FACTORS INFLUENCING THE USE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AMONG STUDENTS OF ABIA STATE UNIVERSITY, UTURU

ABSTRACT This research was on factors influencing the use of information and communication technology among student nurses of Abia State University, Uturu. The objectives of this study were to: determine the economic factors that influence the ICT, elicit the social factors that determine the time factors that influence the use of ICT, determine personal factors that influence the use of ICT and determine the time factors that influence the use of ICT. The target population was the students’ nurses in Abia State University, Uturu. Total population of the study was 341 and with use of stratified random sampling technique, 184 student nurses were used as sample size. Instrument for data collection was the questionnaire. Data was analysed using frequency table with percentages, standard deviation and charts. Findings showed that the following factors influence the use of ICT among students’ nurses of Abia State University, Uturu were: cost 74 (40%), unreliable electricity 74 (40%), inadequate computerization and infrastructure were the economic factors; government attitude 80 (43.5%), lack of trained personnel 50(27.2%), environment 29(15.8%) and social belief 25(23.2%) were the social factors; ignorance 92(50%), lack of users’ education 37(20%) and family background 55(30%) as interest factors. Both schedule time 92(50%) and release time 92(50%) were both identified as the time factors that influence the use if ICT. Some recommendations made by the researcher were that: there should be provision of adequate infrastructure/computers and a standard e-library for maximal utilization of ICT services, implementation of standard user education where most of the academic activities will be carried out through the use of ICT services. This will help to build the skills and capacity of students.