Usability of Interoperable Educational Tools in Language Teacher Education

This chapter presents a survey aimed at identifying the level of usability and applicability of interoperable educational tools in Nigeria language teacher education. The background summarizes the benefits of e-technologies in learning process. It then explores the different types of interoperable tools and e-competencies required by pre-service teachers in a second language context. Utilising one Nigerian University as a case study, the survey sampled one hundred teacher trainees selected from 300 level English Education students’ of the Department of Arts and Social Science Education, University of Lagos, Nigeria. Two research questions were posited while two instruments- the Internet Application Competence Assignment (IACA) and the Internet Literacy Competency Questionnaire (ILCQ) were used in data sourcing. Analysis of data involved descriptive and inferential statistics. On the whole, findings show that 39% of the pre-service teachers operated within low level Internet skills, 49% were able to operate within higher competency level while the consolidated level skills posed the most difficult area of competency in usability of interoperable educational tools in language teacher education. The chapter ends with proposed solutions and recommendations for futuristic research directions within the context of global e-learning support.