By Christiana Ekpa
The House of Representatives yesterday asked the Management of the University of Lagos to find provisional solutions that would enable the students and lecturers to ease into the online learning system, adding that, the aims should be achieved even if it means adopting a blended system while following all COVID–19 protocols strictly.
The House equally asked the Management of the University to ensure that the online learning system is well tested, and meets the minimum standard of what is obtainable in other jurisdictions where the system is a preferred choice.
The Lower Chamber urged the Management of the University to ensure that lecturers are continually trained on utilizing these new teaching methods to make learning more interactive.
The Committee on Tertiary Education and Services was mandated to ensure implementation.
These resolutions followed a motion on the Need to Address Complaints Surrounding Online Learning Platform of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) by Hon. Akin Alabi.
The House was concerned that the launch of E–Learning Platform by the institution has been characterized by complaints, challenges and controversies which make learning challenging to students.
The House noted that University of Lagos, a federal tertiary institution, was one of the first institutions to embrace and pioneer E–Learning through its E–Learning Management System.
The House said it was aware that the dreaded Coronavirus pandemic has forced numerous changes in the systems and workings of the country (and the world at large), one of which is the educational sector which resorted to online learning.
It expressed concern that the launch of E–Learning Platform has been characterized by complaints, challenges and controversies which make learning challenging to students.
The House said it was cognizant of extreme cases where submission of test results fail on the Platform or where correct answers are marked being wrong.
It added that some students cannot access the platform to take the tests, which makes them feel that they are being set up for failure.
The House said the advent of the online learning system was to make learning easier and not to frustrate the students’ efforts or have lecturers completely abandon their duties of educating students.
The legislators said they were convinced that failure to address the challenges with the Platform would make students view education as cumbersome, discouraging and stressful which is capable of undermining the nation’s educational development.
They said the University should devise ways of addressing the matter by allowing for provisional tests to be taken in a way that will ensure a fair chance for all students before their final grading and also make online learning more appealing and exciting to students.
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