Opinions

Digitisation of project writing in tertiary institutions

IN Nigeria and other parts of the world, project writing is one of the requirements for the award of any degree in tertiary institutions. In most cases, it carries the highest units (6) among other courses. This requirement is usually imposed in the last semester of study, when a student is expected to carry out research in their area of study. This is done with the aid of a lecturer, usually referred to as a supervisor. Some institutions facilitate individual research while others adopt the group method for project writing.

A project is intended to help students to develop an inquisitive mindset, encouraging them to explore new ideas and understand the intricacies of why and how things happen. The primary purpose of project writing at the undergraduate level is to enables students to approach research problems logically. In the same vein, the outcome of project writing should contribute significantly to local or national development. Unfortunately, in many institutions, projects are seen as a mere requirement for graduation, lacking genuine interest in making an impact. Regrettably, some graduates may recount their project stage as the worst moment in school..Others tell stories of troublesome supervisors, sexual harassment and extortortion, or even turning students into slaves. Consequently, the end result is a lack of knowledge and negligible impact.

This article suggests how the process can be digitised to ease the financial stress on students, parents and institutions. For instance, a viral picture showed a particular institution burning copies of projects, which in my view is not surprising. The question arises: Where can an institution physically store over 20,000 copies of projects? Consequently, some copies are expected to be destroyed over time. Consider the following calculation: each academic year, tertiary institutions admit close to 2 million students and produce 600, 000 graduates. If 600, 000 students print hard copies of their projects at approximately 10,000 naira per student for supervisors ‘review, it amounts to N6 billion annually. Additionally, in most cases, these printed copies often become waste paper. Given the current cost of a rim of paper four to five thousand naira, printing hard copies becomes a financial burden on students.

For record purposes, hard copies may prove ineffective, as the right message may not be effectively communicated through pen on paper, potentially leading to issues in understanding the communication between supervisor and supervisee. Why not try a new approach? Must it be done the way you did in the past it if there a better way? I know that some people believe that reading on hard copies is better than reading on screen. I will not disapprove that. There is a need to shift from the old ways of doing things. I am proposing a digitized process of writing projects in our tertiary institutions.

The first stage is the supervisor-student interaction. Rather than asking students to print hard copies and come to the office, lecturers can simply ask them to send their works through email. Similarly, lecturers can make their observations through mails. The good thing about this method is that mails will serve as reference points. If adopted by our tertiary institutions, this could result in annual savings of N6 billion. The second stage is where students are asked to submit copies to the department for documentation. Rather than insisting on four or five hard copies,as most institutions do, institutions can create a repository for projects where students can send their projects, and it can be accessed for future references.