Masters of Science
http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/629
2024-03-29T11:01:32ZINFORMATION SEEKING BEHAVIOUR ON DIGITAL RESOURCES BY VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI LIBRARY, KENYA.
http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/13846
INFORMATION SEEKING BEHAVIOUR ON DIGITAL RESOURCES BY VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI LIBRARY, KENYA.
PRISCAH CHEPTOO KIRWA
Information is power, a very important and valuable commodity in everydayhumanactivity as evidenced with the current digital divide that equal access to informationisessential to the development of information society which also applies to peoplewithdisability. The aim of the study was establish the information seeking behaviour ofvisually impaired students in accessing digital information resources withspecial
reference to University of Nairobi library services. The study was guidedbythefollowing objectives; to: establish information seeking behaviour by students withvisual impairment in accessing digital resources; determine how existing adaptiveandassistive technology impact students with visual impairment in accessingdigital
information resources; identify the challenges that mitigate the visually impairedstudents when accessing the digital resources and to propose possible strategiestomitigate the challenges that VI students face while accessing the digital resources. The total population of the study comprised of two units of analysis which were32visually impaired students and 6 librarians in charge of the visually impaired students. The study carried out a survey by means of questionnaires and observation protocol. The researcher observed keenly the behaviour of the VI students on howtheyinteract
with the adaptive/assistive technology; how they seek the information and challengesto its accessibility. This was achieved through the use of observation protocol
instrument. The observation results were to complement questionnaires fromboththedigital librarians and the VI students. The study employed Wilson’s (1999) TheoryofInformation Behaviour Model which provided a framework in mapping the student’sinformation patterns. SPSS version 25 was used to analyse the data. The responseratewas 78.95% from all the units of analysis. The results indicated that majority72%were female. Similarly, the results revealed that most VI students were gettingassistance from a sighted person or by use of computers, speech synthesizers, screenreaders, brail prints, and audio books. The study revealed that a smaller number usedmobile app called Tap Tap. The findings also indicated that UONlibrary haddigital
resources for VI which were inadequate. Although most of the VI students hadattended training or workshops, they faced several challenges which include; limitednumber of learning materials, slowness of VI students in grasping/typing information, inadequate electronic knowledge and skills from the librarians, negative attitudefromtheir peers, financial challenges, inadequate digital skills by VI students, small
learning space, failure to see facial expressions, mobility problems, and poor network. The study recommends that; the number of braille machines/learning materials/digital
resources for students be increased, that the university have a continuous trainingonthe existing librarians so as to equip them with enough and current technological
skills, and ensure that the study environment is adaptive for VI students. The studyfurther recommends that this being a grey area, more research needs to be carriedinother public universities handling visually impaired students.
2021-01-01T00:00:00ZUTILIZATION OF ELECTRONIC INFORMATION RESOURCES BY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT MAASAI MARA UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, NAROK, KENYA.
http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/13584
UTILIZATION OF ELECTRONIC INFORMATION RESOURCES BY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT MAASAI MARA UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, NAROK, KENYA.
EUNICE MEMUSI
The future belongs to countries whose people make the most productive use of
information, Knowledge and technology; as such Kenya as a developing nation cannot be
an exception. The traditional library ways of acquiring, repackaging, storing and
communicating information has changed due to web and internet technologies. The aim
of this study was to indentify the existing problems in the utilization of electronic
information resources and how they were being accessed by undergraduate students in
public universities in Kenya with special reference to Maasai Mara University library
services and suggest possible solutions to the challenges. The specific objectives of the
study were to: identify the available e-resources at the MMU library; assess the
utilization of the available resources; identify the major challenges that confront users
while accessing the resources and finally suggest possible solutions for the identified
challenges. The study was guided by the Unified theory of acceptance and use of
Information Technology (UTAUT). The study adopted a descriptive survey design with a
target population of 3180 students a sample size of 343 participants drawn from
undergraduate students who are in their 2nd and 4th year of study. Stratified sampling
technique was used to group the respondents into strata according to their respective
Schools and year of study. Respondents were randomly selected. The drop and pick up
method was used in administration of the questionnaires. Where a response rate of
266(76%) was achieved. Data was analyzed quantitatively whereby interpretation of the
findings were achieved.. The study revealed that, a range of e-resources are available at
Maasai Mara University for students to access. It was also found out that most of the
respondents 106 (39.5%) used electronic journal resources .The study revealed that only
49 (18.4%) of the respondents’ accessed electronic resources from their homes, while
only 142(53.2%) accessed e- resources from the library at the university. The results
indicated that the main reason for using e-resources was for academic purposes which
included writing and completing assignments 266 (100%). Internet connectivity had
proven from the study not to be a major problem as there was evidence of it being
reliable on many occasions. It was also noted that e- resources were not frequently being
utilizes as many respondents accessed the resources occasionally 128(48.2%) leading to
low usage. The reason for low usage and access was mainly due to inadequate search
skills 213 (80%); lack of appropriate library user education training on accessing the
resources 207 (78%) and inadequate computers 192 (72%). The study recommends that
sufficient networked computers, students’ sensitization on the worth of electronic
resources and well planned user awareness and user education programs by the library, be
put in place.
