E-learning programme for SHS students begins

The African Business Centre for Developing Education (ABCDE), in partnership with Vivo Energy Ghana, has commenced a nationwide electronic learning (e-learning) programme aimed at encouraging students in second cycle institutions to explore e-learning options to augment the traditional classroom and textbook learning.

The initiative would see about 500,000 senior high school (SHS) students across the country getting access to e-learning materials by the end of the year.
For a start, about 500 students from Achimota School in Accra were signed onto a digital education platform known as eCampus.

The 500 students, comprising 300 females and 200 males, would have access to trial tests on their courses of study in order to assess their strengths and weaknesses.

They would also have access to textbooks in digital formats at a subscription fee paid for by Vivo Energy Ghana.

Launch

At the launch of the project last Friday at the Achimota School as part of activities to mark this year’s International Day of Education on January 24, the

Chairman of ABCDE, Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, said there was the need for digital learning to be inculcated in students in second cycle institutions.

“Education in the coming years will no longer be blackboard education where students need to go to classrooms to be taught. Very soon, education will be self-educating where digital platforms will lecture students and we need to prepare the students for that future.”

Private involvement

Mr Spio-Garbrah, a former Minister of Education, called on companies in the private sector to get involved in the training of students in second-cycle and tertiary institutions.

That, he believed, would help produce graduates that are fit for the job market.

“The private sector should get involved at an early stage in the training of the students because they always complain that the students that are coming out do not meet their purposes.

They must come and help us define the curriculum, help train teachers, motivate students and give them internship opportunities to make them good enough for the job market.” he stated.

Digitisation 

The Founder of eCampus, Mr Cecil Nutakor, stressed the need for government to digitise educational content for students, saying “it saves cost and makes learning easier and effective for students.”

“Providing educational contents such as past questions for students is a great initiative but producing them in paperbacks is not the best.

They can get torn easily. Digitisation of learning materials would save us a lot of money as a country.

It makes it easier to preserve and update.

We need to digitise our educational content if we want to get ahead as a people.” he indicated.

Girls In STEM

The Corporate Communications Manager of Vivo Energy Ghana, Mrs Shirley Tony Kum, urged the students, especially females, to venture into the study of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related subjects at the higher levels of learning.

“The oil and gas industry is one of the key sectors that heavily depends on STEM.

STEM education is of great importance to us and we want to see many young girls providing cutting-edge business solutions that meet the needs of consumers and contribute to the socio-economic development of our country,” she indicated