A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE STATUS OF DIGITAL INCLUSION AMONG LEARNERS IN OPEN DISTANCE LEARNING (ODL) INSTITUTIONS IN SOUTH-WEST NIGERIA

Abstract

Globally, the integration of ICT has gained prominence with a strong emphasis on digital inclusion initiatives to enhance learning outcomes. However, the lack of accessibility and utilisation of digital technologies can lead to digital divide among learners despite the mass availability. The study aim was to review current state of digital inclusion among learners in ODL in South-West Nigeria. Descriptive survey design and multistage sampling procedure were adopted for the study. Split-half method was used for the pilot study giving reliability coefficient value of 0. 83.  514 copies of questionnaire were used as research instrument for data collection. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer research questions and hypotheses were tested using t-test independent, ANOVA and linear regression at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed a high level of digital infrastructure availability and accessibility with a moderate level of usage among learners in ODL in South-West Nigeria. This indicates a considerable improvement of digital infrastructure availability and accessibility compared with Covid-19 pandemic episode. It was recommended that ODL policymakers should develop institutional digital inclusion policies to foster accessibility and usage to meet the demand of distance and technology-enabled learning environment with global best practices.