14TH OCTOBER 2023

The UBEC DRC team visited the Sesame Square Foundation to seek collaboration in the ECCDE component of basic education to elevate the quality of ECCDE programmes in UBEC Smart Schools and E-learning centers across the Country.

Sesame Square Foundation has been at the forefront of making learning not only informative but also enjoyable in the classroom through engaging and interactive educational content for decades. The Foundation is supported by the esteemed Sesame Workshop in New York, USA and has been instrumental in creating a wide array of educational materials that aim to kindle the interest of young learners.

The National Coordinator, DRC, Prof Bashir Galadanci was impressed with the Foundations’ consistent dedication to educating children through content delivered on mainstream media and a treasure trove of educational resources available and accessible to learners. The meeting marks a significant step toward enhancing the effective implementation of the Early Childhood Care and Development Education in Nigeria.

11th October 2023

The Digital Resource Center, UBEC, conducted a workshop to train DRC support staff on specific skills required in content gathering and collation of internet resources for utilization by the administrators and teachers in the model smart schools and 109 e-learning centers.

The DRC support staff were urged by the National Coordinator, Prof Bashir Galadanci to focus on sourcing and categorizing rich relevant online resources according to the provided template.

The primary objective of the training workshop was to equip educators with the necessary skills to identify credible and relevant educational resources on the internet, Gather and organize these resources for easy access and use as well and ensure that these resources can be easily integrated into teaching methods to enhance learning outcomes.

4TH -5TH OCTOBER 2023

In a bid to strengthen its educational technology agenda and foster collaborative relationships with industry leaders, the Commission actively participated in the Nigerian British Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NBCC) African Edutech Conference in Lagos State. This strategic engagement served as an avenue for exploration of the contemporary educational technology landscape, opportunities for innovative collaborations and identification of potential partnerships.

The UBEC DRC delegation was led by the National Coordinator, Prof Bashir Galadanci, other members of the team were the Head of Capacity Development and Training, Dr Hafsat Kontagora and the Desk Officer for Training and Technical matters, Mr Idris Oladipo.

During the 2-day outing, the team visited and interacted with various Edtech Centers which included; Education First Nigeria Limited, Skool Media Student’s Technology Experience Centre, Teacher’s Digital Learning Centre at the Federal Science and Technical College, Yaba, CCHUB and Imisi 3D, a Nigerian mixed reality startup focused on training, content development and research.

28th September 2023

The DRC organized a one-day meeting to serve as a prelude for the start of operations in the 109 e-learning centers in the September 2023/2024 academic session. The meeting was attended by stakeholders from the Departments of Academic Services, Quality Assurance, Teacher Development, Social Mobilization, and the ICT Unit of UBEC.

Deliberations focused on developing strategies for the overall implementation of the E-learning framework designed to equip educators with the necessary skillset for managing technology in education. This would require proper assessment and resource provisioning for participant biodata including ICT skill enhancement, blended learning methodologies, pedagogical integration with ICT and technical competency development. A preliminary schedule for technology integration across the extensive network of e-learning centers was introduced at the meeting.

There were also discussions on the implementation framework for the training of Headteachers, Center Coordinators and Teachers, as well as the course modules for the 109 E-learning Centers. It was agreed that incorporating technology into pedagogical practice in this digital era is crucial to achieving better learning outcomes. Therefore, a 3-day training session for Head Teachers of the 109 e-learning centers was scheduled to be held from 4th-7th September 2023. This will equip them with the competencies to effectively manage technology in education and improve learning initiatives.

The stakeholders concluded the meeting by establishing a clear course of action for the implementation process of the 109 centers. It also served as a valuable platform for stakeholders to collaborate and shape the role and future of technology in education in the soon-to-take-off 109 centers. The e-learning programme was designed to encourage public schools to gradually evolve into ICT-driven schools.

