Impact of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in enhancing quality of education for students with visual and hearing problems in selected higher educational institutions of Ethiopia

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the role of Information Communication Technology for students with visual and hearing problems, as well as to explore the factors that hinder these students not to be effective as it is expected. The research design for this study was cross sectional survey. Addis Ababa, Jimma and Hawasa Universities were study areas. The respondents were undergraduate students with visual and hearing problems, lab assistants and instructors who teach these students. Total population of this study was 374. Sample size was determined by using both purposive and stratified random sampling. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect data from total of 167 respondents. Data collection instruments were questionnaire, interview and observation. The researcher used both descriptive way of statistical methods like measures of central tendencies to analyze the collected data and inferential method to see the relationships between variables. The result obtained from the study indicate that ICT help the students to access relevant information independently. For students who have experience to use technology, there is a problem of being dependent on it. Also the experience of students with visual and hearing problems in using computer, internet and Assistive technologies is at minimum level. 52.9% of the respondent have no experience of using computer and 58.2% of them do not know how to use internet. Majority of them have mainly limitation of awareness to use technology, digital divide and interpersonal relationship with others. Even though technological tools are effective in giving the information for the user, all students with visual and hearing problems could not use them properly. The main reasons for this challenge are complexity of technology and shortage of computer and Assistive technologies in number and kind. The students who use computer and Assistive technologies have good information seeking behavior; i.e. most of them use the technology for educational purposes. To indicate the strategy that should be implemented in order to solve the problems of quality of education for these students, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is adopted. Generally, students with visual and hearing problems have gap of getting relevant and timely information because of barriers from organizational structure, digital divide, lack of awareness how to use technology and complexity of technology. Therefore, students with visual and hearing problems, lab assistants, universities, Ministry of education and FDRE government should actively participate in order to implement the inclusion policies and enhance quality of education for these students.