The Use of Social-Media and IT Application Tools for Teaching in Ghanaian Universities: Case of University of Cape Coast, Ghana

Abstract

The use of social media and IT application tools as an alternative pedagogical approach in higher educational institutions of learning cannot be compromised. Considering their incalculable advantages especially, in these times of the COVID-19 pandemic where closure of schools characterised some of the mitigating factors which wedged pedagogy. Nonetheless, quite a few institutions have taken advantage of these technologically inclined resources to facilitate teaching and learning. Therefore, this study explores the perceived usage of social media outlets and IT application tools in the University of Cape Coast (UCC) as a means of pedagogy by the Academic Staff. The study employed a cross-sectional survey as result of which 102 Academic Staff were sampled. The findings disclosed that the use of social media (i.e., Twitter), online collaborative tool (i.e., Google Hangouts) as a means of pedagogy is conspicuously absent among the teaching staff. Whiles some IT application tools (i.e., Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive) were hardly used in the classroom context, although the participants revealed possessing the skills in the use of such social media outlets and the IT application tools at their individual level. However, the use of Presentation tools (i.e., Microsoft PowerPoint), Spreadsheets (i.e., Microsoft Excel) and Word Processing (i.e., Microsoft Word) were mostly used to facilitate teaching and learning. The study recommends the adoption and enforcement of these resources by the management of the university. Taking into cognizance, the numerical strength of the yearly enrollment of students into the University vis a viz its limited infrastructure.