Media Usage in Post-Secondary Education and Implications for Teaching and Learning

The Web 2.0 has permeated academic life. The use of online information services in post-secondary education has led to dramatic changes in faculty teaching methods as well as in the learning and study behavior of students. At the same time, traditional information media, such as textbooks and printed handouts, still form the basic pillars of teaching and learning. This paper reports the results of a survey about media usage in teaching and learning conducted with Western University students and instructors, highlighting trends in the usage of new and traditional media in higher education by instructors and students. In addition, the survey comprises part of an international research program in which 20 universities from 10 countries are currently participating. Further, the study will hopefully become a part of the ongoing discussion of practices and policies that purport to advance the effective use of media in teaching and learning

Building Health Equity One Institution at a Time: The Research Infrastructure in Minority Institutions Project

Developing a well-trained workforce interested in, and prepared for, conducting health equity research is an important national priority. Scientists from Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) bring unique perspectives and experiences with racial, ethnic and social inequities in health and health status but often lack access to training and mentoring opportunities, which is crucial for increasing the diverse pool of investigators who are adequately prepared to conduct health disparities research and to compete for National Institutes of Health research funding. The focus of the California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) Research Infrastructure in Minority Institutions (RIMI) Project was to: (a) enhance CSULB’s infrastructure and research capacity, (b) conduct applied community health research on health conditions disproportionately affecting disadvantaged populations, and (c) support faculty to embark on careers in reducing health disparities. Faculty received training, mentorship, and release time support to participate in research-related activities. Select faculty also received funding to conduct a two-year health disparities research project. Within a relatively short period of time, the RIMI Project made important strides toward strengthening the research infrastructure at CSULB by enhancing faculty capacity, improving research utilization to address health disparities, and strengthening campus and community collaborations. MSIs are encouraged to apply for opportunities to build their institution’s research capacity. The lessons learned from this project may be used as a guide for other teaching institutions that have the goal to develop minority faculty researchers

Social media utilization in Covid-19 epoch: Virtual da’wah-ramadan lectures in Northern Nigeria

Social media have become part of the individual and public lifestyles of Muslims globally. The paper examined the utilization of social media platform such as Facebook and YouTube as an available option to conduct Virtual Da’wah Ramadan lectures on the commentary of the Glorious Qur’an and Ta’aleem in Northern Nigeria and this was done with the sampled of scholars from the three zones in Northern Nigeria, i.e. North-West, North-Central and North-East. The paper adopts the use of secondary data as method of data collection where In-depth survey of the various pages/channels on social media and participant observation to obtain data. The researchers purposively sampled nine scholars for the study and survey was carried out on their various social media pages/channels to ascertain their level of utilization of the technology during the COVID-19 period to teach their followers with the restriction of movement and gathering in places of worship in Nigeria.  Some of the findings of the study revealed that the sampled Muslims scholars finds it convenient to present live programme of their teachings virtually and post video and audio of their Virtual Da’wah Ramadan lectures on the commentary of the Glorious Qur’an and Ta’aleem social media. The research paper concludes Muslim scholars to continue with the utilization of the social media platforms even after the Ramadan and Post-COVID-19 pandemic in carrying out their day to day virtual teachings so that other audience who are not close to their Masjid will benefit from their lectures on the various teachings of Islam

Social media revolution and trends of da‘wah propagation in Ijebuland, Ogun State, Nigeria: An empirical survey

