An investigation into VideoTeleconferencing (VCT) adoption in higher education in Kenya: a case of the University of Nairobi

Abstract

This study was an investigation of the attitudes and readiness of academic staff and students towards use of videoconferencing in learning. A case study of the University of Nairobi was carried out using questionnaires. The questionnaires were administered randomly to members of academic staff and students of the University of Nairobi from the School of Business and the School of Education. The objective of this study was to determine the perception and readiness of academic staff and students towards this 'new technology in order to assess the possibility of success if videoconferencing is used in presenting lectures at Institutions of Higher Education in Kenya. There were 165 questionnaires that were administered. 80% of these questionnaires (132 questionnaires) were received and used in the analysis, 22 (13.4%) were from academic staff and 66.6% were from students but 20% of the questionnaires issued were not returned by the respondents. The results obtained from the analysis indicated that out of the 132 respondents, only128 (97%) responded on the section that covered attitudes, 3% of the questionnaires could not be analyzed for attitudes since the respondents had left that section of the questionnaire blank. Out of the 128 respondents, 74.2% had positive attitudes towards Videoteleconferencing (VTC) , 25.8% had neutral attitude, and none (0%) had a negative attitude towards VTC. This study can be used by Institutions of Higher Education in Kenya to give insight of the reception videoconferencing technology will be given by academic staff and students if it introduced in teaching.