Assessing the Level of Awareness and Usage of E-Learning Platforms by Teachers and Students of Chemistry in Fce, Zaria, During the Covid -19 Era

Abstract

This study examined the use and frequency of e-learning platforms among Chemistry students and lecturers at the Federal College of Education (FCE), Zaria, using a descriptive survey design. Data were collected from 103 respondents through a structured Likert-scale questionnaire and analyzed using means, standard deviations, t-tests, and p-values. The results revealed that 91.3% of respondents owned Android phones, with moderate use for learning purposes (M = 1.89, SD = 0.451), while 61.1% used laptops (M = 3.11, SD = 1.011). Social media platforms such as Facebook (M = 4.11, SD = 0.342, p = 0.000), Twitter (M = 4.21, SD = 0.320, p = 0.000), and YouTube (M = 4.01, SD = 0.567, p = 0.000) were more frequently used than formal educational platforms like Google Classroom. The findings also indicated that students engaged more actively with e-learning platforms than lecturers (students: M = 15.783, SD = 2.669, t = 17.338; lecturers: M = 9.227, SD = 1.560, t = 32.375). These results suggest a strong reliance on informal platforms for academic purposes and a gap in the institutional adoption of structured e-learning tools. Based on these findings, it is recommended that the institution invest in digital training programs to enhance staff and student proficiency with formal e-learning platforms, improve internet accessibility on campus, and integrate commonly used social platforms into structured learning systems to bridge the digital engagement gap. These recommendations align with current studies emphasizing the need for a blended approach to digital education