2023:Program/Education/CH9QBB-Transforming Education in Nigeria: The Power of Reading Wikipedia

Title: Transforming Education in Nigeria: The Power of Reading Wikipedia

Speakers:

BUKOLA JAMES

I am a librarian and a fellow of Wikipedians in African Libraries. As a free Knowledge enthusiast, I have been able to attain the post of a certified Organiser Content Campaign, Wikimedia Foundation Product Team, a Certified Trainer and Project Lead for the Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom program in Nigeria. I am also the Founder of the Wikimedia Fan Club at Kwara State University, Nigeria. I organised the first WikiGLAM Awareness for Librarians in Kwara, Nigeria, and WikiLovesLibrariesNigeria. I have led and executed several other projects aimed at promoting free knowledge. I am currently a Special Advisor for the Wikipedia and Education User Group. See more here…

Oby Ezeilo

I am a teacher with over 30 years experience, a Wikimedian, an advocate of Open Education Resources, and a digital literacy enthusiast with emphasis on teacher improvement. I am a graduate of the Wikimedia Education Greenhouse Project and a certified trainer of the Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom Programme. I lead a team of Certified trainers that conducted the first Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom Programme in Abuja Nigeria, January 2023, where the Nigerian Minister of Education and Other Education Stake Holders attended and supported. I am Co- founder of Igbo Wikimedia User Group and a founding member of Wiki For Senior Citizens Network. I have participated in many Wikimedia training programs and competitions. I have also led, organised and facilitated numerous programs

Pretalx link

Etherpad link

Room: Room 326

Start time: Sat, 19 Aug 2023 16:00:00 +0800

End time: Sat, 19 Aug 2023 16:20:00 +0800

Type: Lecture

Track: Education

Submission state: confirmed

Duration: 20 minutes

Do not record: false

Presentation language: en

Abstract & description

Abstract

This presentation will discuss the project experience of 2 certified trainers of the first implementations of the Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom program in Kwara and Abuja, Nigeria which adopted UNESCO’s Media and Information Literacy Framework to enhance over 170 Teachers’ and 100 Students’ Media and Information Literacy Skills in Kwara State and Abuja using Wikipedia as a learning tool.

Description

Before the pandemic, the Nigerian education system was centered entirely on face-to-face teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools. Most elementary and secondary school pupils were not permitted to own or be seen with a digital device like a phone or computer at school. With the emergence of school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, both teachers and students were forced to quickly transition to remote learning, which was primarily focused on personalizing education by developing alternative learning models to facilitate high-quality learning and teaching efficiency. Despite the Federal Ministry of Education’s educational policies prioritizing ICTs as 21st-century skills to advance remote learning in Nigeria secondary schools for high-quality teaching and learning, little or no stimulation is provided for prioritizing digital literacy and Open Education Resources to develop vital media and information literacy; understand how information is produced; and how students use information. This poses significant challenges for both students and teachers, who must develop a wide range of abilities to provide a safe and high-quality teaching-learning environment in the new normal. As a result, this project proffered a solution to train Nigerian teachers on how to successfully use Wikipedia (and other Wikimedia products) to access, retrieve, interpret, and monitor the information consumed whilst developing Open Educational Resources (OERs) by adopting the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Framework. The project which ran for 3 months, recruited 75 Teachers across 16 Local Government Areas in Kwara State (North-Central Nigeria) and 70 Teachers in Abuja from the six area councils that make up Abuja. The project has also devised another initiative to assist the teachers who completed the program in implementing the lessons learned and using the knowledge gained to support their students in 3 selected secondary schools in Kwara State. This way, our team will be able to evaluate the impact of this training on their classroom activities. More about this project can be found via the links below (https://diff.wikimedia.org/2022/09/03/wikimedia-unesco-and-the-kwara-state-government-united-to-improve-media-literacy-among-teachers-in-nigeria/?preview_id=78017 ) (https://diff.wikimedia.org/2022/12/13/implementing-reading-wikipedia-in-the-classroom-to-improve-media-and-information-literacy-skills-of-secondary-school-students-in-nigeria/) (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Final_Report_for_the_Reading_Wikipedia_in_the_Classroom_Kwara_Nigeria.pdf) (https://meta.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Reading_Wikipedia_in_the_Classroom_in_FCT-Abuja_Nigeria/Overview)

Further details

Qn. How does your session relate to the event themes: Diversity, Collaboration Future?

Our session relates to diversity, collaboration, and the future in several ways:

Diversity: The project aims to promote diversity in education by empowering teachers in Nigeria to use digital tools like Wikipedia to provide high-quality education to their students. The project focuses on teachers from 16 local government areas in Kwara State, North-Central Nigeria, highlighting the need for inclusivity and diversity in education.

Collaboration: The project is a collaborative effort between Wikimedia, UNESCO, and the Kwara State government. By working together, the organizations can pool their resources and expertise to achieve their shared goal of improving media literacy among teachers in Nigeria. The project’s success also depends on the collaboration between the trained teachers and the schools they will implement the knowledge.

Future: The project is forward-looking and aims to prepare Nigerian teachers for the future by providing them with the skills and knowledge they need to use digital tools effectively. As technology continues to advance, the ability to use digital tools will be increasingly important for both teachers and students. Additionally, the project’s evaluation of its impact on classroom activities will inform future efforts to improve media literacy among Nigerian students.

Overall, my session presents a promising solution to the challenges faced by Nigerian teachers and students due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By providing teachers with the skills and knowledge they need to use digital tools effectively, the project aims to improve media literacy among teachers and, ultimately, Nigerian students. This can help create a more diverse, collaborative, and better-prepared future for education in Nigeria

Qn. What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?

Everyone can participate in this session

Qn. What is the most appropriate format for this session?

Onsite in Singapore
Remote online participation, livestreamed
Remote from a satellite event
Hybrid with some participants in Singapore and others dialing in remotely
Pre-recorded and available on demand