By Prince Acquah
Cape Coast, Aug 1, GNA – The University of Cape Coast (UCC) in collaboration with the Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (IEPA), has inaugurated an ultramodern smart classroom equipped with state-of-the-art digital devices to enhance teaching and learning through digital education.
The OS-EASY smart classroom, valued at more than $85,000, comes with computers, a large digital board, cameras, public address system and other essential devices, which facilitate both virtual and physical learning.
The facility was established in partnership with UNESCO’s International Centre for Higher Education Innovation (ICHEI), Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) and OS-EASY Group Holding Limited to expand infrastructure and promote high-quality education driven by technology.
During the inauguration, UCC was concurrently designated as the International Institute of Online Education (IIOE) Ghana National Centre with the responsibility to provide the strategic direction, capacity building, and collaborative network to maximize the impact of educational technologies nationwide.
Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong, the Vice Chancellor of UCC, in a statement presented on his behalf, touted the school’s commitment to innovation and excellence, noting that the smart classroom had been designed to transform the pedagogical landscape.
He was convinced that the facility would empower lecturers to expand their frontiers, aid blended learning, and provide students with an immersive and interactive educational experience.
“It is a direct response to the evolving demands of modern education and a commitment to equipping our graduates with the skills needed for the 21st century,” he said.
As the IIOE National Centre, the Vice Chancellor indicated that the university would serve as a hub for coordinating digital transformation initiatives, building the capacity of faculty, and fostering collaborative policy dialogue.
“This Centre will unlock a myriad of opportunities from capacity building for higher education professionals in critical ICT areas like cloud computing, big data, Artificial Intelligence, and 5G, to student scholarship programmes, exchange of information, and collaborative research,” he explained.
“Our role as a national hub for teacher professional development is now significantly enhanced, reinforcing our leadership in shaping the future of education in Ghana,” he added, while thanking the partners for their support.
Prof Michael Boakye-Yiadom, the Director-General of IEPA, explained that the smart classroom platform was equipped with some online international programmes and also enabled the school to develop and upload national programmes for use.
With a mandate to serve the West African sub region, Prof Boakye-Yiadom indicated that IEPA underscored the importance of virtual platforms, adding that the smart classroom would promote online learning.
“The world is moving towards a different direction including AI and online and we believe that is the way to go,” he said.
“Some of the postgraduate programmes and courses must go online because many of our students are practitioners who may not have the time to stay here for three good months to pursue those programmes,” he added.
Beyond the university, the IEPA Director-General proposed that the school must innovatively harness the facility to also benefit its host communities.
Dr Stephen Moore, a lecturer with the Department of Mathematics, UCC, emphasized the need to invest in digital education, suggesting that the best way to educate the youth today was by adopting digital tools.
He observed that traditional educational systems were strained by demographic pressures and resource constraints with Ghana still grappling with effects of the COVID-19 pandemic at various levels of education.
“Digital education promotes inclusive learning, eliminating physical barriers to education for person with disabilities,” he stated.
Dr Moore, however, emphasized the need to eliminate all barriers to digital education, particularly the lack of internet access in many communities and the high cost of data.
“You cannot have a smart classroom when you do not have internet accessibility.
“We must make concerted efforts at the national front to push internet accessibility across the country, particularly in rural communities where it is needed most,” he stressed.
He also sounded the alarm on cyber threats to educational systems and urged the school to prioritise cyber security.
Prof George K.T. Oduro, Technical Advisor to the Minister of Education, underscored the ministry’s commitment to promoting educational technologies to enhance learning outcomes and promote equity.
He described the initiative as “very timely and relevant” to the ministry’s agenda, indicating that personalised learning was very critical in promoting creativity and critical thinking.
He entreated IEPA to strengthen the capacity of lecturers to use the facility effectively to the benefit of students, while urging lecturers to create an environment for students to exhibit creativity and critical thinking.
“The Ministry of Education will provide every support that is needed to make the smart classroom effective and create the enabling environment for you to perform,” he pledged.
Madam Xiaohon Bi, Deputy Director of ICHEI, highlighted the importance of the smart classroom to UCC’s digital infrastructure as it would serve as a practical space to advance teaching and learning, support capacity building for staff and aid innovative pedagogical practices.
“We believe that this facility will empower educators and students alike, serving as a relevant reference for digital transformation across Ghana’s higher education sector,” she added.
For his part, Mr Edmund Moukala, UNESCO Representative to Ghana, backed the adoption of digital transformation to embrace digital transformation but insisted that technology must respond to the needs of the people and take them out of poverty.
“As we have this smart school being opened, we have to remember that there is no ground-breaking digital transformation if our people are still struggling with basic service needs such as access to potable water, food, and health,” he stressed.
GNA
Edited by Alice Tettey/Lydia Kukua Asamoah