The Impact and Potentials of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) on Vocational Technical Education in Nigeria
Keywords:
Impact, potential, telecommunications, vocational, technical, education, Open and Distance Education, Distance Learning, Open Learning, Open and Distance LearningAbstract
Open and distance learning system was introduced to train people in essentially theoretical fields and was extended to the vocational and technical fields to meet up with the demands of the workforce required for the development of the nation. Technical and vocational education and training is an important aspect of Nigeria's educational and developmental objectives as enunciated in the National Policy on Education. It is in the bid to actualise these objectives that the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) (the first single mode ODL University in the West African sub-region) established a Centre for Lifelong Learning to offer diploma, certificate and proficiency certificate courses in technical and vocational areas of manpower needs. This paper defines and discusses the history of Open and Distance Learning, its mode of dissemination, challenges and roles in supporting technical vocational education and training.
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