Use of The Internet by Students and Research Scholars of Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy Enugu Nigeria

Abstract

The internet is a major source of communication and dissemination of information in the twenty-first century. The internet has become an important component in academic institution, as it plays a pivotal role in meeting the information and communication needs of institutions. The study examines the use of the internet by students and research scholars in the Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy (FCDT&T), Enugu. This study adopts a descriptive research design. The targeted population is one thousand, two hundred (1200) of FCDT&T students, and Fifty (50) research scholars in the 2017/2018 academic session. From the forgone, a sample size of 200 students and 30 research scholars were selected using stratified random and purposive sampling techniques. The questionnaire was used as the research instrument for data collection. The data obtained through the questionnaire are presented in tables and analyzed using frequency and simple percentages. The findings from the study indicate that students (199:100%) and research scholars (29:100%) in the college are aware of the internet. However, downloading (190:95.48%) irrelevant information, adequate resources, and lack of knowledge about the internet and related applications (190:95.48%) are major challenges to use the use of the internet in the college library. For this purpose, there is need for effective user education, in order to develop the awareness and knowledge of the users and library staff at FCDT&T in the effective use of the internet, its techniques and applications. The findings of the study on “use of Internet Resources by Students and Research Scholars” must be taken into consideration in the college’s plan, for the effective and efficient use of the internet for research work and the improvement of the library e-resources.