2022-01-01T00:00:00ZUTILIZATION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION AT THE KENYA NATIONAL LIBRARY SERVICE, NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA.
http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/13583
UTILIZATION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION AT THE KENYA NATIONAL LIBRARY SERVICE, NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA.
VERONICAH MWANIKI
The rapid spread of digital information hastens societal changes that provide fresh problems
and potential benefits. In order to succeed in the modern global economy, one must be able to
create, share, and use information while also adapting to changing circumstances. Today, the
marketplace, the workplace, and the larger society all largely rely on digital technology for the
production of all things, the collecting of information, and the communication processes. The
constant growth of IT is advantageous for public libraries and other information centres. With
the use of associated technologies like multimedia, knowledge navigation, multilingual, and
networking systems, public libraries will be capable of offering a larger range of services. The
utilization of digital resources by public libraries is focused on facilitating easy access to a
wide variety of information. Researching the usage of digital resources by the Nairobi County
branch of the Kenya National Library Service was the primary focus of the whole investigation.
This research was conducted to answer the following questions: what types of digital
information resources are available at the Kenya National Library Service in Nairobi County,
Kenya; to what extent are these resources used; to what extent do users encounter challenges
when utilizing these resources; and to what extent could these challenges be overcome. With
the use of a descriptive questionnaire approach, this study was conducted. A study of 100
regular users of digital information was conducted. Scientific analysis was done on the
research's findings after it was performed using questionnaires. Version 25 of SPSS was used
to do the data analysis. The quantitative data were shown using tables and pie charts (frequency
distributions, means, standard deviations, and percentages, for example). According to the
results of the study, most people who visit the KNLS make use of the digital information
resources offered by the library. Digital information sources were selected by users due to their
convenience. Based on the study's findings, recommendations have been made to identify
which assets are frequently used so that applicable memberships are not settled, especially with
the base financial plans allocated to electronic data asset memberships, and to assess whether
there is a need to increase refinement projects and data proficiency abilities for students and
scholarly staff to work with support.
2022-01-01T00:00:00ZROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN KNOWLEDGE SHARING AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AND STAFF IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING A CASE OF BOMET UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, KENYA
http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/13582
ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN KNOWLEDGE SHARING AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AND STAFF IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING A CASE OF BOMET UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, KENYA
CHEPNGETICH WINNIE
Social media have a lot of potential to improve communication, networking, teamwork,
and experience sharing. However, disseminating knowledge has never been simpler,
especially when it might help others. This study was necessary to ascertain the role that
social networks play in knowledge sharing and to offer a plan for boosting their use by
students and faculty at Kenya's universities and colleges, with a particular emphasis on
Bomet University College. the extent to which students and faculty at universities and
colleges use social networks to improve learning; the extent to which students and faculty
at institutions of higher learning use social media for knowledge sharing; the extent to
which students and faculty at higher education institutions use social media for
socialization; and the difficulties associated with using social media were the specific
objectives of the study. The Dependency Theory-related Melvin De Fleur communication
model served as the study's foundation. A case study design that informed the study's
mixed method approach was adopted. The study's target populations were the faculty and
students of Bomet University College, who were chosen using systematic random
sampling and purposeful sampling methods, respectively. A sample size of 205 was
employed for the survey, out of which 171 replies were obtained, yielding an 83 percent
response rate for the 684 undergraduate students and staff members of Bomet University
College. The questionnaire and interview schedule which were the main data collection
instrument was reviewed by the research supervisor and experts in information science
field and their comments were included in the final copy. The dependability of the
research tool was assessed using Cronbach's Alpha Value, and a pilot study done at the
University of Kabianga yielded a coefficient of 0.812 in that regard. The study's findings
show that everyone surveyed used social media to engage, share knowledge, and support
educational initiatives. The most used social media platforms by both teachers and
students were WhatsApp and Facebook. The survey also found that social media usage
was constrained by a lack of basic skills, sites being restricted by the ICT department,
and several security issues like hacking, cyberbullying, invasion of privacy, and
exploitation of personal data. The study suggests that by creating regulations controlling
social media security and privacy, policy makers in higher education institutions could
encourage students and staff to utilize social media in a professionally and productive
manner. In order to enhance the use of social media for knowledge sharing, stakeholders
should examine the costs associated with internet connection, the language used in social
media, and the safety of information by keeping an eye out for hackers.
2022-01-01T00:00:00Z