UI honours its ambassadors to the ACU/ NOUN PEBL programme
Oru Leonard
Twenty seven Lecturers drawn from various departments of the University of Ibadan who participated in the ACU/NOUN Partnership of Enhanced Blended Learning programme were today honoured by the University as its worthy ambassadors.
They were presented with Certificates and Letters of Commendation.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode O. Adebowale, mni, FAS, said Covid 19 had shown that face-to-face interactions were no longer sufficient for learning in tertiary institutions.
He recalled that the University had to introduce Emergency Remote Teaching during the pandemic.
He said it was, therefore, imperative that the University be prepared to provide seamless lecturing for the students in emergency situations.
Professor Adebowale appreciated the commitment of the participants who are expected to impart their knowledge to other Lecturers in the University.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships, Professor Oluyemisi A. Bamgbose, SAN, explained that the programme was one of the programmes organised by the Association of Commonwealth Universities in conjunction with the National Open University of Nigeria for West African universities.
The very rigorous training began in February 2022, and the participants graduated in September 2022. Thirty -five participants were invited, 32 registered, but only 27 completed the programme.
According to the Coordinator of the group, Dr. Adesola Odole of the Department of Physiotherapy, the participants were all passionate about teaching and learning and were thus able to withstand the challenges that they faced.
She disclosed that plans are already afoot for the participants to train 100 lecturers and 500 students of the University of Ibadan under the E Learning and Blended Learning programme.
Special recognition was given to Dr. Olufunmilayo Adeleye of the Department of Animal Science who emerged the Best Graduating Student in UI, Nigeria, and West Africa in the programme.
The ACU is the lead partner on the PEBL- WA project with four other partners, namely, the Commonwealth of Learning whose remit is to lead on quality assurance matters; the National Universities Commission; the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission; and the National Open University of Nigeria.
Six Nigerian universities: Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufi Alike; First Technical University, Ibadan; University of Lagos; Ebonyi State University; University of Ibadan; and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso as well as six universities from Ghana are participating in the programme.
The National Universities Commission is involved to ensure that outputs from the PEBL can be shared across the region and, indeed, the continent as the project progresses.
