Nigeria needs to strengthen educational technology — LASU don

A Professor of Educational Technology at the Lagos State University (LASU) Ojo, Silas Egbowon, has stressed the need for Nigeria to strengthen the study of educational technology and its integration into teaching, research and other socio-economic life across disciplines.

He said one of the strong mechanisms to go in this direction and also achieve the Millennium Development Goals in education is to establish an educational technology centre.

He said such special centres should be saddled with responsibilities such as capacity building that will enhance people’s digital literacy, retraining of in-service workers, development of digital resources for learners with special needs, installation and maintenance of smart classrooms and providing of updates on digital materials as well as providing support to lecturers in online courses packaging.

He mentioned that even though there are lots of misconceptions about educational technology and relevance causing challenges regarding its proper placement, grading, assessment and acceptability, the discipline facilitates personalised learning, improves active engagement and motivation and also enhances access and supports collaboration and communication.

He added that the discipline also promotes lifelong learning, provides instant assessment and feedback, encourages innovation and prepares learners for the future world of work, fosters ideas sharing, as well as enhances inclusivity and equality and so forth.

Prof Egbowon shared this thought and perspective while delivering LASU’s 102nd inaugural lecture series on Tuesday at the Ojo campus of the university.

He spoke on the topic, “Educational Technology: The uninformed, the misinformed and the informed.”

Defining educational technology as a comprehensive, systematic approach that utilises both human and material resources to enhance instruction through a process of careful design, application and assessment, the inaugural lecturer opined that even though educational technology is not an end but a means to an end, it is relevant to all disciplines.

“That is why, he pointed out, “that educational technology should be embraced and well taught by all regardless of courses of studies or disciplines.”

Prof Egbowon noted that educational technology does not throw people out of their jobs, rather enhances productivity, cost-effective and saves time.

While emphasising the need to strengthen the study of the profession, the lecturer advised universities to also endeavour to encourage their lecturers as well as students regardless of discipline to undergo training in design, production, selection and utilisation of instructional materials to enrich their service delivery and learning outcome respectively.

He also suggested that every faculty should not only be well-equipped with materials like PAS and multimedia projectors, among others for effective service delivery but also embrace creativity, critical thinking, effective communication and collaboration.

He said while experts in educational technology should be allowed to coordinate all these processes, they should also be involved in the installation of digital facilities in the lecture halls while those halls are under construction.

“I will also recommend that broadcasting outfits should be established at the educational technology centre for students to receive live and recorded lectures as this method will also decongest the normal classroom setting,” he added.

Egbowon, an alumnus of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), however, expressed his appreciation to the leadership of LASU and his family including his wife for their respective roles in his life and the opportunity to deliver the lecture.

The vice-chancellor of LASU, Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, who was represented by the deputy vice-chancellor in charge of academics, Prof Olufunsho Omobitan, eulogised the virtues of the inaugural lecturer, describing him as a great scholar.

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