By Yankuba Jallow
Universities and colleges worldwide have grappled with challenges in identifying how best to deploy technology to help their students succeed – especially non-traditional students, who might choose to study remotely to accommodate family or work obligations. The Gambia College in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning is planning to offer open distance learning (ODL) allowing students to pursue their programmes online. The Gambia College aspires to position itself at the forefront of those conversations with its new ODL, which is taking center stage.
The idea of ODL is built around an increasing notion that nowadays workers should be able to attend classes and update their skills, to move forward with their careers. The ever-changing work landscape has led many colleges to create new offerings directed at nontraditional students to help learners acquire education.
The Gambia College has developed the policies and the courses for the ODL. They held a one-week intensive course for 58 staff on how to use the ODL system. The courses will be uploaded and then the system will be launched.
The training for the college staff is a 5-day face-to-face training and one-month online support. Ogidi Kingdom is from the University of Abuja and he is contracted by the Commonwealth of Learning to train the lecturers on how they can develop inclusive content to facilitate their teaching – how to create course content, enroll students, and how to assess among others. Ogidi Kingdom said online learning allows students to study at their own pace.
“The course contents are all there. The collaboration that the normal face-to-face provides is also there. In addition, the lecturers can review whatever they are doing. There is also individual assessment. The students can assess themselves to see how they are performing and know what the lecturers expect them to do,” Ogidi said.
Isatou Ndow is the Vice Principal of the Gambia College and the Contact Person for the Commonwealth of Learning. A five-day training is organised to develop distance education materials using the module platform. She added that the Commonwealth of Learning had helped the Gambia College to develop an ODL Policy and supported them to develop 26 courses to be offered online.
“We are now integrating these courses in the Module Platform,” she said.
She explained that after this, the students would access those courses online -although, it is going to be a blended learning where students can interact with their lecturers.
“At the inception, we developed 26 courses but with this 5-day training, we are going to have more than 26 courses,” she said.
She stated that two weeks after the training the Gambia College will be able to have online classes after two (2) weeks. She mentioned that students would be able to register and have their courses online.
“This is an activity that when we are through with it, we will be able to develop more online courses and have that blended learning where some students could take online classes and at the same time face-to-face learning,” she said.
She thanked the Commonwealth of Learning for the support.
Aboubacarr Jallow is the Principal of the Gambia College. Jallow said the purpose of going online is to respond to international trends as far as education is concerned. He added that education is moving from its traditional form to embrace ICT. Jallow emphasised that since education is a right, its access must also be ensured. He said the students would access education at the same standard in terms of quality as the people who attend face-to-face classes. He added that people could access materials online and learn from their homes and offices.
Jallow said the College will be a university of education and will offer the advanced diploma programmes that are going to continue. He added that the degree and non-degree programmes would continue.
“What the University of Education is coming to do is to provide a higher level of learning for all cadre of teachers from ECD to lower basic, upper basic, senior secondary, and university levels. We will ensure that we improve the professionalization of the teaching cadre and reinforce academic administrators responsible for the regions and the ministries of education. We will be the university that will be responsible for the training of all levels of educational practitioners in this country and those that are coming from abroad,” Jallow said.
Sainabou Sarr, an employee of the College working in the English Department who participated in the training said it was very impactful on her.
“The knowledge gain is really going to help us in the implementation of the ODL programme. We have learned a lot. We have learned about how to develop content for ODL and also how to use the module platform to teach ODL courses,” she said.
Ismaila Bojang, one of the admins of the platform called Module also known as the ODL. Bojang is also a lecturer of Gender and English Language courses.
“As a lecturer of the College, giving me the opportunity to learn how to lecture online at my comfort zone is satisfying,” he said.
Bojang said learners can enroll through the platform and the people who benefitted from the training would be allowed to lecture, which he described as an added advantage because they have the advantage of doing both face-to-face and online learning.
“This has definitely improved my capacity,” he said.
Bojang narrated that at one point he intended to do a certain programme, but he could not pursue it because of his job nature.
“Our education system is such that it conflicts with your job,” he said.
He mentioned that the employees most of the time face this dilemma and would then decide to continue with their jobs because there is no guarantee that if one leaves one would get back your job.
“Now with the opportunity like this, the open and distance learning, such people are now cared for. They do not have any other option now. You cannot say my job. If you say my job, at least there is a platform for you to have your lectures and have your education at your comfort time and your comfort zone, and then you will be able to fulfil all the requirements just like the face-to-face offers. So, it is an opportunity for the entire country,” Bojang said.
Momodou A. Jallow is the head of the School of Education of the Gambia College. Jallow said COVID-19 teaches the country that they can only partially depend on face-to-face learning.
“We need to improve our education system and that is why we are going into online learning. Online learning has a lot of opportunities,” he said.
He mentioned that people nowadays are more flexible with their lives and would want to do a lot of things at the same time.
“Online education offers people the opportunity to be doing a lot of things at the same time. People can be working and learning at the same time. You can be doing your business and learn at the same time,” he said.
He stated that apart from flexibility, it also gives people the opportunity to many resources.
“Then, learning was restricted to the classroom. You need books, chalk, and a lot of things, but all needs to be concentrated in one place, but with online learning, you can be in different places and study at the same time. It will have a lot of impact on our education because it will improve quality, access and it will give people the opportunity to diversify and do many things at the same time,” he said.