Da‘wah plays a crucial role in spreading the teachings and principles of Islām globally. Different Islamic scholars have employed variety of techniques and platforms to fulfil this hallowed act of worship. Over the last two decades, social media revolution (SMR) has changed the dynamics of communication, democratized access to information, and promoted cross-cultural dialogue. Accordingly, Muslim preachers (Du‘āt) in Nigeria have considerably boosted their use of social media platforms, such as Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube, among others, for da‘wah. However, the extent to which SMR has influenced da‘wah activities in Ijebuland has received little attention in literature. This paper conducted an empirical survey into the impact of SMR on da‘wah propagation in Ijebuland, Ogun State. It used a descriptive survey design and content analysis approach. It argued that SMR has significantly changed the dynamics of da‘wah in the region. Despite the identified challenges facing their utilization, Ijebu Du‘āt have effectively utilized social media outlets with rational record of abuse. The study concludes that social media has indeed become a potent tool for da‘wah practice in Ijebuland. The findings justify the need for further studies to ascertain steps to take to strengthen SMR application to propagate da‘wah within the Islamic framework of tolerance, dialogue, mutual understanding and harmonious coexistence.***Dakwah memainkan peran penting dalam menyebarkan ajaran dan prinsip-prinsip Islam secara global. Berbagai cendekiawan Islam (ulama) telah menggunakan berbagai teknik dan platform untuk memenuhi ibadah suci ini. Selama dua dekade terakhir, revolusi media sosial (social media revolution/SMR) telah mengubah dinamika komunikasi, mendemokratisasikan akses terhadap informasi, dan mendorong dialog lintas budaya. Oleh karena itu, para pendakwah Muslim (du‘āt) di Nigeria telah meningkatkan penggunaan platform media sosial, seperti Facebook, X, Instagram, dan YouTube, antara lain, untuk dakwah. Namun sejauh mana pengaruh SMR terhadap kegiatan dakwah di Ijebuland hanya mendapat sedikit perhatian dalam literatur. Makalah ini melakukan survei empiris mengenai dampak SMR terhadap penyebaran dakwah di Ijebuland, Negara Bagian Ogun. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain survei deskriptif dan pendekatan analisis isi. Mereka berpendapat bahwa SMR telah mengubah dinamika dakwah di wilayah ini secara signifikan. Terlepas dari tantangan yang dihadapi dalam pemanfaatannya, para pendakwah Ijebu telah secara efektif memanfaatkan media sosial yang memiliki catatan penyalahgunaan yang rasional. Kajian tersebut menyimpulkan bahwa media sosial memang menjadi alat yang ampuh dalam praktik dakwah di Ijebuland. Temuan ini membenarkan perlunya studi lebih lanjut untuk memastikan langkah-langkah yang perlu diambil untuk memperkuat penerapan SMR guna menyebarkan dakwah dalam kerangka toleransi, dialog, saling pengertian dan hidup berdampingan secara harmonis dalam Islam

Integrating E-Learning Technologies in Business Education Course Delivery During Covid-19 Lockdown in South-South Nigeria

This study investigates the acceptability of utilizing e-learning technologies for business education course-delivery during the period of tertiary institutions lockdown as a result of COVID-19 pandemic in south-south, Nigeria. Hinged on the theory of Technology Acceptance by Davis, F. D, a descriptive survey research design using quantitative and qualitative approach was adopted. Data was collected via questionnaire, and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was used for the qualitative approach. The study revealed that business educators utilized e-learning technologies to a very low extent during the pandemic. Therefore, strategies to forestall such hindrances and difficulties were identified and discussed. Keywords: e-learning, academic staff attitudes, ICT, synchronous, asynchronous, COVID-19 DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-32-09 Publication date: November 30th 202

The Utilization of Data Analysis Techniques in Predicting Student Performance in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

The growth of the Internet has enabled the popularity of open online learning platforms to increase over the years. This has led to the inception of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) that enrol, millions of people, from all over the world. Such courses operate under the concept of open learning, where content does not have to be delivered via standard mechanisms that institutions employ, such as physically attending lectures. Instead learning occurs online via recorded lecture material and online tasks. This shift has allowed more people to gain access to education, regardless of their learning background. However, despite these advancements in delivering education, completion rates for MOOCs are low. In order to investigate this issue, the paper explores the impact that technology has on open learning and identifies how data about student performance can be captured to predict trend so that at risk students can be identified before they drop-out. In achieving this, subjects surrounding student engagement and performance in MOOCs and data analysis techniques are explored to investigate how technology can be used to address this issue. The paper is then concluded with our approach of predicting behaviour and a case study of the eRegister system, which has been developed to capture and analyse data. Keywords: Open Learning; Prediction; Data Mining; Educational Systems; Massive Open Online Course; Data Analysi