COMPUTER PROFICIENCY AND GENDER AS DETERMINANTS OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AMONG DISTANCE LEARNING PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS IN YORUBA ORTHOGRAPHY

The advent of computers has activated a revolutionary change in the world of information technology. Computers are being used almost by everyone due to its numerous advantages in every facets of human interaction. One should be equipped with the basic knowledge of computer, its operations and applications as this will contribute greatly to academic achievement. Therefore, this study investigated how computer proficiency and gender can determine academic achievement of National College of Education distance learning students in Yoruba Orthography. Selected participants for the study were 270 distance learning 200 level students of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo, Oyo State. They were purposively selected from the three Senatorial Districts of the state. The study adopted a pre test, post test control group quasi experimental design. The following research instruments were developed and used for the study. (i) Mobile Phone-Based Instructional Strategy Package (MPBISP); (ii) ComputerBased instructional Strategy Package (CBISP); (iii) Students Convuter preficiency (SCPT); (iv) Yoruba Orthography Achievement Test (YOAT). Research work covers a period of twelve week. The data collected were analysed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The finding of the study reveals that gender had no significant effect on student’s achievement in Yoruba language; in effect, the achievement of male students is = 14.43 while that of the female is = 14.310, and the difference is not significant. The finding also revealed there was no significant effect of computer proficiency on students’ achievement in Yoruba orthography. The achievement “lean score of students with low computer proficiency is = 14.35 while students with high computer proficiency is = 14.39 the difference is not statistically significant. The finding of this study also revealed that mobile phone and computer based strategies as tools can be employed to maximize students’, particularly distance learning students’, academic achievement in Yoruba language. It can enhance their positive attitude in the subject. The study concluded that Information Communication Technology ICT is thus a powerful tool for providing educational services for both male and female. In effect, there is a need to consider the level of proficiency in computer skills as one of the criteria for employment of lecturers in Yoruba Orthography.