Technology boosts teaching

The importance of technology to education in the 21st century and the need to embrace it formed the crux of discussions during successive editions of Edtech Mondays.

The programme is a platform that facilitates critical conversations on using technology for teaching and Learning, by bringing together key stakeholders, including policymakers, tech entrepreneurs, teachers, and parents.

It is one of the innovations of the Mastercard Foundation, is executed in partnership with Co-creation Hub Limited (CcHub).

At the start of the year, various technology-oriented topics that could impact learning were put on the front burner and analysed in detail in different editions. During one of the programmes, the Assistant Education Officer, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Cross River State, Helen Akintemi, spoke on the essence of inclusion and diversity.

Speaking on the guiding principle of UNHCR, Akintemi educated listeners on commission’s accelerated programmes for refugees who have suffered displacement, and how they organised catch-up classes to integrate them into the school system.

On gender, she cited the promotion of girl education through scholarship programmes, which give them equal access as boys, while for learners with disabilities; the commission intervenes by covering tuition and learning materials.

Similarly, Founder of keeping it real foundation, an organisation that inspires change through learning and employment creation, Bitebo Gogo, enlightened the audience on the value of education, especially for learners in low-income communities and those with disabilities.

She cited the use of technology during the COVID-19 pandemic to promote learning in Adamawa State, where they set up an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) laboratory equipped with four laptop computers, and with the aid of e-books, taught the children.

Besides, Gogo highlighted how they have been inspiring change through learning by giving out books to young people. She cited her 2011 experience in Ajegunle, a low-income community in Lagos, which broke the myth that young people do not like to read.
Her last aspect of inspiring change touched on providing learning platforms to build capacity, with emphasis on persons with disabilities. Gogo advocated their inclusion in capacity-building programmes. She tasked local and international organisations to give priority attention to physically challenged persons, reminding that there is always ability in disability.

Co-founder of Project Enable Africa, an organisation that advocates social inclusion for persons with disabilities in Nigeria, Ngozi Ukpai-Okoro also relieved her experience.
Ukpai-Okoro, who lost her sight at age 10, said she struggled through school until she came in contact with technology in her sophomore year.

A strong advocate of leveraging digital technology to empower women and girls, she explained that disabilities are not only restricted to the blind and deaf alone.

Citing the case of her roommate, who used a wheelchair and had trouble assessing the building, Ukpai-Okoro said technology infrastructure should be introduced in the sector. Besides, she noted that emphasis should be placed on e-learning to enable people have access to information.

She maintained that technology is all-encompassing without gender bias as it helps in bridging gaps created by the society.

The programme is awakening education stakeholders, including parents, teachers and the government, to the advantages of technology in education.

The speakers pointed out that technology enables equity in learning and fosters inclusion; with the ease it brings to the learning process.

“The emergence of COVID-19 saw the world embrace more online learning, made possible at the push of a button through a Zoom call or a Google Meet. The programme promises to delve more into engaging topics that would highlight the impact of technology on education in coming editions,” they said.

With the impact of technology on teaching and learning, speakers tasked government at all levels, stakeholders and policymakers on the need to key into it to boost learning outcomes.