Dr. Peter Amoako Yirenkyi, a Senior Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has revealed that, conducting teaching and learning activities through the pandemic has been interesting and difficult.
As part of his contribution on learning through the pandemic, during 30th MTN Business world Executive Breakfast meeting under the theme: “Redefining Education In The Age Of The New Normal”, he explained that, the rapid nature of setting up a system to support teaching and learning was what resulted in the challenges and difficulties experienced during the period.
He added that, the concept of online learning was not new to them but due to the abrupt nature of how things went, they encountered challenges.
Speaking during the meeting also, Educationist and Founder of GATE Institute, Anis Haffar, intimated that, technology will amplify learning activities.
This, he said was possible due to the fact that, learning activities could be controlled and done conveniently and not be excessively dependent on someone seen on a stage, someone who is standing in front of the class and talking to students all day long. “But then if I can own the process of learning, then I don’t need someone to wake me up in the morning.”
“The new normal has opened the pandora’s box where we shall see possibilities, and I will tell you exactly how I am using technology for medical students to make life easier for me as a teacher and also to make life much easier for them as learners and move on to become specialists in the brain, in the heart.
“I will tell you this, I love this moment but I don’t love the COVID. I love the possibilities that COVID has brought in terms of how we can become life-long learners and take our own learning into our own hands.”
He further said that, education never stops and COVID 19 really was propelling that. He then urged teacher and lecturers that, this was the time to take the responsibility and continue to add value to who they are.
Touching also on the traditional system of education in the country, he said the system was not creative in its form to impact the knowledge rights and technology actually is going to amplify the lack of creativity or the presence of creativity to get the nation what we need.
Dr. Christa Bobtoya, Campus Director, Webster University Ghana also speaking said,. there has to be a shift from the knowledge acquisition to skill acquisition which is the practical component.
She further urged that, the education curriculum has to be revolutionized because it is very important.
“What are we teaching?, Are we making sure that the students of tomorrow are well equipped with the careers of tomorrow …and jobs that are going to be developed even in the next 10 years?”
She said that the education system has to focus on soft skills, emotional intelligence and look at things like adaptability and flexibility adding that, if students are not equipped with skills and theory becomes the only focus, it will affect the production of the next generation of workforce.
