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IMPACT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) IN THE LEARNING OF STUDENTS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT IN FEDERAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, PANKSHIN

 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

The word “information and communication technology” (ICT) is more inclusive and emphasizes the importance of unified communication as well as the integration of telecommunication (phone lines and wireless signals), intelligent building management, systems, and audio-visual systems. ICT refers to all technological tools that are used to manage information and facilitate communication, including computer and network hardware as well as associated communication software. In other terms, ICT refers to all forms of audio-visual processing, transmission, and network-based control and monitoring information, as well as information technology, mobile phones, iPads, and Galaxy Tabs.

Information and communication technology (ICT) is described by Oliver and Chapman (2000) as the technology that enables operations involving the creation, storage, modification, and exchange of information, as well as their associated procedures, management, and application (Ahbaha, 2006). The field of products and systems that manage, process, and create information using computer and/or telecommunication technologies is known as information and communication technology. ICT, as defined by UNESCO in 2002, is a group of technologies used in the processes of gathering, saving, editing, retrieving, and transferring information in various forms. Information and communication technology (ICT) is a broad term that refers to all technologies used to manipulate information. ICT includes all media used to record information for broadcasting, including radio, television, and technologies for voice, sound, and image communication, as well as microphone, camera, and loudspeaker technology. According to Sakudeen (2015), ICT helps people with hearing loss by enhancing their learning potential and giving them with learning aids.

Hearing impairment is one of the handicapping conditions which many educators regards as a living problem because of their inability to hear and talk due to the damage of their eardrum and cochlear. Also, the fear may stem largely from the general belief that such children are usually incapable of learning and thus living a normal life. But all these speculations have been disapproved by some researchers (European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education, 2003). Students with hearing impairments, according to Obano (2006), have at some time in their life lost the capacity to sense sounds and use oral language for communication. It could be minor or serious. Therefore, individuals with hearing impairment are those whose communication is hampered by mild to severe hearing issues. Ababe (2008) defined people with hearing impairment as those whose sense of hearing is non-functional for the normal purposes of life or those whose imputed sound is meaningless for communication purposes, citing the definition of the Committee of Nomenclature of the Conference of Executives of the American School for the Deaf.

According to Baker (2006), hearing loss affects everyday learning experiences in a persistent way. To ensure that a child with hearing loss receives an adequate education, many children need some special education services. Information and communication technology (ICT) is used by many students to engage in and gain from educational programs. More individuals with hearing impairment can now achieve their educational and employment goals thanks to advancements in ICT. Students may now complete a wider variety of work without the actual presence of others, and they can now successfully enter more academic sectors (Ayo, 2001). However, a wide variety of assistive devices, voice recognition software, scanning technology, increased e-mail use, and other developments have made it possible for disabled children to remain in school and join the workforce. The use of Internet- and computer-based applications in the classroom setting to facilitate communication and information access and thereby assist the learning of students with hearing impairments is known as ICT integration. The successful integration of ICT into the learning environment engages students with hearing impairment in higher-order thinking, according to studies in the area of education. Universities are increasingly turning to ICT as a technological aid in the development of new models of teaching and learning, and a number of developed countries have begun to invest in ICT integration in schools and educational instruction in recent years.

The use of information and communication technology (ICT) is particularly beneficial in enhancing language learning for students who have hearing loss. Otunla (2005) asserts that ICT can be a highly visual medium, enabling students to expand both their general knowledge and use of sign language without relying solely on spoken language. In order to describe, compare, and contrast objects—all skills that underpin effective information handling—hearing-impaired learners frequently need opportunities to expand their use of descriptive language. Working together on an ICT activity can encourage a group of students to do just that as they plan and execute their projects. Therefore, the study seeks to investigate on the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the learning of students with hearing impairment in Federal College of Education, Pankshin.

