**1. Introduction**

There has been an increase in the use of educational technologies in higher education over the last decades [1]. The adoption and use of ICT has transformed education in a number of ways over the years. It has changed the way people think, work and live [2]. While teachers are sometimes seen as key players in the using ICT [3], students have also proved to be relevant and important stakeholders as their needs spur teachers and institutional administrators to be innovative. While it may be correct to say, "The adoption of educational technology in teaching depends on how well a teacher accepts it" [4] we argue that the success of the integration of ICT in education also depends on how much exposure and interest the learners have in ICT. This study focused on SUZA and MSU. While all other universities in the both Zanzibar and Zimbabwe have adopted the use of ICT in one way or the other, these two were chosen on the basis that they have the largest number of both lecturers and students and the study sought to investigate the impact of the adoption of ICT in education. The two institutions are state-funded and such the study examined the contribution of the state in ICT integration initiatives. The integration of ICT into education involves the use of computer-based communication into daily classroom

activities. It also means technology-based teaching and learning which contributes a lot in the pedagogical aspects where ICT application leads to effective learning.

Globalization has provided challenges that require educational institutions to embrace technology in learning and teaching. This is important because technology has become the knowledge transfer highway in most countries [3]. Conventional learning set-ups of the brick and mortar classroom have been overtaken by digital environments and the face-to-face mode of tuition delivery is fast being replaced by online articulated learning and knowledge delivery methods. Education experts argue that bringing ICTs into the learning environment will create opportunities for broader education initiatives that will bring pupils into the information era [5].
