COVID-19: Edo University commences online lectures

Idealposts

Even as students of different academic institutions of learning in the country have remained at home for over a month due to the outbreak of coronavirus, Edo University, Iyamho, Edo State, has resumed academic activities online.
In the meantime, the online lectures will be conducted on the institution’s Learning Management System, LMS and Academic Information System (AIS) platforms, pending when the pandemic abates.
In a circular to staff, students and parents, signed by the registrar of the university, Dr. (Mrs.) Isoken Ogboro, the school authorities stated that it was part of the university’s resolve to graduate students within the stipulated time from the date of students’ entry into the university.
According to her, academic activities commenced on April 27 with students registration for the second semester on LMS, while lectures would begin online on May 4.
She explained that the CANVAS Learning Management System was a digital learning platform where staff and students could interact the same way they do in their conventional classrooms. She added that the initiative provided a computerised learning platform, which enables students to seamlessly perform all academic activities online.
“Staff and students can access the CANVAS Learning Management System either on laptop or using their android phones with their login details from anywhere in the world. The system has the capacity to accommodate 100 video conferencing/lectures for both staff and students, simultaneously.
“The university is the only university in the West African sub-region with this kind of learning packages, which is in use by 70 per cent of the Ivy League universities in the world today,” she said.
Ogboro disclosed that the learning system was acquired in the first semester of the 2018/2019 academic session and launched in January 2019 by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who was represented by Prof. (Mrs.) Ifeoma Isiugbo-Abanihe. She added that the online package has since been in use in the university, with lecturers and students enrolled fully on the platform.
In addition, the management of the university has organised training for lecturers and students on the use of the CANVAS learning platform, and everyone was in agreement that investment in virtual education was the way to go.
On his part, the vice-chancellor, Prof. Emmanuel Aluyor, an engineer, reiterated the need for the university to continuously train staff in the use of modern technology so that they could deliver the best services to the students effectively.
He said the online learning platform was designed in such a way that parents could also monitor their wards’ performance in-class activities as well as their overall performance in the university.
“The university library, which is rich in e-resources, is also available and accessible to students during this period of lockdown from the comfort of their homes. Students can access the e-library using their login details. Students are advised to visit the LMS and AIS platforms for the commencement of their course registration and lectures,” he said.