18th-29th September 2023

Thirteen UBE Model Smart Schools located in Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Cross River, Ekiti, Gombe, Kaduna, Katsina, Nasarawa, Niger, Osun, and Oyo states have fulfilled the requirements to commence operations in the September 2023/2024 academic session. In light of this, the UBE Commission conducted a school-based training to ensure that teachers in these smart schools are fully prepared to deliver smart education to learners.

The training exercise aimed to familiarize smart school administrators and teachers with the operation and management of smart school infrastructure and systems. It also developed the capacity of teachers to integrate technology into pedagogy practice using the blended learning technique thereby augmenting traditional teaching methods through the use of technology.

The methodology applied for the training activity involved a combination of facilitator-led, hands-on practical and interactive sessions. This ensured that participants understood the concepts and learned how to apply them in an actual classroom setting. The training exercise was conducted in 2 phases with 7 states in the 1st phase from 18th-22nd September and 6 states in the 2nd phase from 25th–29th September, in the Smart School premises of each State.

During the training, experts in Blended Learning and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilitated the sessions. The training modules covered various topics which included: The Effective Use of Smart School Technology and Tools, Strategies and Best practices for Blended Learning, Classroom management in a digital environment, Assessment and Evaluation in a technology-enhanced classroom, and Troubleshooting and Technical support.

14th-15th September 2023

The 2-day meeting focused on the discussion and review of the structure and operation of the Learning Management System and School Management System in the smart schools to address the challenges in utilizing the systems. The status of the content developed by the service providers was also reviewed in light of the proposed take-off of 13 new smart schools in the respective States of the Federation.

The meeting was conducted through various presentations which dwelled on; the review of the scoped and sequenced curriculum and the need to adhere to it during classroom lesson delivery, however, it was agreed that the scoped and sequenced curriculum cannot be changed but teachers are allowed to modify it accordingly. A template on the basic criteria required for multimedia content to be adjudicated all-encompassing was also presented with emphasis on content quality and a learner-centred approach in using the station rotation in the smart schools.

During the meeting, several recommendations were made and the service providers/developers were tasked with delivering new content that meets the criteria set by the DRC expected to be available before the resumption of schools. To make it easy for teachers to navigate both the LMS and SMS platforms, there is a need to create a user manual. The teachers’ guide should be user-friendly, timely and accessible to both teachers and learners. To enhance the learning experience, the LMS outlook should appear in full-screen mode, while content for lower primary should be more pictorial and interactive. Additionally, an ECCDE profile configuration should be established.

The meeting effectively tackled the challenges faced by the two smart schools during the pilot third term. Furthermore, it addressed other crucial issues that are essential for the smooth operation of the LMS and SMS platforms in the Smart Schools.

11th-12th September 2023

The 2-day training workshop was organized to equip the Resource Persons with the requisite competencies and cascade the same down to the smart schoolteachers. Given the crucial role of smart schools in providing access to world-class quality education through the utilization of technology for better learning outcomes, it is paramount to ensure that the teachers responsible for delivering the curriculum possess the required knowledge and skills.

In light of the above, the conduct of the workshop focused on familiarizing the trainers with the smart school curriculum, teaching methodologies, and the integration of technology into the learning process. The trainers were also equipped with the necessary skills to effectively train the teachers in utilizing smart school resources, including digital tools, interactive whiteboards, tablets, and other technological devices. Additionally, the activity aimed to guide effective instructional design, assessment strategies and classroom management techniques specific to the smart school environment.

The workshop provided comprehensive training to all facilitators responsible for conducting the school-based training sessions. The facilitators will in due course step down the necessary knowledge and competencies to effectively guide the smart schoolteachers in the adoption of smart pedagogy practices. Topics such as instructional design, technology integration, assessment strategies, effective communication techniques and the blended learning methodology were covered during the train-the-trainer activity.

Teachers in nine (9) UBEC model smart schools in Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Benue, Nasarawa, Niger, Katsina, Osun and Oyo States are to be trained in preparation for their scheduled take-off in the September 2023/2024 academic session.

