23 Digitization of Education in Nigeria: A Path to Technological Advancement

Abstract

Today, more than ever, the role of educational technology in teaching and learning is of great importance because of the use of information and communication technology. With the help of various applications for distance education, the internet, teachers and students themselves, they see the advantage technology in education. Aware of this, the Federal Government in its statement on the National Policy on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education identified the critical role of ICT, towards the attainment of the National Vision within the context of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the National Policy on Education, Ministerial Strategic Plan: Education for Change and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). But since independence, Nigeria has had an encompassing quantitative education with minimal or no impact on technological advancement. Despite the constant previous reforms in the sector to make it more impactful, problems persisted, just as panaceas abound, but the questions remained, hence the clamour for digitization of education in Nigeria for technological advancement.

Keywords: Digitization, Education and Technological Advancement

PREAMBLE

Modern teaching materials are very crucial and most preferred in the digitalize world. A modern education system uses technology to impart knowledge. Digitization of education system is an opportunity to develop a cognitive resource-based mechanism in learners and improve the skills, lifelong learning and continuous education. Digitization produces information that can be conveyed in many different methods. It brings about democracy of knowledge where education becomes a collaborative and self-driven enterprise. Nowadays, there are tools available to transform learning from an academic exercise to an engaging experience gratification and technological gains.

Digitization is the trending term, describing the 21st century in the most precise manner as possible. We are in the era where unprecedented ideas are unfolding in our education sector and creating the advancement that can’t be matched by lagging behind in terms of technology.

CONCEPT OF DIGITIZATION

Witten and David (2003) defines digitization as the process of taking traditional learning materials that are in book form and papers and converting them to the electronic form where they can be stored and manipulated by a computer. Kannappanava; Rajamkanta and Tandur (2010) stated that digitization refers to the conversion of materials created in another format into an electronic form; this definition excludes materials that were initially created digitally, such as email communication. Similarly, Jagboro, Omotayo and Aboyade (2012) defined digitization as all the steps involved in the process of making collections of historical and other materials available online. Pandey and Misra (2014) describe digitization as the course of converting analog information to a digital format.

Digitization implies the creation of digital surrogates for an original copy or physical object. Digitization encourages open access to resources such as electronic theses. Ding, (2000) highlights the advantages of digitization as follows:

• Digitization means no new buildings are required; improvement in information sharing and redundancy of collections reduced.
• Digitization leads to the development of Internet in digitalized based institutions
• Digital materials can be transmitted, sorted and retrieved easily and quickly.
• It is cheaper to access electronic information than its print counterpart when storing files in an electronic device with compatible facilities and equipment.
• Digital texts can be linked, made interactively; and improves the retrieval of more information.

Also, clients do not have to travel to libraries that have the hard copies of library resources before they can access and use such materials (Fabunmi, Paris, and Fabunmi, 2009). Pandey and Misra (2014) mention that digital projects allow users to search for groups rapidly and comprehensively from anywhere at any time; several users can access the same material the same time without a barrier. In contributing to this, Urhiewhu and Daniel (2015), opines that in digitizing library resources, everyone will have access to information instead of to a group of researchers. The authors also stated that digitization makes the invisible to be visible.

Other benefits as summarized by Akpan-Atata and Enyene (2014) are as follows:

• Universal Access – people from all over the world, gained access to the same information as long as an internet connection is available.
• Capacity – in the traditional libraries, there are limited storage spaces while digital books have the possibilities to reserve much more information, simply because digital information requires very little physical space to contain them.
• Cost – the cost of sustaining a digital learning is lower than that of running a traditional learning.
• Enhanced searching methods through different search engines and manipulation of information.
• Improved facilities for information sharing.
• Access to information is made possible in a short time.
• Improved collaboration with other information institutions and centers, chances to form consortia where they can pull their resources together and get a real bargain of scale to acquire learning software.

