What ICT Means for 21st Century Learning
The ICT Development Index assesses and benchmarks the developments in information and communication technology (ICT) across various countries. It measures, access, use, and skills; providing a “yea or nay” comment for key indicators such as data availability, presence of a household computer, household internet, bandwidth, network coverage, fixed broadband, internet users, mobile broadband, and mobile traffic. The 2017 version of the report puts Nigeria at #143; falling below other SSA countries such as Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal. While Nigeria’s ICT development has come a long way since the start of the new millennia, there is more airspace to explore especially when viewed in the light of the current trends in education.
As a development devotee, I have spent the last years studying the sheer impact of ICT on education and the trajectory we should expect in the coming decades. For one, ICT can be a modern equaliser of opportunity. While it generally improves lives, the impact is more pronounced for marginalised groups, low-income communities, and people with disabilities. It enables better planning, knowledge sharing, and seamless spread of information and access to skill development resources for society’s most vulnerable — which is a big plus for the work we do at Project Enable Africa.
Similarly, the right access, use, and level of skill development through ICT is a gamechanger for women and youth empowerment; providing tradable skills for the new digital economy. This is a sure means to help individuals and nations achieve economic and social stability.
In the education space here are 2 emerging ICT trends that will revolutionise 21st-century learning.
1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI technologies are almost ubiquitous. They run our search engines, influence our buying decisions and automate our communication. AI is already finding its way into education. While it has been used for personalised learning for students and developing virtual teaching experiences, this decade will usher in higher adoption in other aspects of education.
With the outbreak of Covid-19, the use of AI-enabled tech in conducting remote exams and classroom experiences will be more pronounced. The AI-enabled remote exam proctoring system has removed geographical boundaries for examinations, allowing students to sit for exams from anywhere. It can monitor remote users through its advanced image, video, and audio streaming functions. What’s more? It can also trigger warning signs when a student is suspected of cheating.
More so, AI-enabled remote classrooms will allow students to attend classes from the most remote parts of the world; ensuring the quality of learning that is not bound by geography. This is where more players in Nigeria’s educations space can partner with international universities to sell their education at fees affordable to students in developing countries.
AI will also enable online education on a never-before-seen scale. A collaborative study by KPMG and Google posits that “online education in Africa is likely to be a $2 billion USD industry by 2021.” Thanks to Covid-19, we should see more massive open online courses (MOOCs) and e-learning systems that offer reasonably-priced certifications and courses. The Nigerian government should up its involvement in this trend and also validate e-learning programs and digital certificates offered by these EdTech platforms.
2. The Advent of STEAM
For the better part of the early 2000s, STEM has been the dominant force in basic education curricular. Essentially, it promotes learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; using an interdisciplinary approach. Thanks to the cumulative effort, STEM has found permanence in the schools’ curriculum to aid capacity building for tomorrow’s tech leaders. Nevertheless, STEM had an unintended consequence; the toning down of other disciplines related to arts and creativity. This is why STEAM tries to integrate this vital aspect into the traditional STEM model. So far, the effort has paid off and will gain more momentum as they transition from STEM to STEAM takes shape.
The future of education is digital, no doubt. The only question is, will Nigeria be fast enough to jump on this train and therefore offer better opportunities for future generations?
