Conflictos Laborales y Competitividad Portuaria.

The response obtained from the lecturer participants indicated that all of them perceived themselves to be proficient in basic ICT knowledge, within the framework of using Microsoft programmes, the internet, and presentation software, for personal and instructional purposes. Yet they described their lack of competency when it comes to technical knowledge, such as the use of ICT in the analysis of a course, surfing for e-books and journals, Web-based projects and using a variety of search engines to obtain information.

The comments below show the adeptness of some lecturers using ICT:

L3: “I search the internet for relevant resources to use in my classes; the internet enables me to find relevant articles to use in my classes. Websites like ‘You Tube’ enables me to access videos that I can use in my lessons. ICT enables me to access a wide range of e-books which can be used by my students”.

Similarly, L1 commented:

“I use it to access the internet, to research materials online, to research simpler ways to introduce a topic and uses in real-life situation (application in real-life) and to search for sub-

157 | P a g e

There are others who perceive themselves to be competent in both basic and advanced ICT knowledge, to the extent of being able to access journal articles as well.

Using the internet to access journals, journal articles and electronic books is an advanced ICT skill that requires some level of competency to accomplish. Few of the lecturer participants possess this skill and use it to develop themselves. One lecturer went beyond self-development to equip the students with the skills to do likewise. This is substantiated by the comment:

“… accessing journals, articles from journals, I just give them (students) the journal name and they go and access it on their own”. (L2)

This is evidence of linking ICT to teaching and learning. It is also a demonstration of ICT adeptness, integrating ICT into curriculum delivery with confidence. Sending students to access journals for knowledge building, and to websites to search for more information on what was discussed in class (as expressed by L2): “I identify some websites for the students to visit and search for more information based on what we discussed in

class…” serves two purposes: getting students involved in their own learning, and

developing a conceptual understanding of what has been taught in terms of skill development.

However, the students questioned lecturers’ competency when it comes to the use of ICT facilities to assist them to develop knowledge and skills related to certain resources. One student participant alleged:

“Sometimes it is a challenge to understand the software and nobody readily available to help. If you do not know how to learn to write matrix on the program, there is no way that you can add matrix. If you don’t know how the graph using the same program, there is no way that you can do the graph. So first of all you have to understand that software”. (S1)

What the student seemed to be saying was that, while tools such as software may be available and ready for use, lecturers do not use them. It is therefore up to the individual student to know how to make use of such tools. This comment reveals that either lecturers are not well equipped with the appropriate ICT tools, or are incompetent to use them.

158 | P a g e

Furthermore, students expect lecturers to make adequate use of ICTs to enhance their learning and understanding, and help foster their eventual independence, as asserted by one participant:

“Okay what I can do is that I will give learners opportunity. It is like if I check out the topic I will just explain it just a bit and then I left the rest to my learners, so that learners can go into the net. They can go and interact with different resources, then to get more information”. (S3)

Living in the era of technology, but refusing to use technology in teaching and learning seems to point to lecturers’ technological incompetence. This was made clear in the following comment:

“I have got slides already, but not on power point, because normally I use the overhead projector while I teach this subject, because it is sort of makes my job easier. I have never used any power point presentation, the reason being the limited resources in our school. If they were there then I could use it. Last year the experience I had with my third year students, I instructed them to do an assignment for instance about any technology. They just come and present as to how does it work and to my surprise when they came in with laptops, presenting with those laptops. It was beautiful. So in a way even though we don’t literally encourage our students to use ICT, they use it”. (L4)

The lecturer participants believe that technology enhances learning, because students are allowed to operate in their zone, and with tools that inspire them. But to make good use of technology and surpass students’ knowledge of technology requires teacher trainers to upgrade their competency in using digital technology resources, and their technical knowledge generally.