PERCIEVED IMPACT OF NEWSPAPER USAGE ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS OF FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, MAKURDI

This paper examines the perceived impact of newspaper usage among University of Agriculture, Makurdi students and its impact on their academic performance. The overall objective is to assess the level of newspaper usage and students’ perception on the availability and accessibility of newspaper in the library. This study also highlights some of the challenges students face in using newspapers and proffer workable solutions. The population was made up of 150 students of University of Agriculture, Makurdi, comprising of undergraduates and postgraduates. The survey research method was adopted. The respondents were selected through random sampling of registered users the library at that particular time. As shown in the findings, the students use newspaper mostly for academic purpose followed by other purposes. The study revealed adequate but untimely provision of newspaper

Assessing Undergraduates Social competence on Social Media in Nigeria

Undergraduates are known to be early adopters and users of social media and are socially competent online as against offline. The study sought to determine the social competence of students as exhibited on social media against the background of a growing decline in undergraduates’ offline social relevance. Using survey research design of correlative type, 850 undergraduates in similar faculties in two selected Universities in South west Nigeria were selected using multi-stage sampling. Questionnaire was used to collect data; reliability score of (α = 0.82) was derived for social competence on social media and (α = 0.88) for students’ use of social media. Eight hundred questionnaires (94%) were found usable. Findings revealed students are active on popular social media sites; social competence of undergraduates on social media was high ( = 64.19) and frequently use of social media. Social competence of undergraduates was positively related to social media use (r = .771, p = \u3c 0.01); social competence of undergraduates on social media was different based on gender (t = 4.02; p = \u3c 0.05), there was a significant difference in student’s use of social media based on gender (t = 5.064; p = \u3c 0.05). Social competence of the students is exhibited on social media and there is a continued adherence of the young population of Nigerians to online platforms for social interactions and relevance at the expense of natural physical dialogues. The study recommends complementary role for online media, encouraging undergraduates to build offline, natural social interactions and relationships

Computer Self-Efficacy of Librarians and Users as Influencers of University Libraries’ Information System Security: Evidence from Nigeria

Librarians and their users interact with the library’s information systems for different reasons. The need to protect information and information systems from unauthorized access, modification, data loss and destruction by librarians has become topical in recent times, hence this study. Using survey research design of the correlation type, three University libraries in the South-western Nigeria were purposively selected. Structured questionnaires for 48 librarians and 44,508 registered library users were used. Proportionate stratified random sampling technique for library users with Undergraduates, post graduates and staff as the basis for stratification was used. Total enumeration was used to capture all the librarians, total of 845 (95%) for library users and 42 (88%) for librarians were successfully completed and used for the study. Findings revealed that the librarians and library users had high computer self-efficacy levels related to information system security. Furthermore, computer self-efficacy of librarians significantly influence information systems security (β = .61, t= 4.86, p.05). The study concludes that these two groups have a strong belief in their abilities to use computers effectively to impact on the information system. The librarians’ belief is in the positive; the users’ appears to be for negative reasons. The study recommends very high level of computer and other technologies efficacy for librarians, regular training and retraining while users should be re-orientated to the realities and benefits of secured information systems

Social Media Use and its Influence on Academic Performance of Postgraduate Students of Benue State University, Makurd

This study examined the social media use and its influence on academic performance of Postgraduate students of Benue State University, Makurdi. Four research questions were answered. Population for this study was 76 library staff of Benue State University and was used as sample. Instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire. Data collected was analysed using percentage, mean and standard deviation. Findings of the study revealed that Postgraduate students mostly spend their time using Facebook on social media. Findings also revealed that most of Postgraduate students spend their good on social media. The study also found that Postgraduate spend good number of hours on social media. Finally, the study revealed that usage of social media influence academic performance of Postgraduate students. The study concluded that social media is an important instructional method and cannot be misused. It was recommended that University management must design time and opportunities for the use of social media activities into their course syllabi. Both instructors and students must be open to learning and using new social media classroom approaches that extend and enhance instructor-student interactions. University management should encourage all Postgraduate students to use social media for academic purposes

Communication in Information Seeking Behaviour

Abstracts Much research has been carried out into information behaviour over many years. In every field, researchers study information seeking and use in yet another context (culture, organization, health, community, domain, and so on) without regard to any understandings of information seeking and use in other contexts.” This research set out to address these criticisms by building on existing models from library and information science and from communication studies to develop a new representation of information behaviour – one that encompasses seeking, use and communication of information. The ISCM model has been used to examine information behaviour in health care in order to investigate its validity and the insights that it can provide. By testing the model’s validity, the research also investigates the practical relevance of the models on which it is based and the elements of information behaviour that they identify. Health care was chosen to test the model because it has been a fertile field for exploration of information behaviour. The information needs and behaviour of physicians: content analysis of individual studies to examine further the applicability and validity of the Information Seeking and Communication Model a number (5) of studies of physicians’ information behaviour have been analysed in more detail using deductive content analysis. The findings indicate that, the specific collaborative information behaviours observed in the study were collaborative information seeking, collaborative information processing, and collaboration in decision making and taking action, and a related activity was information sharing. These findings indicate that the ISCM adequately represents key features of information users’ behaviour and factors affecting it. The five studies together provide evidence that all of this is true with regard to physicians’ information behaviour. They provide examples of the activities of physicians in seeking information and some of the thoughts and feelings they may have as they seek information. They also provide examples of physicians’ processing and assessing information and using it to make decisions, take actions or to increase their knowledge