1.2       Statements of the Problem

The impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the learning of students with hearing impairment in Federal College of Education, Pankshin has not been adequately explored. While ICT has the potential to improve access to educational resources and enhance the learning experience for students with hearing impairment, it is unclear how effective the use of ICT is in improving their academic performance, participation, and engagement in the classroom. Therefore, there is a need to investigate the extent to which ICT is currently used in the teaching and learning of students with hearing impairment in Federal College of Education, Pankshin, and the potential benefits and challenges associated with its use. The findings of this study will inform the development of effective strategies for incorporating ICT in the education of students with hearing impairment in the institution, as well as provide insights into the wider implications for the use of ICT in inclusive education.

1.3       Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of the study will be to investigate on the influence of Information and communication Technology (ICT) on the learning of students with hearing impairment in Federal College of Education, Pankshin. Specifically, the objectives are to:

1. To identify the influence of ICT on the academic performance of students with hearing Impairment in Federal College of Education, Pankshin
2. To identify the constraints facing the use of ICT in teaching students with hearing impairment in Federal College of Education, Pankshin
3. To identify the strategies for enhancing the use of ICT in the learning of students with hearing impairment in Federal College of Education, Pankshin

1.4       Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the focus on the study:

1. How does ICT influence the academic performance of students with hearing impairment in Federal College of Education, Pankshin?
2. What are the constraints facing the use of ICT in teaching students with hearing impairment in Federal College of Education, Pankshin?
3. What are the strategies for enhancing the use of ICT in the learning of students with hearing impairment in Federal College of Education, Pankshin?

1.5       Research Hypothesis

This postulated hypothesis will guide the study

Ha: There is a significant relationship between the use of ICT and the learning performance of students with hearing impairment.

1.6       SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The result of this research work would be extremely useful and also forma medium to be reckoned in the education of students with hearing impairment.

The outcome of this study will enlighten and encourage the hearingimpaired students in various ways through which ICT would assist in their language development.

The result of this work would determine ameliorate some of the problems being faced by the hearing-impaired students in the use of ICT for their day-to-day teaching and learning.

It would also help the hearing-impaired students in choosing ICT as a course of study for self-sustenance and self-reliance in the nearest future.

It would also assist government to provide adequate funding to improve on the provision of needs of ICT gadgets to special schools.

1.7       Definition of Operational Terms

Students with Hearing Impairment: This is a learner who has challenges with receiving sound and depends on sight to acquire knowledge or skills

Information: It is facts of details about something or somebody.

Communication:Is the process through which information of ideas,facts knowledge or message are transmitted from one sources to another.

Technology: This is the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, machinery and equipment based on such knowledge to students with hearing impairment.

Information and Communication Technology: It refers to all the technology used to handle telecommunications, broadcast, media, intelligent building management systems, audio visual processing and transmission systems and network based control and monitoring functions

Influence: it is the strong effect that ICT has on the teaching and learning of students with hearing impairment.

Technological tools: A technology tool is an electronic, digital, or physical resource that can support teachers in the delivery and testing of content to students with hearing impairment.

Network: A network is a group of two or more computers or other electronic devices that are interconnected for the purpose of exchanging data and sharing resources.

Hardware: Hardware refers to the external and internal devices and equipment that enable you to perform major functions such as input, output, storage, communication, processing, and more.

Hearing Impairment: The term “hearing impaired” is often used to describe people with any degree of hearing loss, from mild to profound, including those who are deaf and those who are hard of hearing.

Learning environment: A learning environment is a place where learners with hearing impairment feel comfortable, encouraged and inspired by their surroundings. 

Telecommunication: Telecommunications, also known as telecom, is the exchange of information over significant distances by electronic means and refers to all types of voice, data and video transmission.

Integration: Integration is the process of integrating or bringing the idea of the use of Information and communication technology into teaching and learning.

Project:  A project is an extended piece of work on a particular topic where the content and the presentation are determined principally by the learners.

Models: A model is a program which has been developed to copy the way a system works in real life.

Internet: An internet is a global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities, consisting of interconnected networks using standardized communication protocols.

Sign Language: Sign language is a predominant mode of communication used by the deaf community to exchange ideas, information and facts.

Educational Instruction: Instruction is the process of teaching and engaging students with hearing impairment with vital content and information.