Chinyere Ori Elom

2 Publications in AERD

Author Publications

The role of information and communication technologies and access to electricity on education in Africa

By Chinyere Ori Elom

Access to quality education for all children is important for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals especially in Africa. However, information and communication technologies (ICTs) and access to electricity have continued to be burning issues hindering access to quality education in Africa. However, empirical evidence on the impact of ICTs and access to electricity on primary education in Africa is rare. This paper, therefore, investigates the impacts of information and communication technologies and access to electricity on the education of children in Africa. The study used rich data on primary school enrolment, education expenditure, access to electricity, fixed broadband subscriptions, fixed telephone subscriptions, mobile cellular subscriptions, and individuals using the internet in Africa obtained from the World Development Indicators. Leveraging on panel autoregressive distributed lag model, we find that fixed broadband subscriptions, mobile cellular subscriptions, individuals using the internet, and access to electricity exert significant impacts on school enrolment in Africa. We find from the Granger causality test result a unidirectional causality between school enrolment and mobile phone subscription. Furthermore, we identified bidirectional causalities between school enrolment and access to electricity, education expenditure, fixed telephone subscriptions, fixed broadband subscriptions, and individuals using the internet. We conclude that information and communication technologies improve education in Africa. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024.

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Exploring an Innovative Educational Governance Framework: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence in a Stakeholder-Driven 'Open Campus Model' in South East Nigerian Universities

By Ikechukwu Ogeze Ukeje

As a cornerstone of societal progress, integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into educational methodologies with robust stakeholder engagement represents a pivotal stride towards optimizing the efficacy and relevance of education in an era characterized by rapid development. The disruptive impact of events such as the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the urgent need for innovative solutions to educational challenges, particularly in Nigeria, where academic activities halted amid the crisis. In response, this study explores the potential of the "Open Campus Model" (OCM), a transformative educational governance framework supported by AI. The research, conducted through a comprehensive literature review and a workshop at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Nigeria, identified key themes: Educational Practices Enhancement, Educational Innovation with AI, Governance and Participation, Collaborative Learning and Inclusivity, and Access and Equity. An unstructured questionnaire with ten questions facilitated in-depth interviews with 63 participants, including university lecturers, administrators and educational stakeholders from South East Nigeria. Data from the interviews underwent thematic analysis, revealing that OCM, supported by AI, enhances educational practices, fosters collaborative learning, and promotes inclusivity and equity. The study concludes that implementing OCM can address current educational challenges in Nigeria, recommending further research to refine and expand the model's application. ©Authors.

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