Adopt hybrid method of teaching in schools — Prof. Allotey
The President of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, Professor Francis K.A. Allotey, has proposed that Ghana should adopt the hybrid method of teaching in schools as a policy.
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The hybrid method of teaching combines both face-to-face classroom and online instruction.
He said that had the potential of reducing the rising cost of education, shortage of qualified teachers and professors and ensuring that education was accessible to everyone.
Prof. Allotey made the proposal at the Founders’ Day lecture on the theme, “Education in the Age of Rapid Technological Advancement” in Accra.
Transformation
He said the world of education was undergoing massive transformation as a result of the rapid technological advancement, which included the electronic digital revolution.
Prof. Allotey also said education was now being taken out of schools into homes, workplaces, kitchens, offices, libraries and Internet cafes, adding, “a look ahead tells us that the classroom of tomorrow will be a place where the lecture halls will be empty and the tutor would have to deliver lectures to students not found in the classroom but at different locations.”
New way of teaching
“Education now must come to grips with the technological revolution quickly and make changes to accommodate it, design and use new learning experiences and teach more skills than ever before,” he said.
That, he added, had to be done in addition to reading, writing and arithmetic. He also said that children and the youth would have to develop skills in problem-solving and critical thinking, communication, technical reasoning and ICT literacy.
Prof. Allotey suggested that educators should train students to be innovative since computers would replace most of the jobs that could be automated.
He said with the current technological dispensation, the teacher’s role would shift from that of a transmitter of facts to a facilitator coaching students on how to find and use facts in a specific context.
Online courses
Prof. Allotey added that there were several Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) which offered interactive online live classes, online courses and online research.
He admitted that with the arrival of MOOC, many teachers and lecturers were jittery that they would lose their jobs, but he explained that the move was rather to make education less expensive and encourage more students to pursue degree courses.