Digitisation in education

The world is becoming a global village. interconnectivity between nations is no longer a marriage. Imperialism is what the developing nations are claiming; all these are made possible through digitisation. The way of life and even academic system in Nigeria are drastically wiping away the indigenous system.

Development in technology is gradually creeping into the academic system in Nigeria. It is an old system in the western world, but in Nigeria, we are still battling with such a system, as many are seeing it as development, many view it as menace, especially, the e-examination.

In academic, plagiarism is a serious offence, many lost their certificates and credibility because of it. With digitisation, the rate of such an act is becoming rampant. Students are becoming lazy to visit libraries, hard copy of books are no longer patronised. With just a click on multimedia phones or computers, one may access thousands of information. But the tragedy is that the information doesn’t have reliable sources, yet still students make use of it.

Questioning some students in University of Maiduguri, which is the institution in the forefront in the North-east that accepted the e-testing the students, lamented that the e-testing is doing more harm than good to them, noting that many unqualified students will be graduated. Some mass communication students exclaimed that their career is in writing but with the e-testing system, they are been deprived of such a right.

On the other hand, digitization has positively improved the education system in the country. Digitisation makes it possible for nearly all hand copy text books, journals and other literary works to be converted into soft copy and stored on the World Wide Web for easy access to all.

Digitisation interconnect student from different schools even internationally in discussion of academic related matters which widens the research of many students. E-libraries are available in many varieties.

For this digital revolution have it stand in Nigerian varsities necessary equipment and computers system must be provided. And also maintenance and management cultures should be improved. But the question is, is Nigeria ready for such a movement?

Bitrus Ayuba Bako,

Mass Communication Department,

University of Maiduguri

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