The Pro Vice Chancellor of Takoradi Technical University Prof. Victor Kweku Bondzie Micah has mandated lecturers and facilitators at the Institute of Distance and Continuous Education, IDCE, to make available learning modules to students on time.
Prof. Micah made the call at a 2-day training session organized by the IDCE to equip facilitators with the knowledge of using ICT in their mode of teaching and how to prepare learning modules for students as well as address challenges faced during the preparations of these modules.
“we are pleading with lecturers who are developing the module to please help us get the module for our students. I know normally when we are starting a new thing, there are a lot of pressures and setbacks but once we get our foot on the ground things will move the best”, he noted.
The Pro Vice Chancellor in his address also mentioned that the university community has taken notice and therefore taking steps to address the monetary challenge faced by the Institute since the population of students it admits is fast increasing and responsibilities of lecturers are also getting bigger.
“I’m aware the Director is on management to see reviews on some of the monies that are being paid. We are hoping by the end of this week, we will be able to have discussions on that so that we add some of the monies that you have been receiving because initially the numbers were small. Now the numbers are growing hence it gets prudent that we appreciate the efforts that lecturers are putting”, he said.
On his part, the Director of the Institute of Distance and Continuous Education, Prof. Kweku Sarfo-Ankamah mentioned that the training has become necessary because of GTEC’s requirement.
“We started this programme yesterday with an ICT training for our staff. As part of the GTEC requirements, if you want to run a distance programme, you need to have an LMS, not only working with the synchronous system, but you need a Asynchronous where learners can at their own time get to the system and know what is there”, he said.
He also stated that distance education learners are unique students who require unique methods of teaching therefore facilitators should make the efforts to make learning easier for students.
A Resource Person for the training, Dr. Francis Owusu Mensah, formerly of the University of Education, Winneba took participants through the challenges associated with the preparation of modules for students and suggested some ways that these challenges can be curbed.
He advised facilitators to manage their time well even though they have a lot of responsibilities, collaborate with experts in their field of study to produce quality modules and make their modules part of their publications for promotions.
The training also introduced participants to systems such as the overview of modules, how to upload assignments and resources, and how to make videos.
