Conference Paper on E-classroom and Covid-19 Prevention in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria: A Case Study of Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze
Chapter One
Preamble to the Study
E-learning which stands for electronic learning is also referred to as online through which knowledge is acquired using electronic technologies and media. Simply put, e-learning could be defined as “teaching and learning processes that are carried out using electronic or digital devices conducted on the Internet”. In e-learning, students can access their learning materials online from anywhere and at any time. E-Learning can take the form of online courses, online degrees, or online programs. The origin of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is traced to Wuhan in China which started in December 2019. This virus has spread across many nations of the world, so, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared it a pandemic on 11th March 2020. Since then, the pandemic has caused a shutdown in the educational system of more than 171 countries in the world leaving them with the option of blended and online mode of teaching and learning.
Chapter Two
Literature Review
Current State of E-learning in Nigeria Education System
One week after the pronouncement of Coronavirus disease as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Nigeria Federal Ministry of Education (FME) approved the closure of all schools (Kindergarten, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary) on 19 March 2020 to ensure control of the first wave. With this development, most education administrators tried to adopt different online teaching and learning approaches which unmasked the technological lapses and other problems of e-learning and the education sector in general in most parts of Nigeria. In the developed and developing countries, online education has played a vital role in the past as it has helped some institutions to overcome the problems associated with educational continuity in the time of crisis. This is seen in countries like Libya whose higher education system was re-built and re-developed because of political crisis, armed conflict, and the destruction that followed the crisis. However, this is not the case in Nigeria where schoolgirls are adopted in the Northern part of the country and the fear of these abductions have put education to a stop with no other means for teaching and learning.
Factors Influencing Effective Teaching of Technical Courses during the COVID-19 Lockdown
Due to social distancing measures, an oral interview was conducted by the researchers on a few students and educators at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze (a tertiary institution in Nigeria that teaches technical courses) which revealed some challenges which have impaired the teaching and learning of technical courses before and during the COVID-19 lockdown. The numbers of respondents interviewed were five students each from fourteen (14) different programmes and levels. Also, 5 educators with different positions were interviewed from the fourteen departments housing the programmes. The common challenges revealed after the interview are:
- Non-availability and poor maintenance of IT infrastructures Investigations show that one of the difficult challenges facing the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and other tertiary institutions is the lack of financial support by the government to build the infrastructure needed for distance learning education and also the resources to produce teaching and learning resources needed for its registered students, especially the first-year students.
- Unstable electricity In Nigerian tertiary institutions, the electricity supply experienced across the country is one of the challenges that has affected online teaching programs. Many Nigerians who live in urban centres where electricity is expected to be stable for 24 hours cannot boast of having it for at least a few hours a day. This has hindered many students from partaking in online teaching whether they are living in the urban or rural areas.
- High cost of data tariff The Nigerian digital divide shows the inequality among individuals who have access to regular internet connection and those who do not have access. Regular use of digital devices connected to the internet is seen in the homes of the rich but not the poor because of the high cost of data tariff and alternative means of power supply in such homes
- Inadequate IT skills required on the part of educators and learnersThe limited exploitation of the e-learning facilities is caused by inadequate training on the part of learners and educators as a result of poor knowledge of ICT facilities and lack of requisite skills
- Difficulty in handling all practical processes onlineThis is one of the crucial challenges of teaching technical courses through e-learning. The absence of face-to-face interaction with both educators and learners can be challenging. This is most difficult for students taking courses that are better suited for face-to-face learning, like those with science laboratory apparatuses and other technical courses. Most courses require some percentage of hands-on experience. Students now watch physics laboratory experiments in a digital recording and take quizzes and examinations afterward which does not allow the students to understand the course better. Also, household distractions during e-learning, poor or no internet coverage in some urban and rural areas and lack of discipline on the part of the learner and educator are some of the major challenges facing teaching and learning technical courses online
Challenges of e-learning in Nigeria
E-learning is still confronted with a lot of challenges in Nigerian Universities especially during this pandemic as this is the only medium available for learning. One of these challenges is epileptic power supply in Nigeria especially in rural areas as there is no guarantee of at least two hours‟ power supply at a stretch. Irregular power supply in Nigeria is seen as an age-long problem which has affected almost every aspect of Nigeria economy with no exception to the educational sector.
Chapter Three
Conclusion and Recommendations
Conclusion
This paper has looked into the problems and challenges of teaching technical courses in Nigeria during the global shutdown in the education sector caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper revealed the outcome of the interview carried out by the researchers on students and educators involved in technical courses and programmes at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze. Categorically, possible recommendations were made by the researchers to help curb the challenges associated with teaching technical courses via e-learning. Data Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze clearly shows that lack of stable electricity, poor internet network coverage, high cost of data tariff, Technical issues with digital devices and lack of IT skills are the major challenges to teaching technical courses in Nigerian tertiary institutions
Recommendations
This study recommends that government needs to be more firm in their handling of public universities administration and help prepare them for the adoption of ICT and e-learning in Nigerian institutions. Furthermore, private universities should be proactive in ameliorating the challenges identified in this study and build on the opportunities e-learning offers institutions even post COVID-19. Furthermore, effective government policies that will sustain workable social infrastructures that will be sustainable even during unforeseen crisis is required. Finally, government should infuse more monetary resources in Nigeria’s educational sector so that its institutions can compete globally
References
- Sander, What is E-Learning? 2020. URL: https://e-student.org/what-is-e-learning/.
- T. Agbele, E. A Oyelade, Impact of COVID-19 on the Nigerian Educational System: Strengths and Challenges of Online/Virtual Education. Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies, 13 (2020), 26-35. doi:10.9734/ajess/2020/v13i130322.
- Elzainy, A. El Sadik, W. Al Abdulmonem, Experience of e-learning and online assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic at the College of Medicine, Qassim University. Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences, 15 (2020) 456-462.
- C. Eze, V. C. A. Chinedu-Eze, C. K. Okike, A. O. Bello, Factors influencing the use of e-learning facilities by students in a private Higher Education Institution (HEI) in a developing economy. Humanities and social sciences communications, 133 (2020). doi:10.1057/s41599-020-00624-6.
- García, E. Weiss, COVID-19 and student performance, equity, and U.S. education policy: Lessons from pre-pandemic research to inform relief, recovery, and rebuilding, 2020. URL: https://www.epi.org/publication/theconsequences-of-the-covid-19-pandemicfor-education-performance-and-equity-inthe-united-states-what-can-we-learn-frompre-pandemic-research-to-inform-reliefrecovery-and-rebuilding/. [6
- UNESCO, The “School Meets the Learner” Approach under the COVID-19, 2020. URL: https://en.unesco.org/news/schoolmeets-learner-approach-under-covid-19.
- A. Amorighoye, COVID-19 has exposed the education divide in Nigeria. This is how we can close it, 2020. URL: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/ education-nigeria-covid19-digital-divide/.