The benefits of digitization cannot be over emphasized. Digitization has transformed scholarship and brought with it tremendous changes and easy access to resources which were formerly restricted. Carr (2000), observed that in academic institutions, digital institutional resources such as theses, research papers, manuscripts, images or specialized monographs are of very high value. To retain the original copies of rare publications emanating from institutions, digitization becomes the best option. Academic institutions are leveraging the benefits of digitization to preserve their original publications while promoting surrogate copies.

Concept of Technological Advancement

Technological advancement is the generation of information or the discovery of knowledge that advances the understanding of technology. In other words, a technological advancement advances the understanding of technology. (Johnson, 2012).

It is also an attempt at extending or further understanding the underlying science used to develop current materials, devices, products or processes.

Digitization of Education and Technological Advancement: An Overview

It is very worthy to note that we’re living in a technology-driven world. Since the internet exploded onto the scene in the ’80s and ’90s, became accessible to the average Nigerian student in the past decade, and eventually began to fit into our pocket with the development of smart phones, it is safe to say technology is on an upward trajectory, and it shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

Today, the internet dominates many aspects of our life. We’re so used to it that we don’t even think about all the areas it touches. It helps us communicate effectively in the academic institutions. We access our entertainment online. Whenever we have any question, from the most mundane to the most complicated, we ask the internet. (Asogwa, B.E. 2011).

There’s one facet of our life, however, where we might not often think about the effects of technology, and that’s the realm of education. This study examines how technology has found its way into the halls of schools across the country and around the globe, and all the ways technology has impacted in Nigerian Education system.

In many ways, education has not eminently improved in Nigeria. The traditional system of education is still in invoke. A teacher instructs a student or a group of students, who use their studies to learn to become members of society. A few will then go on to become teachers themselves, and pass their knowledge along to the next generation. Technology has come a long way in helping students conduct research, participate in debates and projects, and even gain hands-on experience that will help them better understand and navigate the world and their future careers. Some of the major advantages of digitizing of education by Ding, C.M (2000), include;

Greater Accessibility

According to Pandy, P, and Misra, R.(2014), students and teachers needed to be physically present in the same location for learning to take place. But recently with the introduction of technology in education, it allows for instant and convenient communication over great distances at the click of a button. Technology has impacted on education to the extent that there is a possibility of online degrees. Established traditional schools in Nigeria now offer some of their courses online, while other schools have sprung up that operate entirely online, with students and teachers never once meeting face to face. In primary and secondary schools, this same technology allows for cyber-schooling, where children can complete their work from the comfort and convenience of home.

Online schooling such as these examples has helped immensely in breaking down geographic barriers that have long prevented many students from reaching certain educational institutions. And this has in turn contributed significantly in the general advancement of technology in Nigeria.

Increased Flexibility

The idea of flexibility due to the internet goes hand in hand with improved accessibility. Online classes have freed students from having to attend school at specified times, something that is often impossible due to work or family responsibilities. Instead, course materials are available online, and students have the freedom to study and complete classwork whenever their schedule permits.

Technology has opened the doors of education to many who might otherwise be unable to attend a traditional school. Anyone working full-time, for instance, will now be able to continue their job while getting an education. Parents with young children can also find opportunities to attend school (Unsworth, J. 2004).

Differing Interactions between Teachers and Students

With the development of online educational programs, the interactions between teachers and students have undergone a fundamental shift. There are advocates on both sides of this matter, with some saying this change is for the better and others saying it is for the worse. Perhaps the most helpful position to take is that this change is neither wholly negative nor entirely positive, and instead has both merit and demerit.

For example, because this interaction is online, class time is no longer students’ only opportunity to ask their teachers questions and request information. Instead, they can take advantage of emails, instant messaging, and texting to ask their teachers questions anytime, rather than having to wait for the next class, when the question is no longer fresh in their mind.

