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Education technology experts and stakeholders have warned against over-reliance on digital tools in education, stressing that it is leading to a decline in students’ critical thinking abilities.
This was the submission at the EdTech Roundtable programme on Wednesday in Lagos, themed “Harmonizing Human Interaction and Technology: Bridging the Digital Divide for Inclusive Education”.
The founder and Director-general of Rhealyz Africa, Dr Ireti Adeside emphasised the need for a balance between digital innovation and human adaptability.
He said, “We are now in the technological age. It’s about technology and technology. But even when we have tech, we should remain human. We should be able to control it. That is very important.
“Everybody is relying on tech. Our brain should also work. If not, then we keep sleeping. For how long are we going to rely on it?” he added.
The Executive Secretary at the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB), Moronke Azeez, also mentioned that EdTech became a lifeline during the COVID-19 lockdown, stating it has kept over 8,000 technical students at home.
In her words, “Many believed skills training could only take place in the classroom or workshop. But we couldn’t leave students idle. We introduced digital learning tools, and it changed the game”.
Azeez further advised that technical education must evolve with market demands. She said modern industries are relying on automation and digital tools and students must be prepared for that reality.
The roundtable which was organised by the National Consultative Working Group (CWG) on EdTech with support from GIZ and other partners, aims to develop a policy document on AI use with recommendations for government and global stakeholders.
