In order to boost and strengthen content delivery skills of lecturers in the University of Ibadan, the institution recently held a one-day training workshop, with a view to assisting the university teachers, through continuing mentorship and evaluation, to ceaselessly improve their teaching skills.

During the training workshop held at the Trenchard Hall of the institution, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Isaac Adewole, stressed the importance of teacher- training, saying there was every need for teachers to be trained and re-trained in their different fields. “We are doing this today to impact our teachers for a better economy, as we deeply believe we must invest in our brains, because we are in a knowledge-based economy.”

Congratulating the teachers who had undergone the training, the VC enjoined them to internalise the skills they have acquired from the workshop, adding that the management was dedicated to providing facilities and infrastructures to strengthen teaching and learning in the institution. “What will make University of Ibadan first is not the size of its building, but the facilities put in place.”

In an earlier address, Prof Pai Obanya,who spoke on ‘Responsive Pedagogy at the University Level’, had averred that responsive teaching is the answer to qualitative education, noting that there is a need to respond to condition and direction on how the world is evolving in education, where things are constantly changing.

He implored participants to acquire the ‘go-getting skill/imaginative intelligence,’ as well as always try to understand the 21st century students, explaining that education is not simply concerned with reading books, but helping individuals to grow in the sense of all round development and positive change in behaviour. He observed: “Every student comes to a learning situation with some barrier between him and effective learning.”

In conclusion, Prof Obanya noted that the workshop was one of the best things that have ever happened to University of Ibadan, in terms of capacity building, skills acquisition, and competence in teaching. “UI is setting the pace in terms of excellence in teaching and learning. For us, pedagogy has added value to us as an asset to the institution.”

•Photo shows Prof. Pai Obanya of the Faculty of Education and Director of the Institute of Education at the University of Ibadan.

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