UI combines online lectures with physical classes

Posted by Godwin

Authorities of the University of Ibadan (UI) said they are considering a combination of online and physical classes for the reminder of the 2020/2021 academic session.

This, the premier institution said, followed the increasing cases of COVID-19 around the country and across the globe.

A statement yesterday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, by UI Registrar, Mrs. Olubunmi Faluyi, reads: “This is to inform the university community that management has requested the faculties to identify the courses to be taught online and those to be taught physically en route to the commencement of the blended mode of teaching and learning for the remaining part of the second semester of the 2020/2021 session.

“The Emergency Remote Teaching Committee (ERTC), in its proposal to the Committee of Provosts and Deans (CoPD), in a meeting, held on August 11, 2021, had noted and recommended as follows:

“More cases of COVID-19 are being announced nationwide. These call for caution and proactive actions which should take into consideration, in the main, the review of the mode of teaching and learning in the second semester and, as a consequence, provide a safe way to undertake pedagogical activities on Nigerian university campuses.

“With the daily rising cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19, and with several cases within the main and the College of Medicine/UCH campuses, the ERTC considered a proposal of blended teaching for the second-semester lectures in the university.

“The blended learning model should be officially decided in terms either availability of sections of the student population for online or physical encounters or the categorisation of courses as online or physical which neutralises choice of location or keeps all students, in principle, in physical presence within and/or around the campus.
“The ERTC platforms and tools (LMS, zoom, Youtube, gsuite accounts, telegram fora, solution clinics) should be maintained for use by students and staff members in all cases.

“Google meet, which is practically free, should, in addition, be encouraged for lectures since all academics have access to Gmail accounts