ASSESSMENT OF SKILLS ACQUISITION VIA SOCIAL MEDIA AMONG UNDERGRADUATES

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

Globally tertiary education is an instrument of for economic and human development. As a result the present Nigerian tertiary institution system understands the truth that acquiring the critical skills and concepts of new technologies as the centre of edification must be the essential plank through which the revolution envisaged in education can be accomplished. This is because education serves as a catalyst for every meaningful societal reform. According to Obi (2017), the objectives of Nigerian higher education institutions are to provide post-secondary school education with the goal of generating suitable people that would help the country's social, economic, and technical growth and development.  However, it is critical to recognize that the attainment of these significant goals and objectives cannot be realized in today's technology-driven society without sufficient use of technologies to exploit social media. According to Musa (2015), the emergence of social media has changed the way students communicate, engage, and gain skills, knowledge, and understanding.

Etymologically, social media, by definition, are computer-mediated systems that facilitate the creation and dissemination of information, ideas, professional interests, and other kinds of expression through intrinsic communities and networks (Hajirnis, 2015). According to Obar and Wildman (2015), consumers access social media services via web-based technologies on desktops, laptops, or download services that provide social media functionality to mobile devices such as smart phones and tablet computers. According to Holland and Tiggerman (2016), users may establish hugely interactive platforms that allow people, groups, and organizations to contribute to, co-create, hash out, and alter user-generated or pre-made information shared online. As of January 2020, there were 85.49 million internet users in Nigeria, according to the Data Reportal Digital 2020 Sectoral Report on Nigeria. According to the research, the number of internet users in Nigeria rose by 2.2 million (+2.6%) between 2019 and 2020, with internet penetration being at 42% in January 2020. According to the same Digital Report, there are 27 million social media users in Nigeria. It goes on to say that between April 2019 and January 2020, the number of social media users in Nigeria rose by 3.4 million (+14%), while social media penetration in Nigeria stood at 13%. According to the Data Reportal Digital (2020) study, internet use and, by extension, social media use in Nigeria will skyrocket in the next years. Given this fact, it is realistic to expect that the majority of news interchange, business transactions, social interactions, and idea exchange will take place online in the next years. This transition will have a massive influence on society as we know it.

Intriguingly, the usage of social networks by Nigerian students in educational institutions is growing ubiquitous. According to Ralph, and Ralph (2015) , social media platforms are the solution to collective and interpersonal communication for academic success. According to Abdulsalam and Azizah (2014), social media is a network and a two-way process that can facilitate teaching and learning by allowing for prolonged interaction between the provider; which the teacher and the beneficiary of the education (student learner) has the effect of providing the recipient with reinforcing information in order to progress. According to Tufekci (2018), students use new media to communicate and exchange educational content. Umoru (2015) reported that social media is gaining traction in some higher education institutions, particularly in the learning process of students. Participants in this study believed that learning through social media is motivating, simple, and could help them with writing assignments. According to Musa (2015), common social media platforms include Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, YouTube, Skype, Instagram, and Wiki, among others. Social media platforms have become an essential element of students' academic activities, sociability, and life of enjoyment. As a result of this advancement, research on social media among higher education students is gaining traction and attracting the interest of academics and classroom teachers alike.

1.2 Statement of the problem

In recent times, many skills learning resources in many vocations or profession have recently been fused into pictorial or video format, with the goal of teaching skills required for enhancing people's competence in diverse professions. Some of these abilities are video filming and editing capabilities, musical instrument expertise, electronic engineering, dexterity, architectural design abilities, culinary, fashion, and design skills. Others include practical nursing, practical arts, dance, and practical chemistry abilities, among others. These skill videos and picture formats allow people to be instructed in a more informal manner, as opposed to conventional classroom settings. According to Omole (2016), exposure to these vocational and/or entrepreneurial abilities through pictorial or video media formats prevents such practical vocational subject-matters from becoming mystical to the trainees. However, these techniques of skill learning are less effective due to the difficulty in reaching a larger audience of skill searchers. Fortunately, thanks to improvements in ICTs, these video and graphically based instructional platforms may be found on the internet domain of various social media platforms (Barnes, 2013), implying that social media is not only a communication platform, but also functions as a school (Mbuk 2015).. As a result, skill searchers will have access to platforms where they may learn new talents or improve on those they currently have (Noer, 2012). This demonstrates social media's wide value-laden possibilities.

