Technology Solution to Quality Rural University Education.

Quality education at various levels in rural communities, especially with regards to developing and underdeveloped nations has been challenging. Hence, this study investigated the effect of technology in providing quality education to rural based university students, consequently improving their learning abilities. Quantitative and qualitative methods were adopted for data collection. Questionnaires were administered to 934 randomly selected undergraduates, while semistructured interviews were conducted for eight lecturers from two selected rural universities in South Africa and Nigeria. The findings show that while technology can have great impact on the learning abilities of the students and improve the quality of education provided, several factors militate against the inclusion of technology in the education provided to students in the selected rural universities. The study recommends that curriculum planners take into cognizance the inclusion and provisions of technological facilities when planning the curriculum, periodically organize workshops for lecturers on the need to adopt the use of technology when lecturing, and assessing and providing feedback to students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]