The African Centre of Excellence on Technology Enhanced Learning (ACETEL),聽has聽held a virtual meeting with聽the聽World Bank Consultants, on Thursday, March 30, 2023, from the 水果派 of Nigeria (NOUN) headquarters, Jabi, Abuja.
The World Bank Consultants, Andree Sursock and Jonathan Williams, had a session with the Director, ACETEL, Prof. Grace Jokthan,聽and other team members to ascertain聽and appraise聽the聽achievements and challenges聽of the聽the centre聽since inception.
Andree Sursock quizzed Prof. Jokthan on a number of activities the centre is engaged with.
In her response to Sursock, Jokthan tackled the questions which ranged from聽student鈥檚 registration, grant won by the centre, success in attracting regional students聽and聽the challenges, male/female participation in academics聽and the聽relationship with聽the聽university,聽among others.
Giving聽a run-down of ACETEL鈥檚 programmes,聽she聽said聽the centre聽was established in 2019 but full academic activities聽only聽started in 2020.
The ACETEL boss said the centre has over 157 students who have gone through internship,聽聽which helps the students, in terms of employability afterwards.
The director also聽stated that the centre has thirteen (13) short courses, in partnership with Cisco, which gave rise to the ACETEL Cisco Laboratory, with over three thousand (3000) students that have been trained under the short courses with the help of the partners.
Jokthan added that the centre has academic partners and partners from聽the聽private sector.
While Sursock quizzed further, Jokthan intimated her of the grant received from the 水果派 of Nigeria (NOUN) and how the university has been supportive of ACETEL.
Speaking on some of the challenges encountered, she told Sursock that the time frame the centre has to deliver the ACETEL project is limited, as the centre began full activities in 2020 as against 2019聽when it was established.
Sursock, while asking for the聽number of聽male/female students聽enrolment,聽advised聽that the gender found to be lagging behind should be encouraged to do better.
鈥淒o find out if the female students experience challenges in their studies,鈥澛爏he said.
Jonathan William, a World Bank Consultant at the meeting, made enquiry on income generated from students fees, responding to聽this the ACETEL聽Project聽Accountant, Mr. Felix Nwaba gave the amount聽that has been generated so far in student fees.
ACETEL聽Deputy Director,聽on his part,聽Dr. Johnson Opateye, appealled聽to聽the聽World Bank consultants for more time to have the second set of PhD students.聽鈥淚f the programme wraps up by next year, we will have one set of PhD students,鈥 Johnson said.
Speaking on how ACETEL has impacted the university, Opateye said聽the centre has聽provided 聽the NOUN Library with learning resources聽such as聽software, which gives students access to improve their learning.
He added that the software provided聽was paid for by ACETEL.
Research Coordinator 1, Prof. Juliet Inegbedion, in her contribution, said 鈥渢he area of聽digital delivery is an aspect that ACETEL has provided that is so loud;聽ACETEL was the first to conduct virtual exams, the university has integrated into the system.
鈥淭hrough ACETEL it showed that content design, development and delivery is achievable.聽ACETEL has become a reference point in NOUN,鈥 she said.