Internet Access and Usage by Undergraduate Students: A Case Study of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Nigeria

Introduction Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is the scientific, technological and engineering discipline and the management technologies used in the handling of information, processing and application related to computers. ICT is also defined as the term used to describe the tools and processes to access, retrieve, store, organize, manipulate, produce, present and exchange information by electronic and other automated means. These include hardwares, softwares and telecommunications in the form of personal computers, scanners, digital cameras, handheld/PDAs, phones, faxes, modems, CD and DVD players and recorders, digitalized video, radio and TV and programs like database systems and multimedia applications (Gwary, 1988). Of these, there are the traditional and modern technologies of disseminating information. The traditional ICT products are the printed page, radio, television, films and so on while the modern technologies include the Internet, e-mail, voicemail, facsimile technology, electronic bulletin board, cellular telephones, CD-ROMS among others. These different tools are now able to work together, and combine to form-networked world, which reaches into every corner of the globe (UNDP Evaluation Office, 2001). However, the use of ICTs in education process has been divided into two broad categories: ICTs for Education and ICTs in Education. ICTs for education connotes the development of information and communication technology specifically for teaching/learning purposes while the ICTs in education involves the adoption of general components of information and communication technologies in the teaching learning process [Olakulehin, (2007) quoted by Tella, Tella, Toyobo, Adika and Adeyinka (2007)]. Literature Review The Internet is a globally interconnected set of computers through which information could be quickly accessed. Internet has become an invaluable tool for learning, teaching and research. Internet could be regarded as technology evolved in furtherance of the concept of paperless society. It is a super high wave invention, which is already advancing the cause of humanity of the greatest height especially in this millennium (Onatola, 2004). The Internet provides such facilities as Electronic Mail, Telnet, On-line Searching, Electronic Publishing, User Group/Listen, Usenet, Archie, Gopher, File Transfer Protocol, Veronica, Mosaic and World Wide Web (WWW). The Internet sometimes simply called "the Net" is a worldwide system of computer network- a network of networks in which users at any one computer can, if they have permission, get information from any other computer (and sometimes talk directly to users at other computers). It was conceived by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of the U.S. government in 1969 and was first known as the ARPANET. The original aim was to create a network that would allow users of a research computer at one university to be able to "talk to" research computers at other universities (http://searchwindevelopment.techtarget.com). Today, the Internet is a public, cooperative, and self-sustaining facility accessible to hundreds of millions of people worldwide. The Internet has broken down barriers of communication and information access from anywhere in the world. It is often referred to as "Information Highway" because of its capacity to transmit a vast amount of information to anybody anywhere in the world. It is fast, reliable and does not have much restriction on content, format or geographical location. It also has a wide range of facilities which assist users to access the almost infinite information on the net. It thus offers the opportunity for access to up to date research reports and knowledge globally. It has thus became an important component of electronic services in companies, organizations, government, individual set-up as well as institutions especially libraries. Adomi, Okiy and Ruteyan (2003) reported that the use of Internet has grown in most urban areas in Africa. …