The Kogi State University (KSU) recently renamed as Prince Audu Abubakar University (PAAU) has notified her students on the decision to employ e-learning as a measure to minimize the effect of the novel Covid-19 pandemic. As contained in the information passed to the students, the educatees who get the messages are expected to log on to the school portal to participate in a poll that would make the school finalize it's decision and make plans.



While e-learning is in deed a welcome development and also a plus for the management of KSU to have swiftly tapped into that idea, let's briefly examine how feasible and achievable it is considering the circumstances surrounding the studentship of the Kogi State owned university and the possible way out.



As an old student of KSU, I can categorically say that about %90 of those who come to be schooled there are from average and poor homes who can barely afford gadgets compatible with standard e-learning. Affordability of huge mobile data required for e-learning is a challenge too. This is evident in how most of those students go to cafes to do assignments that require an electronic gadget and internet connectivity. It's also evidential in the students standard of living on campus. Unlike University of Lagos, Uniport, among others where students come to school with fleet of cars and sophisticated gadgets and among whom are working class individuals, KSU students are still on motorcycle level with dots of working class people among them with a spoonful of good devices owners. Thus, more than half of the students would be left out on e-learning.



Similarly, more than half of KSU students reside within the State. Only few are in Lokoja where things are little better. The rest residing within the State are either from Ofabo in Ofu local government where Glo switches their network on and off like electric or from Emodu Ogugu in Olamaboro where you can only make calls with the weak Airtel signal and browse at night with the fluctuating MTN Network. Some are in those Suburb communities in Okehi where you would have to climb a hill to make calls. Others are in those remote communities in Kaba where you wave your phone to drag in network. Overall, the poor internet accessibility in our locality is an impediment to e-learning. In my First Degree research titled 'ASSESSING THE ACCESSIBILITY OF ONLINE/INTERNET RADIO BY KOGI STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS,' it was discovered that %92 of the students did not know up-to two internet based radio stations. It was also discovered that %99 of students don't access streaming online contents because of poor network connectivity, lack of electricity to power gadgets, affordability of mobile data among others.



Even most of the students who reside outside the state couldn't return to Lagos, Abuja or Port Harcourt as at when the closure came up and for the fear of the ravaging Corona Virus. So, E-learning is near unachievable in this case. Even the portal for the pool will experience a low turnout considering the afore mentioned factors.



This is also coupled with the hard times everyone across the world is passing through right now. Those students whose parents are struggling to meet up with a one time daily meal shouldn't be laden with other burdens of data subscriptions for children's e-learning.



Read

https://www.kogipress.com/2020/04/can-ksu-go-on-e-learning-my-view-and.html?m=1