In contrast, the polity is still confronted with an economic slowdown caused by a shortage of jobs. According to research, skill learning can foster an entrepreneurial mindset among young adults, which is related with economic development, particularly when it creates alternative work alternatives. Lack of entrepreneurial competence is believed to encourage graduate and youth unemployment in Nigeria. Umoru (2015) emphasized the concerning status of graduate unemployment in Nigeria. One of the causes for the lack of essential entrepreneurship skills among many Nigerian graduates is the education system of the pre- and post-independence eras, which did not lay emphasis on the development of entrepreneurial and vocational skills (Onuma,2016). As a result, the present policy push in the University educational system prioritizes vocational and entrepreneurship education in the tertiary education curriculum (Onuma, 2016).

Despite the obvious importance of social media in enhancing learning, no empirical study was accessible to the researcher that focused on evaluating the social media effect on skills among undergraduates at any level of Nigerian tertiary institution. This is regarded critical since the current rate of acceptance of information technology in teaching and learning is still quite low, particularly at the college level. Several research show that social media have enormous potential as learning aids (Nwangwa Yononfoun, & Omotere, 2018). Despite this, research have shown that students seldom utilize social media for educational and skill learning objectives. It is unclear if undergraduate students at Nigerian colleges utilize social media platforms to study and enhance professional and vocational skills that would enable them to become job creators, company owners, and self-sufficient. Consequently, this study presents an assessment of skills acquisition via social media among undergraduates.

1.3 Objective of the study

The broad objective of this study is to presents an assessment of skills acquisition via social media among undergraduates. Specifically, the study seeks to:

Examine the perception of undergraduates on skills acquisition via social media? 

Determine what extent do undergraduates acquire practical skills on social media?

Identify the major social media platforms which facilitates skill acquisition  for undergraduates.

Ascertain are the forms of skill acquired by undergraduates via social media platforms.

Ascertain the challenges undergraduates encounter in using social media as platform for skills acquisition.

1.4 Research Questions

The research is guided by the following research questions constructed in line with the objectives:

What is the perception of undergraduates on skills acquisition via social media?

To what extent do undergraduates acquire practical skills on social media?

What are the major social media platforms which facilitates skill acquisition training for undergraduates?

What  form of skills are acquired by undergraduates via social media platforms?

What are the challenges undergraduates encounter in using social media as platform for skills acquisition?

1.5 Research hypotheses

H01: Social media does not facilitate effective skill acquisition training for undergraduates in Lagos State University.

Ha1: Social media facilitate effective skill acquisition training for undergraduates in Lagos State University .

H02: The extent to which in Lagos State University students utilizes social media for skill acquisition training is low.

H02: The extent to which in Lagos State University students utilizes social media for skill acquisition training is high.

1.6 Significance of the study

The study is expected to be useful to lecturers, students, curriculum planners and administrators of tertiary institutions in Nigeria. To the teachers, the study is expected to provide useful information on the effectiveness of social media as an instrument for skill acquisition. This will enable them determine the extent to which social media can expose learners to these vocational and or entrepreneurial skills through these pictorial or video media forms which makes such practical vocational subject-matters to stop becoming mystical to the learners.  To undergraduates, the outcome of the study will provide information on the influence of social media ad how it can improve their  expertise in various profession. , enabling them to regulate the extent of their social media engagement. To curriculum planners, the study may provide information on the need to factor social media into curriculum design and implementation plans. Administrators in  tertiary institution will , guided by the outcomes of this study to adopt, deploy and regulate social media usage not only for teaching but also for other skill acquisition purposes in tertiary institutions. Finally, the study will serve as a rich source of literature on social media, communication, business education and related fields.

1.7 Scope of the study

The scope of this study borders on an  an assessment of skills acquisition via social media among undergraduates. The study will further  investigate the extent of which students utilize social media for skill acquisition training, identify the major social media platforms which facilitates skill acquisition training for undergraduates and determine the challenges encountered by undergraduates in the use of social media for skill acquisition. The study is however delimited to undergraduates in Lagos State University  (LASU, Ojo Campus) 

1.8 Limitation of the study

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. The significant constraint was the scantiness of literature related to the  assessment of skills acquisition via social media among undergraduates. Thus much time and organization was  spent by the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials related to the study. More so, the study is limited in scope focusing on undergraduate in  Lagos State University  (LASU, Ojo Campus) . Therefore findings of this study cannot be used for generalization for other other tertiary institution  within or outside Lagos State which  creates a  research gap  and give room for further studies on this topic. 

1.9 Definition of terms

Social Media: Social media are interactive digital channels that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks.

Skill:  Skill is individual ability to perform specific task or assignment successfully.

Skills Acquisition: Skill acquisition is the art of learning to do something in order to earn a living and or to survive.