Information and Communication Technology Infrastructure Analysis of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and University of Ghana

Abstract

This paper explores the information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure for education at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Ghana (UG) and its implications for health education at the two universities. The author begins with a literature review of studies of ICT infrastructure in education and a look at the telecommunications landscape in Ghana. Using document-analysis and semi-structured interviews, the paper then examines the network infrastructure, technology policy, ICT support staff, and ICT services at each university as well as instructor and student access to and attitudes toward technology. Both institutions recently updated their ICT policies, expanded ICT services, improved the network backbone, and increased bandwidth. Several obstacles limit the growth of ICT at both universities, including lack of awareness of existing ICT services, lack of coordination across campuses and departments, lack of instructor incentives to integrate technology with teaching and research, and frequent power outages and fluctuations. In 2009-2010, both institutions made substantial investments to improve computer and Internet access for teaching staff and students. In order to advance ICT support for health science education at both institutions, the author recommends that both institutions install more surge protectors and backup power supplies, increase publicity about existing ICT services, integrate more information literacy topics into ICT training, establish arrangements for bulk educational discounts, and expand cross-departmental collaboration for multimedia and tech support for instruction.