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Effective Communication in an Electronic Environment Among

Students of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti

Opeyemi A. OPE-AJAYI (Ph.D)

; Maureen O. OKOH (Ph.D)

; Olufunke O. AINA (Ph.D)

Department of Vocational and Technical Education, Faculty of Education, Ekiti State University, Ado-

Ekiti

Department of Science Education, Faculty of Education, Federal University of Oye

Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Faculty of Education, Ekiti State University,

Ado-Ekiti

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51583/IJLTEMAS.2026.150600017

Received: 17 June 2026; Accepted: 22 June 2026; Published: 03 July 2026

ABSTRACT

This study examined effective communication in electronic environments among students of Ekiti State

University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Anchored on Media Richness Theory and the Technology Acceptance Model,

the study sought to assess students’ use of electronic platforms, the challenges encountered, and the factors

influencing communication effectiveness. A descriptive survey design was adopted; a sample of 384

undergraduate students were selected through multistage sampling procedure. Data were collected using a

validated questionnaire titled, “Electronic Communication Effectiveness Questionnaire” ECEQ, with a

reliability coefficient of r = 0.86. Descriptive statistics, t-test, and multiple regression analysis were used to

analyze data at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that WhatsApp, Telegram, and Google Classroom

were the most frequently used platforms for academic interaction, while email and institutional Learning

Management Systems were underutilized. Students perceived electronic communication as effective for

information sharing and group collaboration, but ineffective for complex academic discussions due to poor

network access, digital distractions, and low digital literacy skills. Regression results showed that digital literacy

β = .32, p < .001, stable internet access β = .28, p < .001, and lecturers’ responsiveness β = .21, p < .01

significantly predicted effective communication in electronic environments, accounting for 47% of the variance.

Significant differences existed in perceived effectiveness based on level of study. The study concluded that while

electronic communication enhances flexibility and access to learning resources among EKSU students, its

effectiveness is constrained by infrastructural and skill-related challenges. It recommended that the university

management should invest in reliable internet infrastructure, integrate digital literacy training into the General

Studies curriculum, and train lecturers on effective online facilitation strategies to optimize electronic

communication for academic purposes.

Keywords: Electronic Communication, Digital Literacy, Netiquette, Online Learning, Media Richness

INTRODUCTION

The 21st century is defined by digital convergence where Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)

mediate education, work, and social interaction (Castells, 2010). In higher education, the COVID-19 pandemic

accelerated this shift as universities worldwide moved teaching and learning to electronic platforms (UNESCO,

2023). The National Universities Commission (NUC, 2022) responded by directing Nigerian universities to

institutionalize blended learning, making electronic communication a core graduate competency.

Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti (EKSU), established in 1982, is one of Nigeria’s leading state universities with

an estimated population of 24,500 undergraduates. Since 2020, EKSU has increasingly depended on electronic

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channels such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Zoom, Google Meet, Google Classroom, and its institutional Learning

Management System LMS for lectures, assignments, announcements, and student-lecturer interaction (Adegoke

& Adegoke, 2024). A survey by (Adeoye et al. 2024) in Southwest Nigeria found that 92% of university students

own smartphones and spend 5-7 hours daily on digital platforms, with WhatsApp as the dominant app.

Effective communication in academics means exchange of information that is accurate, timely, clearly

understood, and produces intended learning outcomes (Hargie, 2021). Electronic communication in universities

occurs through four main types: Synchronous Communication - Real-time interaction where participants are

online simultaneously. Examples: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams. Its strength lies on immediate

feedback, verbal and non-verbal cues, and high media richness (Daft & Lengel, 1986). This type of

communication requires stable data and scheduled time; Asynchronous Communication - Time-lagged

interaction with delayed responses. Examples: WhatsApp, Telegram, Email, LMS forums. Its strength lies on

flexibility and time for reflection.

This type of communication delays, misinterpretation, message pile-up (Kumi-Yeboah et al., 2023); One-to-

Many Communication - Broadcast from one source to many receivers. Examples: bulk SMS, Telegram channels,

LMS announcements from lecturers/admin to students; Many-to-Many Communication - Interactive exchange

among multiple users. Examples: WhatsApp group chats, Google Docs collaboration. This type of

communication dominates student peer interaction at EKSU (Adeoye et al., 2024). At EKSU, lecturers report

problems of repeated questions already answered in chats, use of slang during academic discussions, sharing of

unverified materials, and late-night messages that disrupt learning (Owolabi & Olaniyi, 2024). Students

complain of “too many unofficial groups”, missed deadlines due to network failure, information overload, and

delayed feedback from lecturers (Ogunyemi & Bisiriyu, 2023). These challenges are significant because

electronic communication now mediates grades, participation, and collaboration. Poor mediation can cause

cognitive overload (Sweller, 2022) and widen the digital divide between students with good access and those

without (World Bank, 2024).

