Ghana hosts African e-learning workshop for nuclear education
Ghana is hosting a five-day African regional workshop on the implementation of e-learning platforms for networking nuclear education and training.
The workshop, which is being sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), aims at using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a tool to transform Nuclear Learning and Education in Africa.
Being the first of its kind to be held in Africa, the 18 workshop participants are expected to be actively involved in acquiring the requisite knowledge in the use of the Learning Management Systems (LMS) Moodle of the Nuclear Knowledge Management of the IAEA.
They are expected to disseminate such knowledge to nationals for effective take off and subsequent implementations in their respective countries.
Dr Joseph Oteng-Adjei, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, in an address read for him at the opening ceremony on Monday, commended the IAEA for opting for the LMS, which was an integral part of Cyber Learning Platforms for Nuclear Education and Training (CLP4NET).
He said the platform ensured high standards for nuclear education and training, and established a framework for e-learning capacity, which was achieved through the use of ICT, in particular web-based education and training to the maximum possible extent.
Dr Oteng-Adjei commended the IAEA’s intent on finding ways to promote regional activities amongst participating institutions using the CLP4NET, including the development of key thematic areas and assess consequential feedback on the views of participating countries.
He said LMS caters for educational, administrative and deployment requirements. But added, while an LMS for learning might share many characteristics with an LMS used in educational institutions, they each met unique needs.
The learning environment of research centres, universities and colleges allow instructors to manage their courses and exchange information with students for a course that in most cases would last several weeks and would meet several times during those weeks.
He noted that LMS was a tried and tested web-based learning platform that the IAEA had adopted and encouraged all counterparts to embrace in order to present a common front in global nuclear activities.
Dr Oteng-Adjei noted that all over the developed world, ICT and its allied technologies had helped shaped up economies and Ghana must not be left out.
He said government was desirous to promote e-learning and education in all sectors of the economy and that agenda was being pursued through considerable increase in the country’s ICT infrastructure over the past five years.
Professor Benjamin Jabez B. Nyarko, Director-General of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), explained that the Learning Management System (LMS) was a Moodle-based platform dedicated to e-learning activities in the field of Nuclear Science and Technology under the patronage of the IAEA.
He said the server for this great project was hosted at the School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences (SNAS) of the University of Ghana, Atomic.
Prof. Nyarko indicated that for that reason the Commission had strengthened its internet network by opting for fibre-optic connectivity and a dedicated bandwidth for the AFRA-NEST server.
He further stated that the Commission had also installed a solar panel to ensure a constant power supply to the server.
“This is to ensure continuous power supply and accessibility to the server at all times of the year.
“Our Scientist and students are ready to take opportunity of this new resource, and embrace its strategies for nuclear education and training”, he said.
Source: GNA