The Impact of Computer Mediated Communication Platforms for Hybrid Teaching on Undergraduate Students

Abstract

Different feats in communication have been achieved since the late 1960’s at the wake of globalisation. The information and communication technology (ICT), which came into place in the early ’70’s, is one of the feats. It has ushered in the computer mediated communication (CMC) method, having both prospects and problems. This study explores the prospects of CMC platforms in using them for hybrid teaching (HT) of undergraduate students. It relies solely on secondary data, drawn from library and internet resources. It is anchored on Roger’s Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT), which proves that CMC with its platforms is an innovative feat in information and communication technology that people use and diffuse systematically. The analysis proves that HT is almost the exclusive preserved of tertiary institutions, with postgraduate students being taught through HT mode much more than undergraduate students. It also proves CMC platforms to be integral parts of ICT and the new media. The study concludes that the educational prospects of CMC are evidenced in its use for HT. It recommends that CMC platforms should be used appropriately for HT, and the challenges to effective use of CMC platforms for HT should be tackled with pragmatic measures.