Media Richness Theory (MRT) (Daft & Lengel, 1986) provides a theoretical lens. MRT argues that

communication media vary in “richness” based on feedback immediacy, number of cues, and personal focus.

Richer media like video conferencing are better for ambiguous, complex tasks than leaner media like text chat.

Thus, Zoom should be more effective than WhatsApp for explaining difficult concepts. Empirical studies partly

support this. (Kumi-Yeboah et al. 2023) in Ghana found that students rated synchronous platform higher for

engagement than asynchronous platform. In Nigeria, (Adeoye et al. 2024) reported that LMS discussion boards

improved critical thinking when lecturers moderated actively.

The Nigerian context presents unique constraints. The World Bank 2024 reported that 1GB of data in Nigeria

costs 0.78% of average monthly income, higher than in South Africa or Kenya. This economic barrier limits

participation in data-intensive platforms. Additionally, (Eshet-Alkalai 2023) noted that digital literacy which is

the ability to find, evaluate, and communicate information online is often low among African students, leading

to misuse of platforms. Netiquette, or acceptable online behavior, is another concern. (Owolabi & Olaniyi 2024)

found that 67% of students in Osun State universities lacked formal training on netiquette, resulting in

cyberbullying and conflict in class groups.

The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis, 1989) further concretize this adoption. TAM posits that

perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use determine actual use and effectiveness. If EKSU’s LMS is

perceived as difficult to navigate, students will default to WhatsApp regardless of academic suitability (Davis,

1989).

Despite high smartphone penetration, there is limited empirical data on what constitutes effective electronic

communication specifically for EKSU students. Most Nigerian studies focus on Southwest universities broadly

(Adeoye et al., 2024) or on post-COVID e-learning generally (Ogunyemi & Bisiriyu, 2023), without testing how

digital literacy, internet access, and lecturer responsiveness jointly predict communication effectiveness. This

gap limits EKSU management’s ability to develop targeted policies. Therefore, this study investigates effective

communication in electronic environments among EKSU students.

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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Although EKSU students are highly digitally connected, three gaps persist. First, there is no empirical data on

which electronic channels EKSU students perceive as “effective” for academic versus social purposes. Second,

factors such as digital literacy, internet access, and lecturer responsiveness have not been tested together as

predictors of effectiveness at EKSU. Third, NUC’s 2022 blended learning policy requires universities to monitor

e-communication quality, but EKSU lacks institutional data to guide policy and infrastructure investment.

Without this evidence, interventions risk being generic. For example, banning WhatsApp may reduce peer

bonding without solving the real problem of poor netiquette and digital skills. This study therefore addresses the

gap by assessing effective communication in electronic environments among EKSU students.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The main purpose of this study is to examine the effective communication in electronic environments among

students of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti. Specifically, the study will:

1. identify the types of electronic communication platforms used by EKSU students and rate their perceived

effectiveness.

2. examine the influence of digital literacy, internet access, and lecturer responsiveness on effective electronic

communication.

3. determine if perceived effectiveness differs based on students’ level of study.

RESEARCH QUESTION

One research question was raised to guide the study

1. What types of electronic communication platforms are used by EKSU students and how do they rate their

effectiveness for academic purposes?

RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

Two research hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance.

1. Digital literacy, internet access, and lecturer responsiveness will not predict effective electronic

communication among EKSU students?

2. There is no significant difference in perceived effectiveness of electronic communication among EKSU

students based on level of study.

RESEARCH METHOD

Descriptive survey design was adopted. The population of the study consist of all 24,500 undergraduate students

in the main campus of EKSU, Ado-Ekiti for the 2024/2025 academic session. The Sample for this study consist

384 students using Krejcie & Morgan table. The multistage sampling procedure was used to select the sample.

In stage one, 6 faculties were randomly selected; Stage two involves the selection of 2 departments from each

faculty; Stage three, 32 students were proportionately selected using simple random sampling. The instrument

used for this study was a self-developed instrument tagged “Electronic Communication Effectiveness

Questionnaire” ECEQ. The instrument was divided into two sections; section A is about demographics variables

while section B consist of 4-point Likert scale of SA=4, A=3, D=2, SD=1. Face and content validity of the

instrument were ensured by experts in Educational Technology. The reliability of the instrument was ascertained.

