We cannot embark on e-learning for our students – UI Vice Chancellor 

The University of Ibadan Vice Chancellor has stated why the institution may not be able to kick-start e-learning for regular students anytime soon.

According to a Facebook book post by him, he said that they accepted it as an article of faith that there has been a paradigm shift in the world of learning and teaching over the last two decades or so with the pervasive introduction of digital skills and techniques. Adding that nearly any information you want is on the world wide web. Following from that, the instructor(lecturers and professors) are no longer sages on stage but just a guide by the side.

However, he stated that the institution cannot proceed with the new world order because, members of the academic staff their salaries last in January, 2020 and in reality it is a major constraint in getting them back to work. He further stressed that this may not be the best time to ask them to start working on content development for their courses and this is often time-consuming.

Two, He underlays the fact that students are digital natives and are comfortable with digital learning tools and skills whether on cellphones, iPads or laptops albeit the cost of internet bandwidth may still be a major limitation for them.

To butteress his point, he said at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, the management of the University had to recently take loan facilities to procure 5,000 units of computers for their students who may not otherwise not be able to afford personal computers and also purchased internet time (data) for some of them in collaboration with service providers.

On the other hand, the government of Kenya has instructed the public universities in that country not to proceed yet with e-learning for the regular students because it was felt that many students may not have opportunity for e-learning especially those in remote areas.

On a final note, he expressed that ” a situation in which a substantial proportion of our students would not have access to e-learning facilities because they do not own their own computers or on account of epileptic power supply would be inequitable, suboptimal and at the end of the day, counter-productive.