FUTURE PLANS

Proposed expansion plan

When ongoing discussions with officials of the University of Benin Students Union  on internet access subscription are successfully concluded, UB Tech will embark on a massive expansion of its facilities and services on the two campuses of the University which will increase the number of e-Learning centres from 8 to 20 and the number of computers from 260 to approx. 1,000. All faculties and Halls of Residence as well as the University’s Staff Primary and Secondary Schools would each have an e-Learning Centre. Implementation is expected to commence in late 2005.

Proposed/ongoing training/e-Learning project

• Current training programmes (CCNA, Basic Computer Appreciation, Programming, Graphics, hardware maintenance, etc) will be expanded considerably in 2005 to accommodate more student trainees.

• Arrangements to commence Oracle training have been concluded and enrolment of trainees will commence in early 2005. Discussions with Microsoft office in Cairo on the introduction of Microsoft certification programmes are already on and training should commence before the end of 2005. Java training is also planned for 2006.

• A week-long e-University event academic and management staff of the University of Benin, is planned for March 2005 in association with Intel (South Africa), Microsoft (Egypt) and Broadband Technologies Ltd, Lagos. The first day of the event will be an ICT Fair to showcase the latest in e-Learning and network technologies. Most of the week will be devoted to training selected academic staff (to be trained as trainers)  from each Faculty of the University on e-Learning, including preparation of web-based training and learning materials, computer aid learning (CAL) CDs, and multiple-choice questions for conduct of online tests and examinations.

• Re-negotiate with local computer manufacturers to secure easier lease-purchase terms for staff and students wish to purchase computers and peripherals under a lease-purchase arrangement currently being managed by UB Tech.

• UB Tech is collaborating with Dr. Patrick Erah of the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin to develop local web servers for hosting teaching and learning materials of academic staff as well as administration of online course assignments, tests and examinations. A pilot project executed in 2004 in the Faculty of Pharmacy proved to be success. Aptech Ltd is also assisting in packaging some of the university’s  course lecture materials in e-Learning format.