Due to the huge crisis caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic, the federal government of Nigeria said that all universities and polytechnics should introduce virtual learning education. National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN has been doing it for years and it has been successful. This has outstanding benefits which are reasons this article has been put together for you.
Introducing a virtual learning environment in educational technology is adding a Web-based platform for the digital aspects of courses of study, especially, within educational institutions. They would design resources, activities, and interactions within a course structure and create different stages of assessment.
Virtual Learning Education, also known as VLEs, may have a de facto role as authoring and design environments for teachers and instructors who edit them. Almost all higher education institutions in the English-speaking world have adopted VLEs.
VLE learning platforms commonly allow:
- Content management which consists of creation, storage, access to and use of learning resources
- Curriculum mapping and planning such as; lesson planning, assessment, and personalization of the learning experience
- Learner engagement and administration which means, managed access to learner information and resources and tracking of progress and achievement
- Communication and collaboration such as; emails, notices, chat, wikis, blogs
- Real-time communication such as; live video conferencing or audio conferencing
Benefits of Virtual Learning In Nigerian Universities
The reason to implement any new technology is for doing a better service, simpler, faster. The VLE implementation is no exception. So, let us begin with the benefits of virtual learning education in Nigerian Universities:
Flexibility
With VLE support, the educational process will be more flexible, especially in terms of time. Having stable and free access to all the learning materials for the semester, students can easily combine their studies with other plans and activities. So, it will be easy to continue education with a full-time job or nursing mothers could enjoy adequate time and attention for their demanding infant.
Moreover, students will be free to work at their own pace. After all, everyone can read the texts and watch the videos as many times as they wish to understand the topic, while fast learners can move faster with their course ahead of the rest of the group.
Accessibility
The need for attending classrooms will be unnecessary since learning can be done online. This means high-quality education will be available for disabled people including students living in remote areas or even other continents. The virtual learning system also encourages a non-stop educational process where anyone can continue studies even on vacation, business trip or closed doors when sick.
Affordability
Another significant benefit of implementing VLE is that enrolling for a degree even at top Nigerian universities will be cheaper because there is no need for transportation and paying campus fees. Foreign students would find it easier since they do not have to spend a dime to move to another country.
Simple management
Virtual learning in Nigerian universities helps teachers to adequately manage administrative work, plan lessons, track students’ performance, activity, and level of engagement including providing additional materials and support for students who need it. With VLE, the efficiency of the current curriculum will be easier to analyze and update if necessary.
Engagement
VLE is education-friendly to experiments with formats of content and new approaches. It fosters educational blueprint with online tests and quizzes, videos and podcasts. Combining different educative activities allows better students’ engagement and adding more fun to the learning process.
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What About The Flaws In Virtual Learning?
As we all know, a coin has two sides. So does virtual learning in education technology. Along with significant benefits, there is a list of flaws to consider when implementing a VLE solution. In a nutshell, it means there will be:
- Lower quality of education,
- Requires high self-discipline to boost motivation
- Lack of Practice and various limitations
- Delayed answers due to broken communication
- Not for all countries,
- It requires investment as an edge against low investments.
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How To Gain The Benefits of Virtual Learning in Nigerian Universities
The list of benefits of virtual learning in Nigerian universities is followed by a range of flaws. But there is a perfect way to avoid difficulties when blending online and traditional education. They provide students and teachers only with their best features making the learning process as effective as it can be:
- Student-to-teacher interaction and student-to-student communication remains live, hence, can be more effective and involving;
- The learning process is empowered with interactive online activities and additional materials to broaden the scope of knowledge;
- Students can acquire more individual curriculum depending on their learning pace and interests;
- Tasks can be submitted and commented online;
- It accommodates chances to catch up in case of illness, travel or any other reason for missing classes;
- Teachers utilize computer-aided support in planning lessons and managing all the related class activities;
- Speaking of schools, parents can be more aware of their child’s performance and more engaged in the educational process.
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In a situation where an enterprise intends to teach employees through a virtual learning education, it is also possible to reap only the benefits of this system by combining online education and live communication with mentors and colleagues.
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