ILORIN – Prof. Adekunle Olorundare of University of Ilorin in Kwara, on Tuesday, said Information Communication Technology (ICT) was gradually changing the age-long role of classrooms. Olorundare, a lecturer in the Faculty of Education, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin that students should be careful of how they used ICT “because it is capable of robbing them of quality education.
“The Internet is the unrivalled source of information on virtually any topic and subject on earth and its use will undoubtedly reduce the role of teachers and a more creative role for learners.
“However, its use makes students lazy, as they will not even endeavour to read through and find out how an answer to their questions is reached. They go about copying and pasting.’’
According to him, the Global System Mobile (GSM) technology also frustrates intellectual scholarship, especially in English Language, as students nowadays shorten and wrongly spell words.
“Teachers at all levels must be Internet compliant, giving the vast information network of the net at the disposal of students because students often tend not to take their studies seriously.’’
The lecturer said assignments were not as challenging or involving as they used to be because it could be done in record time by surfing the Internet.
The greater risks, he said, was unless concerted efforts were made to properly adjust students, scholarship and high academic standard would be compromised.
“Students now spend hours chatting away on facebook, twitter and pinging but cannot stand and address their own colleagues on topics taught in class,’’ he added. (NAN)
