Evaluating the Benefits of Broadcasting in Improving Adult Literacy in Lagos State

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to evaluate the benefits of broadcasting in improving adult literacy in Lagos state. Broadcasting medium such as radio and television are meant to disseminate audio and video signal, messages, information or programs to wide range of audience. Radio and television are already playing a role in educating the populace non-formally through various educational channels and programmes, but there is significant potential to capitalise on their ability to enhance development and learning curriculum content among adult learners. This study: Find out the awareness of educational radio and television programmes by adult learners in Lagos state, Investigate adult learners access to educational radio and television programmes and to Investigate problems militating against students’ use of educational radio and television programmes for learning. Questionnaire was used as instrument to elicit responses from 222 adult learners on their awareness-on and access to seven educational radio and television programmes. The findings revealed that the students were not aware of the educational radio and television programmes even though they have access to it. The study recommends that teachers in secondary schools should include educational broadcasts as forms of stimulus variation that they could apply to their classes and educational programmes producers on both radio and television should create enough awareness about the programmes to enable students follow the programmes at appropriate time.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

 Background of the study

Education has been characterized as the way toward encouraging learning of information, aptitudes, qualities, convictions and propensities including coming to, preparing, stortytelling conversation and coordinated examination. Training as often as possible happens under the direction of instructors, anyway students can likewise teach themselves. Instruction can take in formal or casual any experience that formatively affects the way one thinks, feels, or acts might be viewed as instructive.

Media and communication are at the focal point of our regular day to day existences, at learning focus, at work, at home, openly puts or while making a trip starting with one area then onto the next. We are once in a while distant from interceded sound, picture or word, regardless of whether as TV, radio, papers, magazines, cell phone, individual music player, games, machines or the web, some time all alone and at some point in the organization of others. Broadcasting remain to educate, engage and to enlighten us, and empower associations with companions and networks, it give translation of our general surroundings and offers asset for the producing of personalities and creative mind.

It is important to point out that the media offer a range of options for print, electronics and film, which are supported by several presentation and consumer platforms. “Cross media”, on the other hand, means the idea of ​​spreading the same message through different media channels. A similar idea is expressed in the information industry as a convergence in the implementation of adult education programs. Therefore, the use of media is just as important as a good and supportive learning environment. The media has made a huge contribution to our communication and tactical skills. Communication is not strictly for people, so it is possible that you will act based on your dog’s information, for example, she barks, you feed her. This general concept also suggests that your dog may be reacting to your dog’s information. You go into the room to feed them, wag your tail and jump in the air, waiting for dinner. The focus of this project is communication as an important aspect of learning through the media so that you can beautify your research across disciplines or disciplines.

Adult education is a concept that does not have a universal acceptable definition, due to the fact that the word “adult” does not have a general acceptable definition. To some adult education is said to be education for the aged simply known as (Eko-agba). But the concept of adult education is wider and broader than that in clarifying these views, some scholar’s such as Seya (2005) posits that adult education is a transmission of process of general technical or vocational knowledge as well as skills, values and attitudes which takes place out of the former education system with a view of remedying early education inadequacies of mature people or equipping them with knowledge and cultural element required for their self-fulfillment and active participation in the social, economic and political life of their societies. In addition Bryron (1936) cited in the profession and practice of adult education (1997p. 7). All the activities with an educational purpose that are carried on by people, engaged in the ordinary business of life.

Merriam and Broket (2007) who quoted, defined adult education as activities intentionally designed for the purpose of bringing about changing among those ages, social roles, or self-perception defined them as adult. In addition to the definitions offered above one can, therefore, for now, safely say that broadcasting and adult education are intertwined, these is because they both focuses on “mass education” for example broadcasting creates an awareness and also aim to bring about change in behavior, attitudes and perception of the audience, while adult education is any purposeful effort towards self-development, carried out by an individual without direct legal compulsion and without such effort becoming his major field of activity. From this, adult education is directed towards educating and enlightens the mass in order for them to be self-developed and create awareness in them to participating fully in the society they belong.

The effects of broadcasting in adult education, the empire of broadcasting has conquered almost all territories, there are a few countries left in Africa that doesn’t know about television or radio, but the number of people who do not consider broadcasting to be one of the things they cannot live without is quite insignificant. Having such an influence on our lives, it has both beneficial and harmful influence. Radio on the other hand can be used as one of mutual communication instrument through which we can inform the learners and public about the acquiring skills to improve the economic status and general wellbeing.

Statement of the problem

Television and radio are another modern communication instrument through which we reach the numbers of adult learners in the shortest span of time. Effective communication can be made even with illiterate people through these techniques. It is how ever short lived when compared with print media. It is capable of helping learners to overcome the cultural barriers and social deficiencies. The tremendous impact of broadcasting in enlightening the populace cannot be over emphasized. Information is different from education. Adult Education is systematically organized information with predefined objectives. The primary source of Adult education in our community is schools or colleges. broadcasting also perform the functions that adult educational institutions do. broadcasting are life-long educators for the adult learners’ community. They give us comprehensive knowledge of selected topics. Non news content or news-based content like editorials, articles, columns in newspapers provide us with complete idea of a subject. Health programmes, are also examples for adult education through media. Recently, educational broadcasting programmes through educators directly participate in our educational system by publishing and airing educational supplements for adult learners. This study seeks to evaluate the benefits of broadcasting in improving adult literacy in Lagos State.

Objective of the study

The major of this study is to evaluate the benefits of broadcasting in improving adulty literacy in Lagos State. Other specific objectives are:

1.   To find out the educational broadcasting programmes the residents of Lagos are aware of.

2.   To find out the educational broadcasting programmes the residents of Lagos have access to.

3.   To find out how often residents of Lagos access educational broadcast.

4.   To investigate the constraints to the use of broadcasting media.