Two distinguished scholars, Prof. Olusegun Folorunso and Prof. Aziz Abdulla, have called on academics to brace up for the challenge of new normal in University education.
While Folorunso advocated an urgent review of curriculum content in Universities to enhance the quality expected, Abdulla advised academic staff to engage more in the use of the social media to increase their visibility. The duo spoke during separate presentations at a One Day Webinar hosted by the Department of Mathematical Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye.
The webinar, with the theme: “Roles of Academics in the New World Order,” was moderated by Dr Tunde Odetunde, with several lecturers, students non-teaching staff and scholars as participants.
In his presentation entitled, “Quality Assurance and ‘New Normal’ University Education in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects,” Folorunso, who is the Head, Department of Computer Science at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), said all sectors worldwide, including University education, have been devastated by the impacts of coronavirus pandemic.
The don noted that as the global community prepares for the post-COVID-19 era characterised by the new normal, it is imperative to consider University education anew in the light of emerging opportunities and challenges.
According to him, the new normal post-COVID-19 era opens an opportunity for rethinking the goals of University education in the direction of relevance of curriculum to both local and global society for its significance, relevance and utility.
Folorunso explained that the coronavirus outbreak brought some intense change to the world and, consequently, the world would not revert to the “accepted, habitual, usual state” of doing things.
He said, “Within the educational dimension, there has been extensive researches discussing the adoption of online modality in instructional implementation in the new normal post-COVID-19 era.
These emerging discussions as regards University education in the new normal post COVID-19 era could be reconsidered through the lens and review of curriculum studies, teaching and learning modes with technology adoption and instructional evaluation processes using Quality Assurance Approach.”
The scholar posited that the new normal would have its influence on the tripod mandate of Nigerian Universities, namely teaching, research and extension services, stressing that there is need for quality assurance mechanisms as strategy to sustain the quality of knowledge being generated from the nation’s University system.
“The advent of university education in Nigeria was borne out of effort at developing high level manpower for the development of the nation. Today, there is a total of 171 Universities, out of which 44 are federal, 48 are owned by states while 79 are owned by private individuals and organizations,” he stated.
While canvassing the review of teaching and learning modes, Folorunso pointed out that many educational systems have adopted technology in an effort at rethinking University education.
He said, “Globally, many educational systems are contemplating on responsive approaches to implement the curriculum with the adoption of technology. Most of them are looking into the role of technology.
During an era of social distancing practice demonstrating a major new normal behavior, many schools are headed towards complete online modality or blended learning modality in instruction.
But while schools were closed for quarantine, education had to continue but this time in an altered modality. It was implemented online through a variety of online courses and electronic textbooks.
Moreover, blended learning is coincidentally known as the ‘new normal’ in the realm of educational technology. Blended Learning environment combines both face-to-face and online/virtual learning together.”
The Professor, who stated that different instructional evaluation practices have been adopted as a response to the COVID-19 crisis on a global level, submitted that these practices would be part of the new normal in University education, especially in Nigeria.
He added: “In recent time, there is massive replication of instructional evaluation to online. Within the online instructional evaluation, there are synchronous and asynchronous forms which may be adopted.
The synchronous form requires the teacher and the student to work together at an arranged time through online applications like Zoom, Microsoft teams or Google Meet.
There may be need for our Universities to have e-learning platforms for the entire University with many customized facilities for feedbacks. It can also be achieved, for example, through phone in which the teacher provides assessment to the learners in real time.”
While emphasizing that the new normal post COVID-19 has come to stay in human history, Folorunso concluded that the only way for During an era of social distancing practice demonstrating a major new normal behavior, many schools are headed towards complete online modality or blended learning modality in instruction.
But while schools were closed for quarantine, education had to continue but this time in an altered modality. It was implemented online through a variety of online courses and electronic textbooks.
Moreover, blended learning is coincidentally known as the ‘new normal’ in the realm of educational technology. Blended Learning environment combines both face-to-face and online/virtual learning together.”
The Professor, who stated that different instructional evaluation practices have been adopted as a response to the COVID-19 crisis on a global level, submitted that these practices would be part of the new normal in University education, especially in Nigeria.
He added: “In recent time, there is massive replication of instructional evaluation to online. Within the online instructional evaluation, there are synchronous and asynchronous forms which may be adopted.
The synchronous form requires the teacher and the student to work together at an arranged time through online applications like Zoom, Microsoft teams or Google Meet.
There may be need for our Universities to have e-learning platforms for the entire University with many customized facilities for feedbacks. It can also be achieved, for example, through phone in which the teacher provides assessment to the learners in real time.”
While emphasizing that the new normal post COVID-19 has come to stay in human history, Folorunso concluded that the only way for In his remarks, the Dean, Faculty of Science, OOU, Prof. Olubukunola Oyesiku, said the Faculty had demonstrated its readiness for the new normal in University education by hosting the webinar.
Oyesiku commended the resource persons for their rich and thorough contributions to the discourse and expressed optimism that the participants would take cognisance of their respective submissions.
Also speaking, the Acting Head, Department of Mathematical Sciences, OOU, Dr Mustapha Usman, said the event was organised to share knowledge and expertise for the benefit of both the academia and the society.
He thanked all participants for joining the webinar and assured of the department’s commitment towards hosting more relevant programmes in future.
