Developing a Research Agenda for Resilient Systems and Innovative Practices in ODeL: Findings from a National Study

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56059/jl4d.v11i2.1045

Keywords:

research, resilience, priority areas, Covid-19, experts, practitioners

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic exposed significant weaknesses in education systems globally, with many African countries, including Nigeria, struggling to respond swiftly to its impact. In Nigeria, the challenge was compounded by ongoing insurgency and insecurity, leading to extended school closures. To mitigate these disruptions, educational institutions adopted emergency remote teaching and learning methods, indirectly highlighting the potential of open, distance, and eLearning (ODeL). However, these initiatives often lacked proper ODeL design and pedagogical components. In response to these issues, a National Research Fund project, sponsored by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) titled "Setting an Agenda for Research into Open, Distance, and eLearning in the Global South: Nigeria as a Case Study" was initiated. The project aimed to identify gaps, high-priority areas, and research trends in ODeL to inform policy and guide practices amidst numerous challenges. This study aimed to investigate priority areas within ODeL that deserve more research attention and to offer insights into how this research could contribute to more resilient educational systems and promote innovative practices. The study employed a mixed-method approach, starting with an online survey of randomly selected 382 ODeL practitioners from Nigerian higher education institutions, followed by in-depth interviews with 26 purposefully selected ODeL experts. The findings revealed a consensus on key research areas, including learner support, technology, and instructional delivery. The study identified emerging research priorities specific to the African context. Addressing these key areas could significantly contribute to developing resilient education systems and promoting innovative educational practices in Nigeria and beyond.

Author Biographies

Christine Ofulue, National Open University of Nigeria

Christine I. Ofulue is a Professor of Linguistics and a Distance Learning expert at the National Open University of Nigeria. She earned a PhD in Linguistics from Indiana University, Bloomington, USA, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Open and Distance Learning from Indira Gandhi National Open University, India. A U.S. Fulbright Visiting Scholar, Prof. Ofulue has led numerous research and capacity-building initiatives focused on research and quality assurance in open, distance, and eLearning across Africa. Her research interests include sociolinguistics and contact languages, with a focus on multilingual and technologically mediated contexts. In ODL, she emphasises quality assurance and flexible learning in African higher education. She leads the TETFund NRF-funded project "Setting a Research Agenda for ODeL in the Global South: Nigeria as a Case Study" and coordinates the "Implementing Learning Analytics at NOUN" initiative. Prof. Ofulue is the Director of the Regional Training and Research Institute for Distance and Open Learning (RETRIDOL) and the African Council for Distance Education Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency (ACDE QAAA), hosted at the National Open University of Nigeria. Email: cofulue@noun.edu.ng

Samuel Awolumate, National Open University of Nigeria

Samuel Awolumate is a seasoned academic and expert in aquaculture and fisheries economics and management, with a strong background in aquaculture, agricultural economics, and rural sociology. He is known for his extensive research and numerous publications (over 40) in local and international journals. With over 10 years of experience in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) institutions, he has made significant contributions to the field. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON), the Open and Distance Learning Association of Nigeria (ODeLAN), and the National Association for Artificial Intelligence Practitioners (NAAIP). Email: sawolumate@noun.edu.ng 

Felix Kayode Olakulehin, National Open University of Nigeria

Felix Kayode Olakulehin is a Lecturer in the department of Educational Foundations and Research Fellow with the Regional Training and Research Institute for Open and Distance Learning, National Open University of Nigeria. His research interests include: open, distance and online learning; higher education; teacher training; social justice and lifelong learning. He has published extensively in leading refereed journals globally. He is the convener of the UK-JISCMAIL Listserv: Research in Distance Learning. He has received scholarships and research grants from organisations such as the Ford Foundation, International Institute of Education, International Council for Distance Education, Commonwealth of Learning, E-Learning Africa, The British Council etc. He is presently a member of the TETFUND NRF 2020 research team. Email: folakulehin@noun.edu.ng

Adewale Adesina

Adewale Adesina is a Lecturer in computer science and the Foundation Director, Learning Content Management System (LCMS) at the National Open University of Nigeria. Adewale focuses on educational technology, elearning, information management and computer networks. His research interests are in the areas of artificial intelligence, learning technologies, internet security, computer and social media networks. As a learning facilitator passionate about education reform and revolutionising education, Adewale believes in providing every student with a real-life, applicable, engaging, and personalised learning in which they learn how to learn, develop character and integrity, and get inspired to become lifelong learners and world changers. Email: aadesina@noun.edu.ng

Bibian Ugoala, National Open University of Nigeria

Dr. Bibian Ugoala is a Senior lecturer in the Department of English, Faculty of Arts, National Open University of Nigeria. Her areas of research interest are on the varied implications of language use in different discursive settings. Dr. Ugoala has published papers on Multimodal Discourse Analysis, Pragmatics, Semiotics, Open and Distance Learning, Artificial Intelligence and Deepfakes. Also of interest to Dr. Ugoala is disembowelling the current spate of disinformation and misrepresentation of information necessitated by the ubiquity of Social Media platforms. Email: bugoala@noun.edu.ng

Oluwaseun Oluyide, National Open University of Nigeria

Oluwaseun Oluyide is a Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Sciences, National Open University (NOUN). He also is a Research Fellow at the Regional Training and Research Institute for Distance and Open Learning (RETRIDOL) at the same institution. His research focuses on using Learning Analytics to improve the learning outcomes of students. Email: ooluyide@noun.edu.ng

 

Solomon Ojedeji, University of Ibadan

Solomon O. Ojedeji, Ph.D. is a Lecturer at the Centre for Literacy Training & Development Programme for Africa (CLTDPA) domicile in the Department of Adult Education, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. His research focus is on mobile technologies and professional capacity building of adult literacy facilitators, ICTs and adult and lifelong learning, learning cities, and learning and development. He is well published in these areas in reputable outlets nationally and internationally. Email: so.ojedeji@ui.edu.ng

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Published

2024-07-21

How to Cite

Ofulue, C., Opateye, J., Awolumate, S., Olakulehin, F. K., Adesina, A., Yabo, A. M., Ugoala, B., Oluyide, O., & Ojedeji., S. (2024). Developing a Research Agenda for Resilient Systems and Innovative Practices in ODeL: Findings from a National Study. Journal of Learning for Development, 11(2), 323–348. https://doi.org/10.56059/jl4d.v11i2.1045

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 2 (2024): ISSUE 2

Section

Case Studies

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Christine Ofulue, Johnson Opateye, Samuel Awolumate, Felix Kayode Olakulehin, Adewale Adesina, Armiya’u M. Yabo, Bibian Ugoala, Oluwaseun Oluyide, Solomon Ojedeji

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Received 2023-06-10
Accepted 2024-07-15
Published 2024-07-21