Reliability coefficient of 0.88 was obtained which was considered high enough to be used. The researcher

administered the instrument with the help of trained research assistants. All the questionnaires administered were

retrieved from the respondents immediately.

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DATA ANALYSIS

Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data collected in the study. Descriptive statistics

such as Frequency, Percentage, Mean and Standard Deviation were used to answer the research question raised

while inferential statistics of Analysis of Variance and Multiple Regress was used to test the hypotheses. The

hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 1: Platform Usage and Perceived Effectiveness for Academic Purposes, N = 384

Platform Frequency of Use n % Mean M SD Rank

WhatsApp 361 94.0% 2.76 0.81 1

Telegram 256 66.7% 2.95 0.74 2

Zoom 223 58.1% 3.41 0.63 6

Google Meet 201 52.3% 3.33 0.65 5

Email 148 38.5% 3.12 0.70 4

University LMS/

Google Classroom 165 43.0% 3.08 0.72 3

Mean Cut off =2.50

Table 1 above showed that WhatsApp was the most frequently used platform at 94%, confirming (Adegoke &

Adegoke 2024). However, synchronous platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet were rated most effective for

academic clarity M = 3.41 and 3.33. This supports Media Richness Theory that richer media are better for

complex tasks (Daft & Lengel, 1986). WhatsApp scored high for peer bonding but lower for academic clarity,

indicating it is socially rich but academically noisy (Kumi-Yeboah et al., 2023).

Hypothesis 1: Digital literacy, internet access, and lecturer responsiveness will not predict effective

electronic communication among EKSU students?

Table 2: Multiple Regression on Predictors of Effective Electronic Communication

Variable B Std Error Beta β t Sig p

Constant 1.204 0.186 - 6.47 .000

Digital Literacy 0.342 0.048 .33 7.13 .000

Internet Access 0.271 0.051 .26 5.31 .000

Lecturer Responsiveness 0.198 0.062 .18 3.19 .002

R = .663, R² = .439, Adjusted R² = .435, F (3, 380) = 98.72, p < .001

Table 2 above showed that Digital literacy β = 0.33, internet access β = 0.26, and lecturer responsiveness β =

0.18 significantly predicted effectiveness, explaining 43.9% of variance. The hypothesis raised is therefore

rejected. This implies that Digital literacy, internet access, and lecturer responsiveness will predict effective

electronic communication among EKSU students The study aligns with (Eshet-Alkalai 2023) that skills matter

more than access, and with (Adeoye et al. 2024) on teacher presence reducing transactional distance.

Hypothesis 2: There is no significant difference in perceived effectiveness of electronic communication

among EKSU students based on level of study.

Table 3: Analysis of Variance on Perceived Effectiveness by Level of Study

Level N Mean SD F Sig p Decision

100 Level 96 2.71 0.52 4.18 .006 Rejected

200 Level 98 2.89 0.48

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300 Level 94 3.05 0.45

400/500 Level 96 3.12 0.43

The table 3 above showed significant difference, F (3, 380) = 4.18, p = 0.006. Post-hoc Scheffe test revealed

400/500 level students had higher perception than 100 level. The hypothesis raised is therefore rejected. This

implies that there is significant difference in perceived effectiveness of electronic communication among EKSU

students based on level of study. Higher levels likely have better digital skills and experience, confirming TAM

(Davis, 1989).

CONCLUSION

Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that Electronic communication is central to academic life

at EKSU. It improves access and flexibility but effectiveness depends on digital literacy, stable internet, and

lecturer responsiveness. Synchronous rich media are best for academics, while WhatsApp dominates peer

interaction despite lower academic clarity. The digital divide and netiquette issues remain major constraints.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations were made:

1. Ekiti State University Management should integrate Digital Citizenship and Netiquette into GST 101.

Negotiate subsidized student data bundles with MTN, Glo, Airtel as done in some South African Universities

World Bank, 2024.

2. Lecturers should undergo mandatory training on e-moderation, structured LMS use, and timely feedback to

reduce over-reliance on WhatsApp Adeoye et al., 2024.

3. Students should participate in peer-led digital literacy workshops and use official channels for academic

queries to avoid information overload.

4. IT Directorate should improve LMS bandwidth and mobile optimization. The Directorate should create one

official departmental communication portal to consolidate announcements.

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12. Owolabi, T. & Olaniyi, F. (2024). Netiquette and cyberbullying in university WhatsApp groups. Journal

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