Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date of this Version
2020
Abstract
Collaboration is highly required in today’s educational setting to guarantee that abilities, flairs, skills and knowledge are dispersed to peers as extensively as possible. The objective of this study was to examine the assumption of social media in curriculum development, education and research in Library and Information Science (LIS) the Nigerian perspective. The study reviewed the Library and Information Science Educational scenario in Nigeria, the LIS Education in Nigeria is offered at various levels ranging from National Diploma (ND), Higher National Diploma (HND), BLS/BLIS, PGD, MLS/MLIS and Ph.D. These Library and Information Science Education programs are offered on regular basis, part-time as well as distance education. The study also identified various social media tools that enhance collaboration in Library and Information Science Education. The study examined the perception of Library and Information Science professionals in Nigeria towards collaboration, the areas they collaborate, their level of collaboration, benefits derivable and challenges experienced by these professionals. The research gathered evidence on the effectiveness of the role of social media in facilitating collaboration and its prospective future as a facilitator and enhancer of learning in the Library and Information Science profession. The study drew inference from the perceptions of the Library Information Science professionals in Nigeria as regards the assumption of social media for educational and curriculum enrichment purposes, that is the areas social media can be used in collaborative Library Information Science education. These include: social media use in classroom learning, social media as collaborative learning platform, social media’s role in promoting distance education and learning, social media as a collaborative tool to enrich research.