By Gabriel Dike
Stakeholders have stressed the need for Distance Learning Institutes (DLIs) to embrace e-learning to ensure students get quality education service.
The stakeholders made the suggestion at an international colloquium hosted by the Distance Learning Institute, University of Lagos, with the theme “Recalibrating: Open Distance Education and E-learning for Resilient and Inclusive Education.”
In her address at the event, Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, said sound education facilitates quality learning among people of any age, group, caste, creed and religion.
Said she: “Over the years, crises and other factors, apart from COVID-19 pandemic, have disrupted the education of Nigerian children who are the future generation of the country.
“It is true that the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has redefined the narrative and dynamics of learning processes globally. Therefore, it is now obvious that e-learning becomes necessary, whereby teaching is undertaken through digital platforms.
“Sadly, this paradigm shift has thrown up myriads of challenges in the global education sector and, if not effectively addressed, will cause millions of Nigerian children, especially those from poor family backgrounds, to be denied their rights to quality education.”
Vice-chancellor of UNILAG, Prof. Olawatoyin Ogundipe, considered the theme apt and part of the university’s effort in guaranteeing and improving seamless access to high-quality tertiary education, which adds life-long values, “This we do through a blended approach for the fulfilment of individual’s academic aspirations.”
Ogundipe disclosed that the institute has recorded success stories in its programmes as well as afforded countless individuals from all walks of life the opportunity and the right platform to pursue tertiary education to meet their peculiar needs.
“Through the evolution of the institute, it has continued to grow and lead in the provision of Quality Open Distance and Life-Long Education opportunities for producing high level skilled manpower through a blended mode.
“In support of this pursuit, management of UNILAG has continued to pay close attention to the improvement of ICT facilities available at the institute, this has in turn, been yielding good results as evident in the hitch free conduct of online examinations that have been conducted at DLI over the years.
“Management has also invested resources in the training and retraining of staff of DLI with a view to bringing them up to speed with modern trends in managing distance education and this has aided effective service delivery.
In her welcome address, Director, Distance Learning Institute, Prof. Uchenna Udeani, said the event is meant to bring together international and national open distance education and e-learning stakeholders to deliberate on the irreversible changes that have come to higher education through two major sources, global development and COVID-19 pandemic as well as proffer solutions for repositioning DLI and e-learning.
According to Udeani, the impact of COVID-19 on education has brought to the fore the over aching inevitability of open distance education at all levels of the sector, especially higher education.
“COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the closure of the vast majority of schools Worldwide. Many schools moved to online remote learning through platforms including Zoom, Cisco Weber, Google Classroom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams.
“The pandemic brought significant changes to higher education. The most important is an increased recognition of the relevance and importance of distance higher education and accompanying improvement in both the methods and the technology related to distance instruction and research collaborations,’’ she explained.
The one-day colloquium attracted scholarship such as Prof. Pat Utomi, a boardroom veteran, Dr. Neil Fassina, president, International Council for Distance Education (ICDE), Prof. Olu Jegede, former vice chancellor, National Open University of Nigeria, Prof. Moeketsi Letseka, UNESCO chair on Open Distance Learning, University of South Africa, Prof. Yemisi Obashoro-John, department of Adult Education, UNILAG, Dr. Akanimo Odon, Africa Strategy Adviser Lancaster University, UK and Kayode Odedina, Director, Open Distance Education, National Universities Commission.