Abstract:

Covenant University aspires to be one of the ten leading university in the world by 2022. To each achieve this noble goal, the university has set in motion various strategies, some of which are to improve the learning process of students, empowerment of faculty and staff in gaining skills in teaching methodologies and the use of e-learning/new technologies. The university has currently invested a lot of funds in the acquisition of relevant and contemporary e-learning technologies, such as teleconferencing centres (five in all), e-learning lecture and delivery and assessment platforms (e.g. Moodle, TurnitinTM, et cetera), Smart interactive digital boards, fully digitized podiums etc. In a bid to maximize these investments, the need for identifying and addressing teachers’ phobia and demonstrated barriers to the new technologies and aids becomes imperative. The barriers to the use of appropriate teaching methodologies and the use of new technologies relevant to teaching were identified. The paper focused mainly on barriers related to lack of awareness of effective teaching methodologies, non-availability of appropriate e-learning/new technologies and psychological barriers to effective use of new technologies acquired by the institution. The paper also highlights efforts made by the institution in acquiring new technologies applied to education, sensitisation of faculty and staff to the effects of teaching pedagogies in the educative process and the personality factors in the utilisation of new technologies.

Keywords:

New technology, teaching pedagogy, e-learning, psychological barrier.