Over the years, education has evolved in no small part by advancements in technology. Fast disappearing are the days when teachers come out of classrooms with chalk dust covering their hair and clothes.
ICT in education is a fast growing and dynamic field, worldwide we have widespread integration of Interactive Boards, student response devices and even one on one Ipad/laptop integration in classrooms. The Nigerian sphere is catching up with a number of schools having a high level of ICT integration in the classrooms. But the number of wholly ICT complaint schools is like a drop in the ocean. It goes without saying that a lot needs to be done by all stakeholders for Nigerian education to be brought on the right track. There is need for local electronic content to keep at par with advancements in other parts of the world. Local content developers who can create cartoons and e-materials are seizing up on this gap and creating employment for themselves.
But with all the buzz in this sphere it is important that schools and content creators get it right when it comes to ICT in education.
- ICT is a tool that enables and fosters learning: This means that ICT tools such as animations and graphics should be used in moderation and with clear intended outcomes. It is also not enough to have an interactive board and just display PowerPoint slides on it. Learning is meant to be active, educators should try make their lessons involve as much student participation as possible whereas content developers should not just try to convert text to electronic form but strive to make it engaging to the reader. It is not enough to convert a WAEC approved textbook to an E-book but the book should contain child friendly and fun quizzes for a more interesting read.
- It should be affordable: High end schools are few in Nigeria. There is little need to create content that will be too expensive for majority of schools to afford. It also makes little sense for schools to strain the pockets of PTA’s to afford ICT systems or content. Whatever ICT solution is being deployed should be well within budget.
- It should be convenient to use: The aim of technology is to make life easier. If in any way this aim is not met then that technology should not be implemented. Content developers should look at creating child friendly and fun content with low learning curves. For schools, ICT solutions should be tested first, as implementing solutions with steep learning curves can lead to frustration and later abandonment of projects.
- If it is internet based, the bandwidth requirement should be minimal for fast loading and minimal data consumption: Despite high level internet penetration and consumption here in Nigeria, internet infrastructure is still below par. Slow and epileptic internet connections are commonplace. Content developers should always take into consideration the requirements for their solutions. Solutions that require less support systems are likely to have more success in the market.
Article written by Alatise Daniel an ICT in Education consultant with expertise in helping schools deploy cost effective ICT solutions, creating custom educational ICT solutions and training teachers in ICT.
