Virtual learning can’t work in Nigeria now says ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said that online teaching cannot work in Nigeria despite the directive of the Nigerian government that universities in the country should migrate online since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Nigeria.

The President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, told journalists that online teaching required some special pedagogical skills and training of lecturers adding that it would take time for these lecturers to be re-oriented into delivering online teaching.

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Apart from the challenge of capacity requirement, the ASUU president said that “the quality in terms of content, in terms of presentation will be watered down.”

“I am even focusing on tertiary institutions now because I don’t want to go to the lower level. So if you talk of tertiary institutions, the first thing is when they don’t have the skills; they will water down the quality in terms of content generation, what should go into content, it is different from loading students with materials.

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“Students should be able to digest what the lecturers are giving out and that also requires skills in preparation. Where they cannot digest, maybe at worst, it may just be garbage in garbage out because when you digest, you will be able to ingest and when you ingest, it becomes part and parcel of you and that is when you can apply.

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“Many of us that teach in face-to-face arrangement we know the difficulties we face in explaining concepts, in illustrating presentations, so that dimension will be there. The quality in terms of content, in terms of presentation will be watered down.

“It (virtual learning) will not work. Let’s break it down; when you talk of virtual learning practically online teaching and learning, I think the first question we need to ask ourselves is: do we have the infrastructure for that? When you talk of infrastructure in the institutions concerned, do they have facilities and if you want to take it to individuals, can they afford it?”