Ex-Dean advocates courseware adoption to improve teaching, learning
By Mustafa Abubakar and Muizdeen Adewole
A former Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences, University of Ilorin Prof. L.O. Aina, has advocated the adoption of courseware as a strategic approach to improving teaching and learning at the institution.
Prof. Aina, who is also a former Director-General of the National Library of Nigeria, Abuja, made this known at the courseware training nucleus programme for trainers.
He said the initiative is aimed at addressing the gap between the high quality of students admitted into the University and their final academic performance upon graduation.
“This University admits some of the best students in Nigeria. In some Departments, if you don’t have a First Class-level intellect, you won’t be admitted… but at the end of four or five years, less than 5 percent will make First Class,” he said.
Prof. Aina explained that despite having highly qualified lecturers, many students fail to graduate with top grades, indicating a flaw in the teaching and learning process rather than a lack of capacity.
“You cannot have students who entered with First Class potential graduating with Third Class or Second Class Lower. So, something is clearly missing,” he added.
The don noted that global best practices emphasise the use of courseware to enhance students’ academic achievement through diverse and flexible learning methods.
“Courseware is very special in the teaching and learning process because it enhances students’ academic performance. It allows students to benefit more from their programmes since it introduces multiple methods of learning,” he said.
The former Dean further explained that courseware enables students to learn at their own pace while ensuring that lecturers follow a structured teaching template from the beginning to the end of a course.
“With courseware, the lecturer prepares a structured template from the beginning of the course, and students follow it systematically. By the end of the programme, more than 70 percent of the students can achieve distinction,” he explained.
Prof. Aina maintained that the adoption of courseware is essential to aligning the teaching methods of the University with global standards and improving overall academic outcomes.
He said, “The essence is to ensure that we improve learning and teaching… that is the whole idea.”
