ABSTRACT

This study sought to investigate capacity building needs of lecturers in utilizing information and communication technologies for effective instructional delivery in universities in Abia State. The study employed descriptive survey research design. The study formulated seven research questions and corresponding seven hypotheses to guide the study. The population of study was 1703 academic staff comprising of 668 from Abia State University, Uturu (ABSU) and1035 staff from Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) which are the two government owned universities in Abia State. The sample size forthe study was 323 lecturers representing 20% of the population, determined by the use of Taro Yamane’s (1973) formula. Data were collected using questionnaire titled; Capacity Building Needs Utilization of ICTs Questionnaire (CBNUICTQ); that was validated and overall reliability coefficient of 0.79 was obtained using Cronbach Alpha (r) reliability technique, Data were analyzed using mean and Improvement Need Index (INI) to answer the research questions while while t-test was employed in testing the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The results were that each of the variables (computer appreciation, word processing, spreadsheet, internet, computer graphics, multimedia, and computer maintenance) had mean gap needed index for effective instructional purposes. It was recommended, among others, that government, stakeholders and the university governing council should encourage and also support lecturers financially in the area of training and retraining of academic staff in ICT competencies by way of organizing very regular capacity building intervention programmes in order to upgrade their capabilities so that they would stand the test of time amidst all constraints in ICT skills for effective instructional delivery in the classroom.