Knowledge and Awareness of Virtual Learning Environments Among Ghanaian University Students and its Implications for Global Education

Abstract

The study examined the perception of University Students on the benefits, knowledge and awareness of virtual learning environments and their impact on international education and curriculum development. The descriptive survey design was employed with a sample size of 264 Business students randomly selected from the Business department of the University of Education, Kumasi Campus in Ghana. The Logistic Regression analysis was also utilized to estimate predictors of the usage of virtual learning among the respondents at 0.05 level of significance. Results from the study showed that majority of the students had sufficient understanding of the benefits of the virtual learning environments in enhancing international education and had in-depth knowledge in the influx of the applications of the virtual learning devices. Results from the logistic regression analysis also revealed that predictors such as sex and place of residents of respondents significantly influence their usage and knowledge of virtual learning devices. The Nagelkerke R- square of 0.7 and Cox & Snell R- Square of 0.56 indicated the goodness of fit. It is recommended that curriculum designers and lecturers incorporate the virtual learning technologies into their teaching pedagogy to enhance learning and teaching in this current global world.

Keywords: Virtual learning, Awareness, University Students, Ghana.