INTERNET USE IN SECOND CYCLE INSTITUTIONS IN GHANA: A STUDY OF ACHIMOTA SCHOOL

ABSTRACT

Internet use in educational institutes has benefits for both professional

development of teachers and the educational work of students. In Ghana, there

have been several initiatives such as World of learning Project (WorlD Links), a

World Bank sponsored programme, coupled with assistance from corporate

bodies like Ghana Telecom, Network Computer Systems (NCS), Africa Online

and Standard Chartered Bank Limited, for promoting the use of the Internet for

educational purposes. The work studied the use of the Internet in educational

institutions focusing on second cycle institutions in general. Achimota School

was use as a case study. The school was selected because it was one of the

first second cycle institutions to have started teaching computer skills and

Internet use in the country.

fhe study involved interviewing the headmistress, the computer laboratory

master and forms 2 and 3 students using structured interviews in 2001. The

~tlldy showed, among other things, that many of the teachers and students learnt

about the Internet in 1997 and 1999 respectively. In the case of the teachers, the

major means through which this was done was through their colleagues but

amongst the students, television was the leading medium through which they

learnt about the Internet. The use of posters was the least of the means through

which both teachers and students have learnt about the Internet. The study also

showed that many of the teachers and students were taught the use of the facility

In the school even though the number of personal computers is inadequate. There is restriction on teachers and students in terms of access to the Internet.

Both teachers and students expressed the desire for more time with the facility

for independent use.

The study showed that there was the likelihood of a minor problem with a

machine which are normally fixed by the computer laboratory master. There is

however no specific agency to handle major problems as and when they come

IIp It is suggested that employing the services of a specific company might help

reduce the spate of breakdown of the machines since the company might

become familiar with their computers and get to know how to fix these problems

on a more permanent basis.

SOlllt~ of the recommendations put forward are that the school should consider

connecting other centres of learning in the school such as the library to the

Internet In so doing, the computer laboratory could be used purposely for

irdlfwlg cyber cafes should also be allowed to operate on pilot basis on the

_"'IPUS The Idea of a feedback mechanism could assist the school to know the

krnd of emphasis that would be necessary in teaching of skills acquisition in

dllputer and Internet use.