Technology is fast becoming an integral part of our day-to-day activities – a concept that we cannot shy away from. In education, it is crucial for learners to be empowered to equip themselves for a future of technological wonder.
These were remarks made by Dr Oluwakemi Olurinalo, an education and technology specialist and visiting faculty from Olabisi Onabanjo University in Nigeria. Her presentation demonstrated how technology in today’s learning ecosystem allows for students to do self-learning.
‘’In the past, educators used to be the custodians of information. Teachers were believed to know it all and the students would argue with absolute certainty that my teacher said so! Right now, students can easily access their smart phones to verify what you teach,’’ she said.
Dr Olurinalo was making a presentation at the Research Seminar Series at AKU in Dar es Salaam. The seminar is an initiative of the Institute for Educational Development, East Africa (IED, EA), for experts to share knowledge and experiences on education issues.
She called on educators to make use of available resources at their workplaces to embrace technology and implement it in learning.
Juma Rashid, a student at IED, EA said, “We have learned to involve students in the teaching of various subjects such as how to use different methods to reach all the students in the classroom. Our capacity on how to empower and develop students with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills has been enhanced.”
“Teachers have to adopt modes of teaching and learning that go with technological advancement so as to support students better,” Hannah Kimaro, a student IED, EA said. “As teachers, we have the option of paying the price to invest in education by creating room for our learners to explore and utilize their learning process as much as possible. This is only possible if teachers desire to improve their teaching skills and use what is available to promote teaching and learning.”
The seminar, a hybrid event, attracted over 80 participants from AKU campuses. The Research Seminar Series continues to serve as a space for staff, faculty, students and visiting professionals to share their academic knowledge of research topics, dissertations and academic papers intended for publication.
