THE DOMINANCE OF E-LEARNING AND INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) IN NIGERIAN MUSIC EDUCATION: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS

Abstract

This   paper   investigated   the   dominance   of   E-learning   and   Information   Communication Technology  (ICT)  in  Nigerian  music  education.    E-learning  and  ICT  serve  as  a  unifying  term used  to  describe  the  fields  of  online  learning,  web  based  learning  and  technology  delivered instruction where necessary. This unifying term entails the application of computers and various electronic  devices  in  the  study  of  music.  It  is  an  established  fact  that  e-learning/ICT  is increasingly becoming important by the day in Nigerian Universities. The study focused on four tertiary  institutions  in  South  East  Nigeria  namely  University  of  Nigeria,  Nsukka  (UNN), Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK), Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam  (COOU)  and  Alex  Ekwueme  Federal  University,  Ndufu  Alike  Ikwo  (AE-FUNAI). The  study  adopted  a  qualitative  research  using  field  and  library  methods  with  questionnaires and interviews as primary instruments for data collection. The need to sensitise musicologists to fully  adopt  e-learning  and  Information  Communication  Technology  (ICT)  in  modern  day musicology  prompted  this  study.  The  secondary  sources  of  information  entailed  the  useof  the library  where  the  results  of  the  findings  were  analyzed.  The  analysis  of  the  results  shows  that Poor  finances,  poor  maintenance  culture,  poor  electric  supply  and  lack  of  qualified  personnels pose  the  major  problems  of  e-learning/ICT  in  Nigerian  music  education  while  administrative efficiency,  technological  literacy,  support  for  musicologists  advancement  in  music  education were  discussed  as  future  prospects  of  e-learning/ICT  in  Nigerian  music  pedagogy.  From  these findings,  the  study  concludes  that  the dominance  of  e-learning/ICT  in  modern  musicology  is indisputable and strongly recommends that music education in Nigerian tertiary institutions be provided withspecial intervention funds.