Owing to the fact that the country’s educational system lacks the capacity to accommodate the number of Nigerians seeking to be educated, stakeholders in the Information Technology and educational sectors have called for the adoption of electronic learning in schools.
They stressed the need for the introduction of Information Technology tools to schools to enable students acquire knowledge out of the campuses.
E-learning refers to the use of various kinds of electronic media and information and communication technologies in education. It is an inclusive terminology that encompasses all forms of educational technology that electronically or technologically support learning and teaching.
Depending on whether a particular aspect, component or delivery method is given emphasis, e-Learning may be termed technology-enhanced learning, computer-based training, Internet-based training, web-based training, online education, virtual education, or digital educational collaboration.
According to the stakeholders, it is now very clear that online learning will provide more people with access to good education, as almost everybody wants to be educated but not finding physical classrooms attractive.
The stakeholders made their views known in Lagos at the West Africa e-Learning conference and exhibition organised by Baobab Media in association with the Accra Institute of Technology, University of Lagos and the Economic Community of West African States.
They urged policy makers and educational managers across West Africa to adopt new measures that reflected technology towards increasing the number of persons given admission and to also improve the content of learning.
According to the chairman of one of the technical sessions and former President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria, Mr. Titi Omo-Ettu, there is the need for broadband Internet access to make e-Learning practicable and sustainable.
“There cannot be e-Learning without broadband access,” he added.
“This is the era of the smart classroom and smart knowledge transmission,” the Chief Executive Officer, Teledom International Group, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, was also quoted as saying.
Former Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe, said e-Learning had brought about a paradigm shift in education, training and development, while making the learning environment easier, more flexible, attractive, and meaningful in the delivery of educational content without the constraint of time and location.
“The learning environment has changed to improve the possibility of high skill transfer through ICT in a way that was once inconceivable,” Ibidapo Obe added.
Another stakeholder and Executive Chairman, Spectrum Books Limited, Mr. Dayo Ogunniyi, was of the view that e-Learning would bail the country out from the problem of degraded educational system.
Ogunniyi described the conventional education system as not capable of taking care of the huge amount of people wanting to be educated.
In his submission, the President, Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, Mr. Chris Uwaje, said there was need for local knowledge advocacy.
“E-Learning is very important but there is no standard. There should be standards to create lessons because IT can enhance knowledge,” he said.
According to him, since 72 per cent of Nigerians live in rural and semi-rural areas, the gospel of e-Learning must be preached to them.
But the Director, Professional Operations, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, an agency under the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Steve Nwokeocha, said, “There cannot be e-Learning without e-Teachers.”
Nwokeocha, in his presentation entitled, ‘ICT as a 21st century standard for Nigerian teachers,’ argued that since the 21st century was best known for scientific knowledge, ICT and globalisation, those who impart knowledge must consider the pivotal role of ICT because people were now in the information society.
He said TRCN had developed professional standards for Nigerian teachers, which greatly incorporated the elements of ICT and with which employers of teachers could work to raise existing standards.
According to him, the Council has also developed 10 unique products to improve the quality of teachers and their ability to meet the challenges of the 21st century learning environment.
Part of these includes the capacity to deliver learning contents, using technology that are able to break the barriers of time and location.
The Director-General, Administrative Staff College of Nigeria, Mr. A. A. Peters, in his own paper entitled, ‘Capacity building in e-Learning for the Nigerian public sector,’ described e-Learning as an approach to facilitate and enhance learning by means of personal computers, CD-ROMS and the Internet.
Represented by Mr. Bala Sambo, an administrative director at the college, Peters said e-Learning had become a veritable window to improve skills at the workplace without having to contend with the problem of leaving work to return to school.
Technology, he noted, had brought the classroom to the worker in his living room and place of work.
“New skills can be acquired and work efficiency improved without having to leave the work environment,” he said.