Why NTI Is Partnering NOUN

THE National Teachers Institute (NTI) has explained the rationale behind its collaboration with the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), on its newly introduced Bachelor of Education degree programme. Lagos State Coordinator of the NTI, Mr. Moses Akinmurele, while speaking in Lagos recently said NOUN was favoured for the collaboration because the institution was already operating e-learning and has the capacity to handle electronic learning. "The umbrella also provided by NOUN includes supervision, operation and along the line, checkmating if the directives provided were followed. NTI is to update some of the courses and look at the facilities to make sure they are conducive," the NTI chieftain stated. He added that, "It will also ensure that qualified teachers were employed just as it would ensure that students to be graduated were truly qualified." Akinmurele said the institute has also introduced a media device for its Bachelor of Education and postgraduates diploma students to enhance learning. "It is like a common multimedia iPad, which has been customised to contain all the contents of courses. It is synchronised in such a way that it is an interactive device as if the teachers were talking to their students. If there is any question or difficulty, the student will input and search for answers on the website of online educational resources providers such as the Open Education Resource (OER). This site is not so common but it is known to the academia and controlled by UNESCO," he said. Akinmurele said the multimedia device would not be introduced for the National Certificate in Education (NCE) students due to its cost implication.