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This study examined content of YouTube videos on cassava production and processing posted in Nigeria between 2009 and 2019. Purposive sampling method was used in selecting 155 YouTube videos with cassava production and processing contents. Primary data on video source, content, duration, quality, number of views, subscribers, likes, comments, presentation format and year of upload were obtained by watching these videos. Data were analysed using frequency counts, percentages, means, standard deviation. Many (53.5%) of the videos were on processing of cassava, while most (80.0%) of the videos were relatively recent (2014 - 2019). Private individuals (38.7%) and media houses (34.2%) were the main sources of videos on cassava production and processing on YouTube. The major content of the video was on agronomic practices in cassava production (12.9%) and value addition (11.0%). Also, 66.0% of the videos had video description (descriptive texts), 36.8% had mobilizing information while 52.3% had a video quality of 720p. Furthermore, 72.9% of the videos had between 1-to-7-minute runtime and these videos had more likes than dislikes with mean values of 92.8 and 5.6 respectively. The mean number of views, subscribers and comments were 11,138.1, 179,537.6 and 13.6, respectively. The presentation patterns in the videos were in form of news (24.5%) and documentary (20.0%). YouTube videos on cassava production and processing were well viewed with a substantial number of subscribers. More YouTube videos on cassava production and processing should be produced with varied contents by different stakeholders in the agricultural sector.

Background We redesigned the Schisto and Ladders health educational board game and evaluated its potential to encourage compliance to school-based mass drug administration with praziquantel. Methods Two hundred and seventy-five children from six schools who rejected praziquantel treatment were divided into intervention and control groups. Before the intervention, preassessment interviews were conducted on their knowledge about praziquantel treatment and schistosomiasis. The Schisto and Ladders version 2 game as an intervention, and the Snakes and Ladders game as a control, were played for 6 mo. Postassessment interviews, including focus group discussions, were conducted. Results At preassessment, 0/98 (0.0%) children in the intervention group had heard of praziquantel compared with 2/177 (1.1%) in the control group. Similarly, 0/98 (0.0%) children in the intervention group did not know that praziquantel does not kill compared with 4/177 (2.3%) in the control group. The postassessment showed that 53/78 (67.9%) in the intervention group were aware of praziquantel compared with 2/177 (1.1%) in the control group (p=0.000). Similarly, 53 (69.7%) in the intervention group knew about the safety of praziquantel compared with 0/177 (0.0%) in the control group (p=0.000). Sixty-four children (65.3%) from the intervention group sought praziquantel treatment after the trial. Conclusions Schisto and Ladders version 2 is a useful sensitisation tool with which to encourage compliance to praziquantel treatment in schools.

Digital technology has become an indispensable communication tool for students and educators in the past two decades. Currently, academic institutions view digital technologies as essential instructional content delivery media for both pedagogical and research purposes. This study assesses the extent of improvement of students’ learning through the use of Web 2.0 as an instructional tool in large classes using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). It juxtaposes this with the overall performance of students after the use of traditional lecture delivery method on some selected courses at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Nigeria. These experiments were carried out at the end of the 2014/2015 academic session. Within this period, out of the selected courses, two courses (GNS 103 and GNS 204) were taught without the use of ICT technology while the others (HSM 207 and AAD 507) were taught using Web 2.0. The study revealed that there was a significant difference in the evaluation of the academic performance of the students taught with Web 2.0 technology, compared with those taught without it: 95.4% of the students taught with Web 2.0 technology in class were able to make evaluative comments and contributions to t

In most endemic sub-Saharan African countries, repeated infections with soil-transmitted helminth (STH) occur as early as six weeks after the end of mass drug administration (MDA) with albendazole. In this study, we designed a new health educational board game Worms and Ladders and evaluated its potential to complement MDA with albendazole and reduce reinfection rates through the promotion of good hygiene practices among school-aged children. The evaluation employed a randomized control trial (RCT) design. Baseline knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) relating to STH were obtained using a questionnaire from 372 pupils across six schools in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Schools were randomly assigned into intervention and control group, with the former and latter receiving Worms and Ladders and the common Snake and Ladder board game respectively. Fresh stool samples were also collected at baseline for STH diagnosis before administering 400mg single dose albendazole. Follow-up assessments of STH burden and KAP were conducted three and six months' post-intervention. Data generated from the study were analyzed using SPSS 20.0 software, with confidence interval set at 95%. Prevalence of STH dropped from 25.0% to 10.4% in the intervention group and 49.4% to 33.3% in the control group at three months' post-intervention. The prevalence further dropped to 5.6% in the intervention group at six months’ post-intervention. However, it increased to 37.2% in the control group at six months' post-intervention. There was a significant difference (p, Author summary School-aged children are the most affected group of people in terms of burden due to soil-transmitted helminth infections. Unfortunately, the available treatment programme with albendazole cannot prevent reinfection. Health and hygiene education has been recommended to be effective at reducing the rate of STH infections through increased knowledge about transmission and improved hygiene attitude and practices. We, therefore, developed a health educational board game Worms and Ladders and evaluated its potential to complement treatment and reduce reinfection rates. Our findings show that the worm burden dropped significantly among children who played the newly developed game, compared to other children who played another game. The knowledge, attitude and practices of the children as regards STH also improved significantly. The Worms and Ladders board game, therefore, has the potential to promote good hygiene behavior, which in turn translated to a reduced rate of infections. These findings present the newly developed game as a reliable tool to complement mass drug administration campaigns for STH control.

Learners' performance in the acquisition and use of any given language is ordinarily as much the result of the quality of learning opportunities available and the learning environment (the supply‐side factor) as the quality and strength of the learners' motivation and response (the demand‐side factor). However, one side sometimes proves more decisive than the other. This paper argues that, during the period 1980–2005, a sharp decline in the motivation of young English‐language learners occurred, as a result of certain historical developments discussed in the paper, and that a drop in learners' motivation is probably the most powerful explanation for the equally sharp decline in learning effectiveness and in young learners' proficiency in the use of English which occurred during the same period, particularly since about 1990 (the Learner‐Motivation/Performance Thesis). The paper argues that the change which has occurred in societal perception of the function, status and value of English language as a resul...

The study was conducted with a view to establishing the extent to which agricultural researchers, extension agents and rural farmers perceived the use of ICT for transformation of the Nigeria’s agricultural system. A total of 465 respondents, consisting of 113 researchers and 146 extension agents were randomly selected, using the available sampling frame. A non-probability point of saturation method was used to select 224 rural farmers. Questionnaires and interview guides were used to collect data from the agricultural workers on their socioeconomic characteristics and perceptions of ICT usage for agricultural Development. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results indicated that the agricultural researchers had a very high perception of ICT usage for agricultural development. The extension agents and rural farmers had a high perception of ICT usage. The regression result showed that researchers’ and extension agents’ levels of education significantly influenced their perception of ICT usage for agricultural activities. Rural farmers’ perception of ICT usage for agricultural activities was significantly influenced by their age. The ANOVA test of differences among the agricultural workers’ perception of ICT usage for agricultural development showed no significant difference. It was concluded that with necessary ICT facilities in place, the agricultural researchers, extension agents and rural farmers, are all likely to harness the potentials of communication-driven technologies for enhancement of agricultural development in southwest Nigeria.

No Abstract.OYE: Ogun Journal of Arts Vol. 13 2007: pp. 142-158