazulu-natal. (Unpublished Doctoral Thesis). University of South Africa.

• Amponsah, S. (2010). The evolution and implementation strategies of the University of Ghana bachelor of arts distance education programme. (Unpublished M.Phil Thesis). University of Ghana.

• Appadurai, A. 1990. Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy. In Global Culture: Nationalism, Globalization and Modernity, edited by M. Featherstone. London: Sage.

• Browne, R. B. and Fishwick, M. W. (1999). Eds. The Global Village; Dead or Alive? Ohio: Bowling Green State University Popular Press.

• Bryman, A. (2012). Social research methods (4thEd.). Oxford Universtity Press.

• Commomwealth of Learning (29th April 2010). ‘Transforming teacher educationICT for teaching and learning’. A seminar for deans of education from universities in SADC countriesconcerning the progress of ICT integration in teacher education.

• Danesi, M. (2000). Encyclopedic Dictionary of Semiotics, Media and Communications. Toronto, Buffalo & London: University of Toronto Press.

• Dery, M. (1995). “McLuhan Through the Rearview Mirror.†Educom Review 30.6: 22-29.

• Edudemic Staff. Ultimate guide to the paperless classroom. http://www.edudemic.com/ultimate-guide-paperless-classroom/. Retrieved February 5, 2015.

• Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, N. E. and Hyun, H. H. (2012). How to design and evaluate reserch in education (8th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

• George Santayana. http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/146226-a-man-s-feet-must-be-planted-in-his-country-but. Retrieved February 4, 2015.

• Gauteng is making great strides towards e-learning. http://www.gautengonline.gov.za/News/Pages/Gauteng-is-making-great-strides-towards-e-learning.aspx. Retrieved February 5, 2015.

• Guest, G., MacQueen, K., &Namey, E. (2012). Applied thematic analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

• Information technology (2008). Curriculum guidelines for undergraduate degree programs in information technology. Association for computer machinery (ACM) IEEE computer society.

• Kellner, D.(2000).“Globalization and new social movements: lessons for critical theory and pedagogyâ€, in Globalization and Education: Critical Perspectives, N. Burbules and C. Torres, eds. New York and London: Routledge.

• Kohn, H, 1971. Nationalism and Internationalism. In History and the Idea of Mankind, edited by W. W. Wagar. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.

• McLuhan, M. “Report on the Ford Seminar at University of Toronto.†1953-54. H. Marshall McLuhan Collection. National Archives of Canada, Ottawa.

• McLuhan, Marshall. “The Hot and Cool Interview.†Moos Media Research: 45–78.

• Robertson, R. 1990. Mapping the Global Condition: Globalization as the Central Concept. In Global Culture: Nationalism, Globalization and Modernity, edited by M. Featherstone. London: Sage.

• South Africa turns on digital classrooms. http://www.southafrica.info/about/education/paperless-education-14115.htm#.VNSSTyymQ0Q#ixzz3QxTBCj1H. Retrieved February 5, 2015.

• Statistics SA (2013). Beta2.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=505. Retrieved March 16, 2015.

• Van Wyk, M.M. “Blogging phenomenologyâ€: exploring students’ blog postings during teaching placements. Paper presented at the Education Association of South Africa (EASA) Conference on 13thJanuary 2015.

• Van Wyk, M.M. (2014). Blogs as e learning strategy in supporting Economics education students during teaching practice. Journal of Communication, 5(2): 132-143

• World Economic Forum. The Global Information Technology Report 2013

• Worsley, P. 1984. The Three Worlds: Culture and World Development. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.

• www.ITdesk.info (2011). Project of computer e-education with open access. Open Society for Idea Exchange (ODRAZI), Zagreb.

Downloads

Published

2015-06-15

How to Cite

Amponsah, S. (2015). Exploring the Experiences of Rural College Students in a Global Village. Asian Journal of Education and E-Learning, 3(3). Retrieved from https://ajouronline.com/index.php/AJEEL/article/view/2494

Issue

Section

Articles