Advent of Online Testing

Along with online education comes the advent of online testing, which is hugely beneficial for a whole host of reasons. Foremost among those reasons is the fact that online testing is impartial and entirely fair. If a machine is grading the test and automatically correcting wrong answers, it’s impossible to show any signs of bias. Additionally, online testing can be an excellent solution for those who suffer from test anxiety and are distressed by taking tests in a room with a group of other people. Finally, it’s also much better for those with busy schedules, who may struggle to be at a testing center at a particular time.

Online testing isn’t without drawbacks, however. Most notably, it is only effective for multiple-choice tests, not for essay or short answer questions. Students can still take essay-based tests online, but a human teacher will need to evaluate.

Improved Ability to Meet Special Needs

In the past, a rigid classroom structure defined the world of academia. Each student had the same experience, no matter their differing needs or abilities. While some students could function well in this environment, others had unmet needs.

Technology improves a school’s abilities to meet the needs of all types of students. Now, students with hearing, speaking or seeing impairments, or those who are largely housebound, can still receive a quality education. Technological advancements can also meet the needs of students with intellectual, social, or developmental disabilities. No matter what a student’s unique needs may be, technology affects education for the better by improving our ability to create learning environments that work for all.

Availability of Online Learning Content

Learning used to take place exclusively in a classroom setting. Educational tools were either books or officially produced videos. One of the ways the Internet has changed education is by allowing anyone to share their knowledge with the world by publishing an educational blog post, e-book, or YouTube video.

The far-reaching benefit that comes out of this is that it makes it easier for anyone to learn.

Adaptability and Personalization

Educational spaces are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that what helps one student learn may be virtually useless to someone else, and what makes no sense to one student may be the only thing that clicks with another. Everyone’s brain works differently, and everyone has a unique learning style — yet, for many years, all those students read from the same textbook. With the introduction of technology in education, students can benefit from having a range of tools and learning technologies at their fingertips.

Challenges

Digitization of education is a laudable project that encompasses the application of a wide spectrum of practices, including blended and virtual learning. Nevertheless, some hurdles impede its smooth operations especially in Nigeria; According to Asogwa, B.E. (2011), some of the challenges include;

Inadequate funding. Funding for the purchase and maintenance of modern and state-of–the–art digital equipment by the government remains a major constraint.

Erratic power supply

It is very unrealizable for computerization and digitization to take effect in an environment of epileptic power supply. The issue of power has become a national calamity. Thus it has to be given priority by any library aspiring to attain global visibility. Hence, all the institutions in Nigeria only depend on a generator for its power supply, and most often there is no light due to lack of diesel or generator breakdown which often hinders the digitization process.

Lack of Modern Infrastructure

Infrastructural facilities in most Nigerian academic institution are in a state of disrepair. Yaya and Adeeko (2016) observed that ICT department in these institutions lack modern computer systems; even the few available systems are being infected with a virus which makes them unfit for the digitization project.

Lack of skilled staff

Many academic staff lacks the basic computer training, not to mention specialized training required for digitization (Jagboro, Omotayo, and Aboyade, 2012). There is a need for continuous training to build academic staff capacity in equipment maintenance and software management. Also, digitization is a complex process which requires specialized skills. However, a good number of staff who may be involved in the digitization process in Nigerian academic institutions may not skilled as they do not possess adequate knowledge or competence in the handling of digitization equipment.

Conclusion

Digitization has no doubt changed our education system, but we cannot say that it has diminished the value of our old time classroom learning. Neither do we want something so priceless to turn into dust. The best part about the digitization of education in the 21st century is that it is combined with the aspects of both; classroom learning and online learning methods. Walking hand in hand both acts as a support system to each other, this gives a stronghold to our modern students. Digitization in education has also proved to be the right method for saving resources. Online examination platforms have restricted the frivolous usage of paper, directly confining the cutting down of trees. This way the digitization of education industry in the 21st century proves to be a boom to our societal technological advancement.

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