KTU establishes Institute of Open, Distance Learning
The Koforidua Technical University (KTU) has established the Institute of Open and Distance Learning (IODL) in line with its efforts to offer interactive open, online and flexible course models for distance learning students.
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The institute, which aims at expanding the blend of face-to-face and online teaching and learning, currently has 1,900 students who are pursuing certificate, diploma, higher national diploma (HND), bachelor of technology and international professional programmes in business, engineering, applied sciences and natural environment.
The initiative forms an important thrust of the university's seven-year strategic plan from 2016 to 2022 to provide affordable education opportunities to those who cannot enter conventional full-time university due to personal and financial constraints.
To ensure the successful implementation of the project, KTU, in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning, has had more than 50 of its teaching staff trained locally and internationally in various online and flexible modes of delivery.
The Vice Chancellor of the KTU, Prof. Smile Dzisi, made this known at the university's maiden seminar on open and flexible learning in Koforidua, last Friday.
The event, held on the theme "Sustaining development through open, online flexible learning", brought together technology experts from the academia and industry to create a platform to share experiences of KTU with other technical universities.
High expectations
Prof. Dzisi explained that while the general direction of technical universities curricula was definitely prescribed by law, their methods, modes and styles of delivery remained their professional responsibility.
She was optimistic that the evolution of open, online, flexible and blended learning would provide the institution enormous space to achieve its goal with greater effect and efficiency.
"Regrettably, however, many institutions are far behind the clock in the application of technology in their teaching and learning processes. This is sad and must be revised," she stated.
According to her, even before its conversion into a technical university, management of the KTU had embraced the open, online, flexible blended learning, making it an important thrust of its seven-year strategic plan.