Measures taken to make e-learning still practical for Ashesi University students

Director of External Relations at the Ashesi University, Ebenezer Gwumah, has explained that the University’s faculty has taken steps to ensure that classes were as practical as possible even as it has moved to undertake academic activities online.

The university had to resort to full-scale e-learning as President Akufo-Addo directed the closure of all schools in a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Speaking on Campus Exclusive on Wednesday, Mr. Gwumah explained that faculty members were going to be using simulations among other things to enable a smooth running of practical courses online.

“Each lecturer is coming up with different ways to implement the practical side of the classes. I don’t have a picture of what everyone is doing but I know there are few faculty members who are exploring and using simulations for their class experiments or for the practical sessions. But this is going to be different because we will only know when classes begin as to how the different facilities will plan to roll it out but the lecturers are coming up with ways to enable students to take those practical lessons,” he said.

Ebenezer Gwumah also indicated that the university was using this week to pilot the initiative.

“We want both the students and faculty to really understand the tools that they are going to be using for the rest of the semester. When the faculty took the initiative, what we did was to schedule mini-lectures to get the students to also see how the platforms will work, identify some challenges, so that they can prepare for it when class begins March 30th. Most faculties are treating this week as a trial period to get everyone fully abreast with the platform,” he said.

Meanwhile, students of the Ashesi University are being provided with 10GB monthly data bundles as the school has moved to undertake its academic activities online.