28 January 2004
With the increasing penetration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the country, Nigerian students from primary school through to University and beyond could find their learning environments improving dramatically, thanks to ICT.
That's according to Kayode Jegede, the Territory Manager for Cisco Systems in Nigeria, who believes that technology is coming into its own and is having a positive impact on the education of Nigeria's next vocational generation.
"In the past, the quality and breadth of someone's education was determined by their geographic location and daily schedule. Today, thanks to the Internet, CD-ROMs, and other electronic media, those limitations are falling away. PCs are becoming as common in classrooms and people are seeing their education opportunities expand," he points out.
There are some clear benefits to introducing technology into a learning environment. Access to computers and the Internet transcends textbooks and it prevents curricula becoming out-dated. It also familiarises students with the various kinds of ICT ,, crucial given that Nigeria's economy is increasingly dependent on workers that are highly-skilled and ICT literate.
ut what's really happening on the ground?
"Among other things, Nigeria is about to launch its first Open University ,, a comprehensive distance learning forum. This is an ideal opportunity to take advantage of technology-enabled learning. Students at remote campuses and locations can use access points to connect to the network that hosts the course content," says Jegede.
Such developments are also important because they highlight that online education is a two-way process ,, it can include broadcasts and it can be interactive.
"From a broadcast point of view, it is much easier to update online learning content, so it is more flexible than traditional TV broadcasting. This is crucial ,, without updated, relevant and sustainable content, the technology is just that â-oeâ-oe technology."
As far as the potential is concerned, the possibilities are extraordinary. Local education institutions could start by exploring the use of basic ICT in the classroom environment ,, teaching using Powerpoint software and Internet access, for example. Distance learning could become more popular thanks to the Open University. And more adventurous projects that connect local campuses and geographically-dispersed institutions together using high-speed broadband networks could be investigated.
However, as with the majority of technology trends and developments, the market and the media tend to get caught up in the hype of the latest offerings, says Jegede. While there's nothing ostensibly wrong with this, it is often more pertinent to look at existing solutions and see how they can enhance the existing education practices.
"Take e-learning," he suggests. "It is effective because it does not simply transplant traditional learning and classrooms to the Internet but creates new, innovative ways to deliver instruction through a distributed environment.
"Students don't just pore over books and listen to lectures, they can use technology to chat, collaborate on projects and communicate via videoconferencing. Genuine self-paced instruction becomes possible."
e-learning tools are often most effective when used to supplement traditional classroom learning. Instructors can post coursework and assignments on the Web and allow students to view and download the files as needed, ensuring that all class materials are available to all students, all the time. Open book exams can even be administered on the Web or through e-mail.
"The problem is, you often hear that each student needs a desktop or notebook computer to benefit from e-learning. But why not simply take a single Internet-enabled PC, connect it to a data projector and set up an in-class big screen? You can then give a classroom full of students an Internet-based lesson using the most simple technology configurations," explains Jegede.
The same theory ,, that basics are often best ,, holds true for the creation of the ICT infrastructure upon which these solutions run. High end routers, switches and wireless network .connections may be unnecessary.
Having said this, Cisco is doing a great deal of work around the world to implement what the company refers to as "converged networks". These infrastructures are based on the industry-standard Internet Protocol (IP) and are capable of supporting different types of data, Internet access, streaming media and voice traffic. And they are providing educational institutions with a foundation that can serve them for years to come.
While the situation in Nigeria presents its own unique challenges, Jegede believes some lessons can be learnt from international projects that have leveraged converged networks.
"In Canada, the University of Guelph has established a videoconferencing link between classrooms that are over 30kms apart. The deployment of a converged network lets the schools communicate over an IP backbone that is easier to manage and access," he points out.
"In India, the Army War College in Mhow has deployed a fibre-based converged network so that users can access training applications whether they are in an office, a classroom or the school"s residential quarters.
"In the Netherlands, Dutch educational organisations have provided nearly 2.5 million users with online access to education content and services via a secure managed network that connects more than 11,000 schools and other educational institutions, libraries, museums, and content providers to the Internet."
Cisco has its own success story in Africa with the Addis Ababa University and its "AAUNet" project. The company supplied the technology for a comprehensive, inter- and intra-campus converged network infrastructure that allows users from three campuses to access services across the network. These include Internet browsing, e-mail, software downloads, a digital library and radio broadcasts, all in terms of education content.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2004 Vanguard. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
