Exploring the Trend of ICT Adoption in Tertiary Institutions in Ghana: A Case Study at Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology (KNUST)

Abstract

The integration of ICT in tertiary institutions is critically important, if Ghana is to produce graduates equipped to for knowledge and technological based economy and also to bridge the gaps between itself and the rest of the world. This research examines the trend and use of ICT adoption in Ghana, and its effect on teaching, research and learning in tertiary institutions in Ghana. Mixed data collection method was used. Data was collected on the trend of ICT infrastructure within the past 10 years. There are many technology infrastructures available but it is not fully integrated in teaching, research and learning. While the practice of equipping institutions with ICT infrastructure and using them to teach computer literacy to augment teaching, research and learning is useful, the goal of fully integrating ICT in educational, research, and administrative processes seems very slow. Another issue is lack of affordable and dependable connectivity with sufficient bandwidth. The unwillingness to use ICT coupled with unreliable electric supply complicates the matter. To make these methods ready for practical, industrial use, they need further work, especially the creation of supports and investment in infrastructure. The full potential of technology will only be unlocked by effective approaches to other essential IT challenges to Ghanaian education.

Keywords: ICT, Infrastructure, Tertiary Institutions, and Ghana.