Efosa Taiwo
The recently introduced online lectures by the management of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic for various departments in the institution has begin to receive mixed feelings from the students.
It would be recalled that the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu had in a teleconferencing with all the vice chancellors, rectors and provosts of Nigerian tertiary institutions directed all
universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in the country to commence online lectures for their students as the pandemic would not permit for the normal physical gathering for lectures.
Departments in MAPOLY such as Mass Communication, Pharmaceutical Technology, Hospitality Management, Business Administration and Chemistry had since begun online lectures for their students via online platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp.
However, the online lectures was met with diverse reactions from the students, while many express their displeasure others say it’s a welcome development.
Speaking with Press Club Mapoly, Sulaimon Keruwole
an HND1 student of Mass Communication, expressed his disapproval for the online lecture, saying that the plight caused by the peculiarities of this time makes it very disenabling for him to attend online lectures.
Sulaimon stated that due process was not followed in order to have measures needed to make the online learning effective.
His words, "I’m totally pissed off and devasted. I understand that in a situation like this we all need to improvise which actually is a better thing. But what are those things that are put into places?
"We are yet to eat in our house and you ask me to come online? I’m still owing Glo 200 and MTN 300, I don’t even know when to pay.
"There’s this form that we all fill during registration, at the back of it, our numbers were provided there. Was there any SMS sent to each students that there’d be something like this? Was there any prior notification?
"No stable electricity, no work to even get data to be online. How would you know, if I am comfortable for the time fixed for the lectures?
"You can’t just wake up and say, we’d be having our lectures on telegram."
Also,another HND student in the department of Mass Communication, Kalu Emmanuel, noted that the online lecture is not effective as he is yet to learn anything new despite attending lectures.
"I have attended a class. And I didn’t learn anything new so it’s not really effective," he said.
Meanwhile, for Lydia Oyedokun, an ND1 student of Hospitality Management, the online lecture is a welcome idea.
She however, noted that some students would not be able to access it due to some realistic obstacles owing to lack of phones,no data subscription as well as poor electricity.
She said, "The E-learning is nice but some students do not have access to it because theg don’t have android enabled phones, some have no subscription while some can’t attend the class due to poor electricty."
Cynthia Udoh, HND2 Chemistry student, highlighted how inefficient the online lecture has been in her department with courses that require calculation, adding that students find it difficult comprehending the calculations in class, let alone online teaching.
She further stated that the online lecture carries a high tendency for students to get distracted as messages from messaging apps could pop up in between lectures, and students would be tempted to click on the messages, thereby giving in to distraction.
Udoh said, "Apparently, it’s a very good initiative by the Management, it shows they have the students at heart. However, there are some departments that it still doesn’t favour.
"For instance, the Science Laboratory Technology students especially the Physics and Chemistry student who are based more on Calculations and balancing of Chemical equations respectively find it difficult to understand even in classes, talk more implementing an online teaching.
"In furtherance, some students are lazy when it comes to online classes, imagine a student having an online class and then messages from WhatsApp pops up, the students will definitely reply the messages which is also another means of distraction for students.
On the contrary reaction, Praise Olanrewaju, a student of Pharmaceutical Technology, applauded the management kickstart the online classes.
She said" I think it’s cool on my side, I don’t know what other people’s view might seem to be.
"Lectures taken online can at anytime be reviewed again by student who participated in the lecture and those who were offline during it, which is not so in the normal system.
"Students are opportuned to listen over and over again to the explanations of the lecturers and the contributions of the students, so as to get the points stated clearly, which in normal class some lecturers don’t even mind explaining.
"Students seem to be free and comfortable with online lectures unlike being stocked up in class."
Similarly, Kehinde Oyenuga, an HND1 student of Business Administration also lauded the initiative saying it engages the student, ensuring that they do not just sit at home idle.
"For the time being, it is a great idea as it keeps the students busy during this pandemic. This would ensure that they do not just sit down idly doing nothing. Even though, I think it can never be like the normal class. It is a great idea,"he said.
