This paper examines the challenges of teaching technical courses through e-learning in Nigerian tertiary institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The COVID-19 pandemic has widespread aftereffect on education systems all over the world, with Nigeria, not an exception. The lack of the requirements needed for remote education during the worldwide lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has impeded teaching and learning. In the underdeveloped world, home education worked well for a few students who had adequate resources accessible to them and were adaptable to remote learning. This has not just affected teaching and learning but has posed a big problem in teaching technical courses. Problems associated with teaching technical courses in Nigeria during the pandemic lockdown especially the difficulties in handling practical and technical processes online are discussed. Students and educators at different programmes at the Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri, Nigeria will be interviewed to ascertain the most pressing problems. The paper will also proffer possible solutions through its recommendations at the different levels of the concerned stakeholders in the Nigerian education sector.
E-learning which stands for electronic
learning is also referred to as online through
which knowledge is acquired using electronic
technologies and media. Simply put, e-learning
could be defined as “teaching and learning
processes that are carried out using electronic or
digital devices conducted on the Internet”. In
elearning, students can access their learning
materials online from anywhere and at any time.
E-Learning can take the form of online courses,
online degrees, or online programs [
The origin of the Coronavirus disease
(COVID-19) is traced to Wuhan in China which
started in December 2019. This virus has spread
across many nations of the world, so, the World
Health Organisation (WHO) declared it a
pandemic on 11th March 2020. Since then, the
pandemic has caused a shutdown in the
educational system of more than 171 countries
in the world leaving them with the option of
blended and online mode of teaching and
learning. Most African countries especially
Nigeria were more disadvantaged. The
educational institutions in Nigeria have not
blended the old-style face-to-face lectures in a
classroom setting with e-learning [
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has led
to the global disturbance of technical education,
there is an urgent response to the current
situation that requires a knowledge upgrade for
educators on the necessary software and tools
needed for teaching technical courses online.
For developed countries, e-learning solutions
are accelerated and enhanced while it is
contrary in some underdeveloped countries [
Though e-learning has long been adopted
and helped in the establishment of distance and
online programmes in the developed countries,
only a few private tertiary institutions in Nigeria
carry out their academic activities through
elearning, many still find it difficult to use
elearning, while to some, it is still a nightmare
because of poor and non-availability of
technological infrastructure [
The sudden lockdown of different sectors of
the country by the government did not allow
time for planning remote learning and teaching
appropriately. It means that many students and
educators are not reaping the modern associated
benefits of education, especially in
underdeveloped countries [
Nigeria is not an exemption to the
widespread consequences caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic on the education system.
The nationwide lockdown by the Government
to curb the spread of the virus affected schools
resulting in no physical contacts (group
gatherings) which instituted a change in
teaching and learning. UNESCO in its recent
publication estimated that 39,440,016 learners
in the country were affected by the lockdown
[
One week after the pronouncement of
Coronavirus disease as a pandemic by the
World Health Organisation (WHO), the Nigeria
Federal Ministry of Education (FME) approved
the closure of all schools (Kindergarten,
Primary, Secondary and Tertiary) on 19 March
2020 to ensure control of the first wave [
In the developed and developing countries,
online education has played a vital role in the
past as it has helped some institutions to
overcome the problems associated with
educational continuity in the time of crisis [
Due to social distancing measures, an oral interview was conducted by the researchers on a few students and educators at the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri (a tertiary institution in Nigeria that teaches technical courses) which revealed some challenges which have impaired the teaching and learning of technical courses before and during the COVID-19 lockdown. The numbers of respondents interviewed were five (5) students each from fourteen (14) different programmes and levels. Also, 5 educators with different positions were interviewed from the fourteen departments housing the programmes. The common challenges revealed after the interview are: i.
Non-availability and poor maintenance of IT infrastructures
Investigations show that one of the difficult
challenges facing the National Open University
of Nigeria (NOUN) and other tertiary
institutions is the lack of financial support by
the government to build the infrastructure
needed for distance learning education and also
the resources to produce teaching and learning
resources needed for its registered students,
especially the first-year students [
In Nigerian tertiary institutions, the
electricity supply experienced across the
country is one of the challenges that has affected
online teaching programs. Many Nigerians who
live in urban centres where electricity is
expected to be stable for 24 hours cannot boast
of having it for at least a few hours a day. This
has hindered many students from partaking in
online teaching whether they are living in the
urban or rural areas [
The Nigerian digital divide shows the
inequality among individuals who have access
to regular internet connection and those who do
not have access. Regular use of digital devices
connected to the internet is seen in the homes of
the rich but not the poor because of the high cost
of data tariff and alternative means of power
supply in such homes [
The limited exploitation of the e-learning
facilities is caused by inadequate training on the
part of learners and educators as a result of poor
knowledge of ICT facilities and lack of requisite
skills [
This is one of the crucial challenges of
teaching technical courses through e-learning.
