…Advocates Digital Technology For Teaching And Learning
By Adeniyi Adedeji, Ilorin
A university don has called for the use of modern digital technology for teaching and learning in schools as the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic lingers.
The outgoing Vice Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, a faith-based university in Ilorin, Professor Taofeek Ibrahim, made the call while featuring on NEWSKEG; a current affairs programme of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
Explaining his position, the Professor of Epidemology and Disease Control said universities and indeed schools, do not need to hurriedly open when academic activities could be employed to teach students via online; thanks to digital technology.
Cautioning that there were no signs yet that schools, universities are safe now to resume with the increase in the spread of Coronavirus without any meaningful signs that it would abate, he cited his own experience, saying that Al-Hikmah University never had a disrupted academic calendar, even with the shutdown of institutions of learning globally, because of COVID-19.
Professor Ibrahim said that the university was running online with technical modifications, which enhanced learning and teaching to achieve the same conventional learning purposes.
His words, “Our academic programmes are not affected by COVID-19. We run online courses as if students are on campus and examinations were conducted, using our ICT infrastructure, e.g. Zoom and WhatsApp platforms, backed up with voice note. It yielded positively for us.”
Urging therefore both Federal and state governments, as well as private varsity ownership to adopt digital technology to enhance teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, Professor Ibrahim averred that it is not yet safe to reopen schools, because of inadequate safety infrastructures in the country for now.
This he said would enable students learn in the comfort of their homes, while the school lockdown persists, because of the rage of COVID-19.
He opined that teachers can open a platform through which the time table, lectures and other instructional materials could be uploaded on various platforms online, to encourage learning and conduct of examinations.
He also urged Nigerians to note seriously, the devastating effects of the pandemic and stick to the guidelines, support government’s efforts to flatten the curves of the dreaded disease as the number of affected persons increase by day.
