NUC Launches GST e-Modules for Distance Learners in NUS The National Universities Commission (NUC) has, on Tuesday 21 October, 2014, presented e-modules of five General Studies (GST) courses, namely; Use of English, Philosophy and Logic, Nigerian Peoples and Culture, History and Philosophy of Science and Entrepreneurship Studies for Distance Learners in the Nigerian Universities System (NUS). Unveiling the Modules, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Professor Julius A. Okojie, OON, remarked that Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode was a cost-effective and efficient means of creating more access to education without compromising quality teaching and learning interactions, principles of flexibility and learner-centeredness, where high quality teaching and learning interactions took place without the constraints of time and space. The Executive Secretary described as worrisome the fact that most people in Nigeria claimed knowledge of issues when they actually required basic exposure. Such a disposition, he maintained, affected the thoughts of some academics in the Nigerian University System. He stressed that the reason for the advocacy/sensitisation forum was to enable the drivers of the system understand the concepts and the standard guidelines that existed in the ODL mode of teaching and learning delivery. The Executive Secretary affirmed that the ODL provided good options for candidates who passed the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), without gaining entrance to the conventional universities due to limited space in the existing universities, adding that the current effort of NUC was to ensure that those universities interested in the mode followed laid down regulations. Professor Okojie said that the model of ODL was carefully designed in the NUS, considering the Nigerian context encompassing the infrastructural and other challenges, while retaining features to guarantee global acceptability. He urged the participants and all stakeholders in the university education sub-sector in Nigeria to encourage the ODL concept to enhance literacy level in the country, adding that the mode would create more access for the teeming number of Nigerians who were aspiring to enrol in the universities. The Executive Secretary observed that the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) had been doing well since the introduction of the mode, adding that its programmes were strong enough and that the products could compete favourably with their peers from the conventional universities. In a welcome remark, the Director, Open and Distance Education (DODE), Dr. S.B Ramon-Yusuf said that the Advocacy forum on the ODL mode of delivery was aimed at creating awareness about the concept and its great potentials to contribute significantly to the amelioration of the perennial challenge of inadequate access and other seemingly intractable problems plaguing the NUS. He explained that the event was put together for launching and roll-out of e-modules of five General Studies (GST) courses namely; Use of English, Philosophy and Logic, Nigerian Peoples and Culture, History and Philosophy of Science and Entrepreneurship Studies. Dr. Ramon-Yusuf acknowledged that the five modules were products of years of painstaking collaborative efforts involving academic staff of the Distance teaching universities in Nigeria under the auspices of the NUC/British Council/ Open University of United Kingdom (OUUK) ODL project, adding that it was an example of a synergy which was designed with the overarching objective of bringing the practice of ODL in the NUS in line with the global best practices. The Director explained further that the NUC was committed to the promotion of best practices in the delivery of quality university education through the ODL channel, expressing the hope that the participating universities would continue to leverage on the advantages of collaboration and synergy building in order to achieve the set goals of the ODL concept in the overall best interest of Nigeria. Presenting a keynote address, titled “Balancing the Quality Issues on Capacity Building in ODL Practice: A Challenge for Higher Education in Nigeria”, the UNESCO Chair of ODL and lecturer at University of South Africa, Professor Dele Braimoh, stated that the demand and response to government policies were responsible for the running of Open and Distance Learning in higher education. He enunciated some problems associated with the Open and Distance Learning Practice where a majority of scholars were coming into Open and Distance Learning Institutions by default, without any prior ODL training or knowledge. Professor Braimoh highlighted the critical challenges for adopting ICT in African Tertiary Institutions, explaining that political will at all levels of government was a sine qua non to the success of adoption of ICT in African tertiary institutions. He emphasized that issues such as policy, funding, recognition and the adoption of appropriate technology should be the centre of consideration. In a goodwill message, the Director of Programmes, British Council, Nigeria, Ms. Louisa Waddingham, said that the Council had been enjoying a close and good working relationship with NUC, through various collaborations, adding that the efforts of such partnerships had yielded successes for both parties. She disclosed that the ODL mode had transformed the UK university education in a tremendous way such that opportunities were provided for people to develop their mental capacity for the utmost best interest of the country. Ms Waddingham said that education was a continues process and could not be monopolised by a particular nation, owing to the fact that the ODL mode was another opportunity that was created to provide access to the yearning youth to enrol for university education. She noted that Nigeria was on the verge of attaining global recognition, using the same ODL mode adopted by the United Kingdom and pledged the continued supports of the British Council to step up its efforts in the e-learning higher education in Nigeria, in particular, and Africa in general. The NUC team included Directors of Inspection and Monitoring, Professor Alhasan Bichi; Students Support Services, Mallam Ibrahim Dan’Iya; Finance and Accounts, Mr. Sam Onazi; Physical Planning and Development, Arc. Bola Balogun, mni; Quality Assurance, Dr. Noel Saliu; Protocol and Special Duties, Mr. Chris Maiyaki as well as Executive Secretary’s Office, Mrs. Constance Goddy-Nnadi.
Posted on: Sat, 25 Oct 2014 09:47:34 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015