The absence of face-to-face interaction with
both educators and learners can be challenging.
This is most difficult for students taking courses
that are better suited for face-to-face learning,
like those with science laboratory apparatuses
and other technical courses. Most courses
require some percentage of hands-on
experience. Students now watch physics
laboratory experiments in a digital recording
and take quizzes and examinations afterward
which does not allow the students to understand
the course better. Also, household distractions
during e-learning, poor or no internet coverage
in some urban and rural areas and lack of
discipline on the part of the learner and educator
are some of the major challenges facing
teaching and learning technical courses online
[
This paper has looked into the problems and challenges of teaching technical courses in Nigeria during the global shutdown in the education sector caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper revealed the outcome of the interview carried out by the researchers on students and educators involved in technical courses and programmes at the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri in Nigeria. Categorically, possible recommendations were made by the researchers to help curb the challenges associated with teaching technical courses via e-learning. Data from the Polytechnic clearly shows that lack of stable electricity, poor internet network coverage, high cost of data tariff, Technical issues with digital devices and lack of IT skills are the major challenges to teaching technical courses in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
To fully achieve success in teaching technical courses through e-learning in Nigeria, we recommend that the key stakeholders should be fully participatory. i. Individuals and Families
Individually, students and parents should control the environment at home for e-learning to be more effective. They should support setting the pace, building the appropriate physical space required for e-learning, and continue to encourage their children in the absence of traditional face-to-face teaching and learning. The students should be disciplined while engaged in a class via e-learning. ii. Institution’s Contribution
The institution’s management team, departments and units should provide professional development in the area of ICT for educators and learners; and the departments and units should assist in producing e-teaching resource guides. Educators should be trained to improve their skills in computing specifically in areas that will enhance e-learning activities and in other new educational technologies. Also, while employing staff in any tertiary institution in Nigeria, the computer literacy level of the candidate should be ascertained, and computer application should be made a requirement for all departmental courses. Labour unions in different institutions such as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Senior Staff Association of Polytechnic (SSANIP), Senior Staff Association of Universities (SANU), NonAcademic Staff Union (NASU), Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) and of course the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) should help awaken the consciousness of her members on the need for blended learning and a shift in the traditional face-to-face classroom by including ICT training in their yearly activities. iii. Professional Bodies and Associations
Almost every profession in Nigeria has its professional association with series of yearly activities. Professional bodies in technical disciplines like the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the Computer Professional of Nigeria (CPN), the Nigerian Computer Society and others should address the problems of e-learning and gradually work towards eliminating the challenges. iv. Government
The government should properly fund education by providing appropriate e-learning facilities. They should provide all the incentives to make online studies easy for teaching and learning technical courses. Regulatory bodies such as the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), National Universities Commission (NUC) and National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) should ensure that IT facilities such as Internet broadbands and network devices are of a good standard for e-learning. Excessive prices on educational facilities should be reduced to make them affordable to students and educators. Since electricity is of great importance in powering computers and other devices, the government should provide appropriate renewable energy like solar, biogas etc. List of Abbreviations • AD (Art & Design) • ARC (Architecture) • AT (Agricultural Technology) • BT (Building Technology) • CE (Civil Engineering) • COVID19(Coronavirus 2019) • CS (Computer Science) • EE (Electrical Electronics Engineering) • EVB (Environmental Biology) • FIT (Fisheries Technology) • FT (Food Technology) • HMT (Hospitality Management • HND1 (Higher National Diploma Year1) • HND2 (Higher National Diploma Year2) • IT (Information Technology) • ME (Mechanical Engineering) • Technology) • ND1 (National Diploma Year1) • ND2 (National Diploma Year2) • SLT (Science Laboratory Technology) • SUG (Surveying & Geoinformatics) • TECH (Technologist)