Communication in Information Seeking Behaviour

Abstracts Much research has been carried out into information behaviour over many years. In every field, researchers study information seeking and use in yet another context (culture, organization, health, community, domain, and so on) without regard to any understandings of information seeking and use in other contexts.” This research set out to address these criticisms by building on existing models from library and information science and from communication studies to develop a new representation of information behaviour – one that encompasses seeking, use and communication of information. The ISCM model has been used to examine information behaviour in health care in order to investigate its validity and the insights that it can provide. By testing the model’s validity, the research also investigates the practical relevance of the models on which it is based and the elements of information behaviour that they identify. Health care was chosen to test the model because it has been a fertile field for exploration of information behaviour. The information needs and behaviour of physicians: content analysis of individual studies to examine further the applicability and validity of the Information Seeking and Communication Model a number (5) of studies of physicians’ information behaviour have been analysed in more detail using deductive content analysis. The findings indicate that, the specific collaborative information behaviours observed in the study were collaborative information seeking, collaborative information processing, and collaboration in decision making and taking action, and a related activity was information sharing. These findings indicate that the ISCM adequately represents key features of information users’ behaviour and factors affecting it. The five studies together provide evidence that all of this is true with regard to physicians’ information behaviour. They provide examples of the activities of physicians in seeking information and some of the thoughts and feelings they may have as they seek information. They also provide examples of physicians’ processing and assessing information and using it to make decisions, take actions or to increase their knowledge

PERCIEVED IMPACT OF NEWSPAPER USAGE ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS OF FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, MAKURDI

This paper examines the perceived impact of newspaper usage among University of Agriculture, Makurdi students and its impact on their academic performance. The overall objective is to assess the level of newspaper usage and students’ perception on the availability and accessibility of newspaper in the library. This study also highlights some of the challenges students face in using newspapers and proffer workable solutions. The population was made up of 150 students of University of Agriculture, Makurdi, comprising of undergraduates and postgraduates. The survey research method was adopted. The respondents were selected through random sampling of registered users the library at that particular time. As shown in the findings, the students use newspaper mostly for academic purpose followed by other purposes. The study revealed adequate but untimely provision of newspaper

Social Media Use and its Influence on Academic Performance of Postgraduate Students of Benue State University, Makurd

This study examined the social media use and its influence on academic performance of Postgraduate students of Benue State University, Makurdi. Four research questions were answered. Population for this study was 76 library staff of Benue State University and was used as sample. Instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire. Data collected was analysed using percentage, mean and standard deviation. Findings of the study revealed that Postgraduate students mostly spend their time using Facebook on social media. Findings also revealed that most of Postgraduate students spend their good on social media. The study also found that Postgraduate spend good number of hours on social media. Finally, the study revealed that usage of social media influence academic performance of Postgraduate students. The study concluded that social media is an important instructional method and cannot be misused. It was recommended that University management must design time and opportunities for the use of social media activities into their course syllabi. Both instructors and students must be open to learning and using new social media classroom approaches that extend and enhance instructor-student interactions. University management should encourage all Postgraduate students to use social media for academic purposes

Availability and Utilization of library Facilities and Information Resources in University of Agriculture Makurdi Demonstration Secondary School

This study was designed to examine the availability and utilization of library facilities and information resources in University of Agriculture Makurdi Demonstration Secondary School. Four objectives were achieved and four research questions answered. Population for this study was 136 subjects comprising of Senior Secondary School 1 and 2 students and was used as sample for the study. Instrument for data collection was the researcher’s constructed questionnaire. Data was collected and analysed using mean and standard deviation. Findings of this study revealed that library facilities and information resources are available in University of Agriculture Makurdi Demonstration Secondary School. It was found that the extent students utilize library facilities and information resources are very low. The study also found that there are problems associated with the utilization of library facilities and information resources. The study concludes by enumerating strategies that could be adopted to improve the use of library facilities and information resources by students in University of Agriculture Makurdi Demonstration Secondary School. It was recommended that he University should make provision for adequate funds for acquisition of information resources in Demonstration Secondary school library. University management should ensure that relevant materials to current curricula and teacher/student interests are supplied and the school administration should encourage the study to improve on the utilization of library information resources