Date: 2021-02-02

Prof. Suleyman Abdulkareem, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, says the virtual learning system which commenced in the University in January has recorded over 90 per cent success rate.

Abdulkareem stated this in a welcome address he delivered virtually to students on Monday as they began phased resumption for the completion of the COVID-19 induced suspended 2019/2020 academic session.

He said that the success rate was in content delivery and class attendance by students.

'To make virtual learning seamless, the university has increased its bandwidth subscription from the present 620 megabytes to over 1.2 gigabytes for the institution's main campus.

"There is also an additional 620 Mbps for the mini – campus.

"The university has also expanded network access to over 70 per cent of the university main campus and the College of Health Sciences," Abdulkareem said.

According to the Vice Chancellor, Coronavirus pandemic was the singular most important factor that accounted for the disruption of almost two decades uninterrupted academic calendar of the university.

He said that computer-controlled smart-boards had been installed in major lecture rooms to provide access to indigent students who could not afford internet ready Personal Digital Assistant devices.

"A computer workplace with about 450 computers will be provided for students to follow lectures online.

"All lectures will be recorded and be ready for download immediately after each lecture from the university website," Abdulkareem said.

He said that both the physical and e-libraries of the university had been expanded to cope with the emerging challenges.

Abdulkareem lamented that available indices showed that the global community "may have to live with the virus and the attendant new ways of doing things for quite a while".

He said that as a responsible and responsive institution, the university had adopted virtual learning method in order to cope with the situation.

The Vice Chancellor said this was to ensure that students did not miss more opportunities of concluding their programmes not later than necessary.

Abdulkareem said that practical classes, which would be done physically, would be arranged in a way that the health of the students and staff of the University would not be endangered. NAN