The Impact of Digital Tools on Studio Art Practice at the University of Maiduguri

Digital technologies have increasingly permeated studio art practice, offering new possibilities for image-making, design, and conceptual exploration while raising questions about the continuing relevance of traditional media. This study examines the impact of digital tools including graphic tablets, design software, and digital photography on studio art practice at the University of Maiduguri, located in Nigeria's North East geopolitical zone. A descriptive survey design is employed, with primary data collected from 100 art students and 15 studio lecturers through structured questionnaires and studio observation. The study assesses the digital tools available and in use, the level of digital competency achieved by students, the integration of digital practice with traditional media work, and the attitudes of lecturers toward incorporating digital instruction. The theoretical framework draws on art education theory, the digital humanities literature, and scholarship on the post-digital turn in contemporary art practice. The University of Maiduguri context introduces particular considerations related to the security challenges that have affected the institution and the North East zone more broadly, examining whether infrastructure constraints have limited digital tool access compared to institutions in other regions. The study also investigates whether digital tools are supporting students in exhibiting and marketing their work online, circumventing the limited physical exhibition infrastructure in Maiduguri. Findings are intended for university management, the National Universities Commission, and technology education advocates working in the North East zone. Keywords: digital tools, studio art, University of Maiduguri, art education, North East Nigeria