Problems and Prospects of Educational Technology in Nigeria

In this post we will look at the Problems and Prospects of Educational Technology in Nigeria. This article is relevant for educational managers, policy makers as well as researchers to find lasting solution to problems facing educational technology in Nigeria.

The role of educational technology in today’s world cannot be underestimated, given its impacts in information and communication technologies. In recent times, through internet for instance, open and distant education has been made possible, where one can be in a particular place within the globe and access education from anywhere.

This development however, validated the fact that education is the fundamental human rights, and so education is a must to any individual who hope to make sense out of life. Educational technology has made learning and teaching easy through the application of modern educational technology.

There is so much about educational technology – this involves the modern method of teaching and learning, modern methods of using instructional facilities, as well as strategies in organizing academic work. At the turn of this age, computer was used as a tutor that gives instruction. It also directs the user.

However, computers, being the tools for educational technology are limited in Nigerian schools; many schools in the country are still using the traditional approach to teaching and learning.

Taking a look at the traditional way of teaching and learning, one will noticed that, the teacher will have enough time interacting with the students, sometimes at a point the students will get bored, and this of course make learning drudging.

In most times too, the teacher will fail to recognize the difference in intelligent quotients of students, and may be tempted to want to impart knowledge to all the students in the class at the same frequency. This practice has indeed hampered the learning ability of a child hence, made the effort of the teacher, who tried to impart knowledge futile.

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The meaning of Educational Technology

Educational technology is a methodical way of relating up-to-date technology to education with a view to improve or make the quality of education worthwhile.

Interestingly, the advent of educational technology has proffer solution to most of these challenges. With the use of educational technology, a child can independently study the learning material, and possibly go through again to other topics that were not clear to him at first.

This development has helped tracked students’ progress in learning. Education and technology need a clear definition however, but there should be more acceptable meaning of educational technology hence, my definition of educational technology as deduced from renowned authorities.

Problems of Educational Technology in Nigeria

1. Lack of leadership

The issue of leadership has been one of the major problems hampering the improvement of educational technology in Nigeria. The leaders, though leading without vision still find it difficult to sit together and device measures that will help the facilitators to use technology in teaching and learning.

Where there is no vision, according to an ancient adage, ‘people are restrained’ is a clear demonstration of the level at which, those assigned with the responsibility leadership are restrained from effecting the statutory obligation that guides the implementation of the full scale of educational technology in Nigeria.

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2. Lack of training for facilitators

Training, as a way of updating the knowledge of the teachers in current modern technology has not been taking into consideration. So with this backdrop teachers find it difficult to see the potency of technology in education.

No teacher under this new digital age can really undertake teaching efficiently without subsequent training programs, and continuous upkeep by the relevant authorities.

So lack of effective application of technology in teaching and learning in schools has made educational technology very challenging in Nigeria.

3. Lack of proper mind set

Lack of proper mind set on the part of the students is another major problem faced in the course of integrating technology into teaching and learning in Nigerian schools.

The question as to whether students have appreciated technology in education is a great task. This however, stresses the important of technology authorities having the teachers in mind, while assembling technology facilities, such that will stimulates students’ appreciation of technology in education for easy assimilation as presented by the teacher.

Read Also: Problems and Prospects of Education in Nigeria

Prospects of Educational Technology in Nigeria

1. Improvement of Knowledge Assimilation:

The new development of integrating technology into education has brought about great and tremendous improvement to the impartation and assimilation of information.

This is a laudable development since it is able to provide more understanding about the means of making teaching and learning more effective and appreciative with the application of modern technology.

2. Enhanced computer skill

The new development has ensured enhancement of computer skills among the students, as well as ‘determining measures’ of ascertaining the level of learning and commitment to learning on the part of the student hence, has improved the quality of students’ performances.

3. Improve education standard

The educational technology has help addressed some of the problems of education, as students showed enormous interest in learning this new sophisticated skill, which has indeed help in improving their standard of learning and assimilation of knowledge. The development has also help in raising standard of preparing students in their individual areas of interest.

Read Also: Problems and Prospects of Teacher’s Education in Nigeria

Conclusion and Suggestion

The new age has brought about the new way of teaching and learning. The age is called the information age. With the advent of educational technology in Nigeria, the children of the new generation are motivated and inspired to work with the new development.

They are poised to make a different in education. It a new way of learning that will help a child acquires skills and knowledge through the application of modern educational techniques.

That is why this aspect of teaching and learning should be included into the school curriculum. And I am rest assure that with the introduction of educational technology in the Nigerian schools, there is going to be an eruption of new way of acquiring skills and knowledge particularly, on the internet.

However, if this new development should be sustained in Nigerian schools, there is therefore a question as to whether teachers’ knowledge have been updated to appreciate the application of educational technology in teaching and in receiving knowledge. If not, there is need for teachers in this digital age to be trained in order to appreciate, and embrace the use of modern technology in teaching.

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