Towards the future: ICT and education in developing countries

Mr. Dabesaki Mac-Ikemenjima

iClass favourably argues for a less traditional method of education, which involves mainly online media, self regulated personalised learning and education. This is absolutely desirable and applicable within the Nigerian context, as in many fast evolving and developing educational systems.

Nigeria has since 2002 began the process towards digitising libraries across the country, in order to provide access to large volumes of literature online, using mainly open source software. The National Open University of Nigeria is also taking advantage of the large cohort of internet users to promote computer aided teaching and learning (CATL). This has also spread to other tertiary level institutions, where students registration is now undertaken online, significantly reducing the amount of human efforts required to undertake such tasks.

However, the desirability of such an initiative could be undermined by three main factors:

1. Access: to ICT is still relatively low across Nigeria and where there are services, they are extremely expensive, making access even more unrealistic for many communities of potential users. Poor infrastructure, including low bandwidth connections may significantly reduce the possibilities of using more user friendly means of teaching and learning.
2. Attitudes: this is perhaps the biggest barrier to the transition to more modern systems of educational service delivery in most developing countries. There is always a strong resistance to change, since change could affect security of income for some people who do not have the requisite skills to function in a new system.
3. Abilities: Nigeria's ICT user capacities is another key determinant and a potential barrier to the usability of such an innovative education method in Nigeria. Interestingly, many mobile phone users are only able to make and receive calls!

The best beginning for e-education in Nigeria, will be a user friendly handheld mobile device, which may also be compatible with mobile phone networks, to enable users utilise the device for both phone calls and learning purposes. This can transcend into low cost laptops and desktop computers. The earlier stages of e-education efforts in Nigeria were mainly undertaken through the traditional mass media, it can remain a tool to facilitate personalised, flexible and user friendly education, with the aid of the internet, where each lesson can be posted on a designated website for users.