University of Ghana moves to online teaching and learning

Management of the University of Ghana has approved a proposal for the remaining seven weeks of teaching for the second semester to take place online.

The online academic activities will be undertaken using the University’s Sakai Learning Management System.

In line with that, the University says that it is working with telecom companies to guarantee free access to the university’s online learning platform.

However, it has already reached an agreement with Vodafone Ghana.

Accordingly, the University says that it will distribute Vodafone SIMs to all students to facilitate the access.

In a statement signed by the Pro Vice Chancellor in charge of students and academic affairs, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, the online teaching schedule is expected to begin from the week of March 30, 2020 and end on May 15, 2020.

The statement, however, adds that the plan will change if the university opens before May 15.

Whilst some have commended the University on taking steps to move academic activities online, others are unhappy with it.

One of such students is the President of the Alexander Kwapong Hall Junior Common Room.

He has described the move as discriminatory.

“I’m going to my village tomorrow. I don’t have internet connectivity there. If they do not get internet connectivity to my village, I cannot do this. This is discriminatory against those of us with no internet connectivity where we’re planning to spend the quarantine time,” he told UniversNews

Another student, who gave his name as Evans, questioned how the University was going to distribute the SIM cards.

“The University says that it will be distributing SIMs but I really don’t know how they are going to do that,” Evans queried “

The closure of the University is in line with a directive from President Akufo-Addo that all schools should close down to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country.

University of Ghana is not the only tertiary institution that has moved its academic activities online.

Ashesi University, University of Professional Studies, Accra, and the Ghana Institute of Journalism are some of the institutions that have taken steps to continue the rest of their academic calendar online.