9th September 2023

The UBEC DRC held a two-day meeting with Blended Learning Experts to discuss and explore various aspects of blended learning methodologies ahead of the proposed school-based training in preparation for the commencement of academic activities in nine (9) Smart Schools across the Country.

The meeting deliberated on the observed strengths and weaknesses of the station rotation model in the two pilot schools. The experts also strategized on an improved and easily implementable learner-centred blended learning approach for the Model Smart Schools while reviewing and re-evaluating the training methodology, content and delivery techniques.

During the meeting, the experts shared experiences, insights and strategies to optimize the integration of digital technologies and traditional teaching methods. Given the challenges encountered from the recently concluded pilot third term, it was agreed that there is a need to review existing teaching approaches in line with global best practices on learner-centred pedagogy. This will help educators gain a deeper understanding of the instructional design principles required for effective blended learning implementation (the station rotation model in particular) in preparation for the planned take-off of nine smart schools in September 2023.

The objectives of the meeting were achieved through interactive group discussions among the blended learning team of experts, consequent upon which the best strategy was adopted in implementing the station rotation model. The strategy entailed having only two stations instead of the earlier three as operated during the pilot third term in Kano and Kwara Smart Schools. The reviewed current two stations will comprise the online and offline stations, while the initial third teacher-led station will only involve the teacher presenting the lesson in front of the class.

6th-8th September 2023

The UBEC e-Learning Centers play a vital role in providing quality education to learners in remote areas and ensuring access to educational resources. In cognizance of this crucial part, the Commission equipped and furnished one hundred and nine 109 schools (3 per senatorial district) as designated Centers for the e-learning programme across Nigeria.

Consequently, in order to ensure the successful take-off of the e-learning programme, the Commission through the DRC conducted a three-day training course to develop the capacities of the headteachers managing these centres on the integration of technology in education and further enhance the effectiveness of the centers.

The exercise offered specialized training on the concept and practice of Blended Learning (BL) to the Headteachers of e-learning centers, provided basic and appropriate ICT training and offered leadership training for the head teachers of the e-learning centers. The training sessions were facilitated by Resource persons from Universities and Colleges of Education with Blended Learning expertise and ICT speciality, who intensively administered and equipped the Headteachers with the rudiments of the BL techniques and the utilization of technology in classroom lesson delivery as would be applied in the e-learning centers starting September 2023. The training sessions enlightened the head teachers on the objectives, strategies and best practices required to effectively run an e-learning center.

28th August 2023

The meeting was held to verify that all project sites were fully prepared for the supply and installation of studio equipment and to provide a clear and concise timetable for the upcoming smart school inspection visits by KOICA. According to the DRC, currently, only nine smart schools are ready for the commencement of the new 2023/2024 academic session. This number may be reviewed depending on the state of readiness of other schools before the year ends.

In the course of the meeting, KOICA presented some requests which were subsequently reviewed by the DRC. The requests included the need for DRC personnel to accompany them to the smart school project sites, for security arrangements to ensure their safety during inspection visits and for information to be passed on to SUBEB to prepare for logistics in the states to be visited. The DRC approved all of KOICA’s requests except for one. Instead of sending DRC staff to accompany them, the Department of Physical Planning (DPP) staff will go with them. KOICA then requested that the DPP staff to be assigned should possess knowledge of the smart school project, which the DRC will consider.

A comprehensive schedule was also presented by KOICA for the Korean team of equipment experts’ visits to the smart school project sites. The visit will commence in Nasarawa state, followed by Bauchi and Kano. A market survey will be conducted in Lagos, and then the team will proceed to Akure, Ekiti, Anambra, and finally Calabar. The final schedule is subject to flight availability during the proposed period.

Furthermore, discussions regarding the design and branding of the KOICA/UBEC logo to be displayed on the content and studio equipment of the UBE smart schools were also held. It was agreed that any project done jointly by UBEC and KOICA would feature both logos. Otherwise, only the KOICA logo should appear.