The Impact of ICT on Teaching and Learning in Tertiary Institutions: A Case Study of Wisconsin International University College, Ghana

The frightening effect of the increasing spate of poor teaching and learning in recent times underscores management of tertiary institutions, lecturers and students concern for the integration of ICT into tertiary institutions. The study specifically aimed at evaluating the benefit of various ICT tools used by tertiary institutions and examines the challenges tertiary institutions face in terms of implementing ICT in teaching and learning. Another objective is to determine the role of lectures, administrators and students in integrating ICT into tertiary institutions. The research was conducted on lecturer’s administrators and students of Wisconsin International university College, Ghana and information was gathered through administration of structured questionnaires. Three null hypotheses were postulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. Results from the study indicated that there is a positively high impact of ICT on teaching and learning in tertiary institutions in the sense that, broadband is a major factor in increasing collaboration between teachers; Interactive whiteboards make a difference to aspects of classroom interaction. motivate both lecturer students to use ICT.The findings also presented challenges, where students need to access computers in an easy way; recurrent technical problems; and the use of software applications require skills that have to be gotten. It was then recommended based on the findings of the study that, policy makers should include new competencies in the curricula and in assessment schemes, implement new forms of continuous professional development in a workplace environment and also Keywords: Information system in education, Teaching and Learning, Important of ICT

Examining Issues of Electronic Payment Systems in Ghana

Ever since money was invented as an abstract way of representing value, new and increasingly abstract representations of value were introduced. A corresponding progression of value transfer systems, starting from barter, through bank notes, payment orders, checque and later credit cards, has culminated in electronic payment systems. Ghana payment system has been predominantly cash-based. With the rapid growth of Information and Communication Technology (ICT),          E-commerce is now acting as a means of carrying out business transactions through electronic means such as the Internet. E-commerce is the most recent step in the evolution of business transactions as it replaces or augments the swapping of money or goods with the exchange of payment, financial service kiosks, biometric payments, electronic payments networks etc and as technology develops, the range of devices and processes to transact electronically continues to increases while the percentage of cash and cheque transactions continue to decrease. As electronic payment systems have rapidly spring up as a means of business transaction globally in recent times, most organization or institution such as banks and insurance companies are making good use of this technology. Ghana is no exception in using this technology. Despite the immense benefits derived from the use of this technology, it is threatened by certain issues and challenges. This paper seeks to identify those challenges or issues related to Electronic Payment Systems in Ghana. Keywords: Challenges, Electronic Payment System, Information & Communication Technology, E-commerce, Cash, Bank

The Risks and Countermeasures of Social Engineering in Ghanaian Universal Banks

Ever since the evolution of banking, there have always been a number of unscrupulous individuals who have tried to breach its defenses in order to gain access to valuables. In the course of time, the physical attacks have become slowly less necessary because banking has steadily gained an online presence. Formerly, it was impossible to authorize a transaction through a mobile phone using the Internet. However, now that is more than possible, it is an extremely popular way of having transactions. As a result, security within financial institutions has shifted focus from physical to virtual measures. The most important component of a good financial IT security infrastructure is security Karishma (2010). In this scenario, the need for ensuring that information is kept confidential, adhering to accepted norms of privacy and making it available to authorized users at the appropriate time, assumes great significance. This is particularly valid for the banking sector where day-to-day operations are centered on information and information processing, which in turn is highly dependent on technology. Banking as a business involves the management of risks based on a repository of trust extended by the customers, If this objective has to be accomplished, it becomes imperative for all security concerns especially customer sensitive data to be addressed in an effective way so as to ensure that the trust levels are well preserved and information assets perform the role that they are supposed to according to Chakrabarty (2010). The research conducted on the Ghanaian banks concerning information security breaches within the banking and financial institutions has shown that majority of the banks are very much concerned with both internal and external security breaches and also all the Ghanaian banks have in one way or the other experienced information security breaches before, according to Tobin and Danquah (2011).The current and the future bank institution in Ghana need to provide social engineering measures to secure their information and that of their customers. Because a lot off banks in Ghana and Nigeria has being attacked unaware due to the social engineering effect, this research investigates social engineering effect in Ghanaian Banks, and also identifies how Information and Communication Technology is managed. It also creates awareness on social engineering and it countermeasures of stakeholders, Contributes to development of policy to enhance and secure quality banking. Keywords: Information Security , Social Engineering , Countermeasures, Creation of Awareness, Mitigation

Analyzing Customers’ Perception of Service Quality of Ghanaian Telecommunication Industry

Competition is supposed to bring about efficiency in the quality of service in an economy. In spite of the establishment of several telecommunication industries in Ghana, the quality of service has been questionable and woefully inadequate. This paper seeks to investigate customer perception of service quality. Therefore, the study was basically a survey based on the use of questionnaire to elite the opinions, attitudes and behaviors of respondents. Descriptive statistic was the main framework used for analyzing the data. The results indicate that customers scribe premium to wider coverage, clarity of calls and affordability of call cards as their expectation of service quality. The findings further revealed that much as customer satisfaction was expected to be a determinant of customer, the results showed otherwise. It can thus be concluded that service quality can translate into customer satisfaction but cannot translate into customer loyalty through customer satisfaction. Keywords: service quality, telecommunication, customer loyalty, customer perception, SERVQUAL mode

Mobile LearningPlatform: a case study of introducing m-learning in Tertiary Education

This paper presents a study on a one year m-learning pilot project at Central University College in Ghana. This was done through a user trial, where the m-learning tool AD-CONNECT is introduced in 44 courses with a total of 500 students and 22 lecturers at the College. The paper reports on the first experiences gained by both teachers and students by asking the following questions: What are the perceptions of teachers on m-learning? What are the effects of m-learning on students? What does m-learning contribute to face-to-face teaching and learning? Questionnaires were administered to students and lecturers to gather quantitative data on their views on the use of m-learning, particularly after using the AD-CONNECT M-Learning system. Also, observations and interviews were used to collect data from users which provided us with some qualitative data

SARS-CoV-2 vaccination modelling for safe surgery to save lives: data from an international prospective cohort study

Background: Preoperative SARS-CoV-2 vaccination could support safer elective surgery. Vaccine numbers are limited so this study aimed to inform their prioritization by modelling. Methods: The primary outcome was the number needed to vaccinate (NNV) to prevent one COVID-19-related death in 1 year. NNVs were based on postoperative SARS-CoV-2 rates and mortality in an international cohort study (surgical patients), and community SARS-CoV-2 incidence and case fatality data (general population). NNV estimates were stratified by age (18-49, 50-69, 70 or more years) and type of surgery. Best- and worst-case scenarios were used to describe uncertainty. Results: NNVs were more favourable in surgical patients than the general population. The most favourable NNVs were in patients aged 70 years or more needing cancer surgery (351; best case 196, worst case 816) or non-cancer surgery (733; best case 407, worst case 1664). Both exceeded the NNV in the general population (1840; best case 1196, worst case 3066). NNVs for surgical patients remained favourable at a range of SARS-CoV-2 incidence rates in sensitivity analysis modelling. Globally, prioritizing preoperative vaccination of patients needing elective surgery ahead of the general population could prevent an additional 58 687 (best case 115 007, worst case 20 177) COVID-19-related deaths in 1 year. Conclusion: As global roll out of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination proceeds, patients needing elective surgery should be prioritized ahead of the general population