ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF IMPLEMENTING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN ADMINISTRATION OF HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

In many countries today, the use of ICT is increasingly being promoted to improve the quality of education at all levels of their educational system. Globally, the current techniques of educational development are changing as the days evolve. It has become apparent that reforms in contemporary higher education cannot succeed effectively without paying much attention to the use of ICTs, particularly when applying it in educational administration. This constant change is mainly determined by the integration of digital tools to advance the effectiveness of administration and management of educational practices in higher educational institutions. The use of ICT has become a vital pointer for almost all known activities. The use of these technologies in the administration of higher educational institutions is gaining ground. Researchers have acknowledged that ICT application has significant impacts on educational administration. In recent times, higher educational institutions have experienced an increase in the digitalization of administrative processes. These technologies are currently being applied in the following areas, such as management information systems (MIS), general administration, payroll and financial accounting, personnel records maintenance (Bosu, 2019), student records, virtual learning environments, data management which makes data always available, especially when artificial intelligence tools are employed (Beerkens, 2022). However, notwithstanding the beneficial roles of these technological devices in the education system as perceived by scholars, educators, administrators, and other stakeholders in the education sector, there are still major challenges posed by adopting these new technologies in educational administration, particularly in higher educational institutions. Consequently, this paper focuses on the benefits and the pitfall of integrating ICTs in the administration and management of higher educational institutions, specifically in Nigeria. It also aims to provide major solutions to ameliorate the envisaged obstacles facing the effective implementation of these new technologies in the administration and management of higher educational institutions.