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Lock-Down -Lecturer Advises Students To Leverage Online Learning
BY IBRAHIM KEGBEGBE
A lecturer at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Mrs. Titilayo Soji-Oni, has advised Nigerian Students to embrace the planned on-line teaching by institutions of higher learning, as the lock-down lasts.
She told The Eagle in an interview that it had become imperative for schools to consider online teaching in view of the social distancing rule which had forced schools to break.
Soji-oni added that the idea of on-line classes was just to redeem lost time and save the academic calendar.
She added that students may only be able to cover their academic schedule if the on-line interactive session was allowed.
“We only know the day when the order for school closure took effect. No one knows when the school will be reopened. How to make the future brighter for students is one of the lecturers’ priorities because the on-line class is not an easy task.”
Exploring on likely challenges embracing the online teaching method, she said: “lecturers will exhaust data and time on-line during the process just to impact knowledge to the students. So, I don’t see reason students should not embrace the opportunity.”
The Eagle sounded out students on matter, and many of them described it as a welcome development, some however, saying the challenge may be in the area of sourcing data for the real time teachings.
The added that the absence of this, would defeat the interactive dimension in the online teaching..
A student from Lagos State University (LASU), Rasheedat Salami said she would be happy if her school could come up with such anidea as she felt that she had been using her data on unnecessary chatting and downloading of unworthy substances.
She added that despite the fact that she loved the idea, she is afraid of having examination online, especially since “No one knows when the Covid19 will be eradicated”.
A student of Ibadan Polytechnic, Kukute Emmanuel, expressing his opposition to the idea wondered how students who had challenges following a teaching before them would be able to cope with the same teaching trying to impart them online.
He also lamented that some scholars would be hindered from attending the classes by power failure.
A student of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Gbenga Adebayo, while describing it as a good idea added however that some parents struggling to make ends meet in the period of isolation may not be able to carry the additional responsibility of providing data for online learning.
A student of Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTEC), Deborah Feko, said though the idea had been introduced in her school whereby students use WhatsApp groups for interactive studies.
“I pray that this COVID19 disappears in a short period so that students will return to school with academic calendar intact,” she said.