The emerging face of education in a Digital world

1. The emerging face of education in a Digital world e-Campus, ESMS, BRAINFRIEND, 9jaskool.com & EXAMINER

2. Introduction The declining trend in the education sector in Nigeria as well as the ever evolving trends in ICTs and use of ICT in to champion the World’s knowledge–based economies leaves us with one option – “ to embrace ICT in the Business of education!” As it is in other developed and developing nations, ICT has been annexed as a tool to facilitate the solutions to socio-economic problems ranging from Health, Education, transportation, Justice, Banking, etc. We will therefore spend the next few minutes to demonstrate educational solutions that will help stem the decay in the sector as well as enshrine Best practice for the generality of all.

3. About what we do We all therefore MUST embrace cutting edge solutions that will address most of the ills in the education system in Africa and Nigeria in particular ranging from improper records and data management, poor examination ethics, mismanagement of scholarships, improper preparation for examinations, amongst others. We MUST be poised to making sure that Nigeria and the rest of Africa develop her human capital base to compete favorably with the rest of the world in the fast emerging knowledge economy of the world. Our efforts can only be enhanced through products and services tailored to meet our challenges in the different sub-sector in education. e-Campus, ESMS, 9jaskool, BrainFriend solutions will be demonstrated today as time permits…

4. e-Campus The e-Campus service is a conglomerate of web packages and tools that provide the essentials needed for the total running of institutions electronically in the form of a portal. These tools constitute the following: • Online website and portal • Students Exams and Records Manager • Course Assignment by lecturers • Course registration by students • Result computation • Transcript generation • Online application forms • e-payment engine • Accommodation manager • e-testing engine • Messaging tools (web2sms, & emails) for all staff and students, • Report Generator for all types of report for management consumption Available at www.ust.edu.ng, www.rivcasonline.com, www.abeconline.com, etc.

5. Benefits of e-Campus Some of the benefits of the electronic Campus management solution are as follows: • Improved Internally Generated Revenue for the Institution • World Class Student and Staff Record Management • Automated Result Computation • Automated Transcript Generation • Automated ID card generation • Easy Communication in the Campus Community through Messaging Tools • Easy Report Generation for Quick Decision Making • Reduced Examination Vices • Improved Security of Lives and Properties • Cost Reduction in the printing of forms and other paper items that have been computerized • Improved Efficiency • Effective Marketing of the school amongst the comity of schools • Available to Primary, Secondary and all Tertiary Institutions • Deployment cost is Zero Naira

6. Electronic Scholarship Management System (eSMS) Electronic Scholarship Management System (eSMS) is a scholarship management portal designed to meet modern day challenges and needs of scholarship management. The solution which is adjudged the most robust and fully functional scholarship management in the country has the following features: • Online Application • Selection Criteria Manager for tests, interviews and awards • Messaging Tools for notification to awardees and scholarship applicants • Administrative Tools for management for: • Payment Schedules • Payments of awardees • Alerts to awardees on payment done • Budgeting and cost plans • Travels and Logistics manager • Report Generator • e-payment manager • News and info editor and publisher Available at http://scholarships.totalsdd.com, http://ptdf.cinfores.com etc.

7. Benefits of eSMS Some of the benefits of eSMS includes: • Automation of scholarship processes to ensure effectiveness • Proper data and records management • Transparent selection methods • Prompt and effective information dissemination • Easy Report Generation • Easy and effective forecasting and planning • Effective Budgeting and expensing • Round the clock interaction and monitoring of awardees’ performance • Development of human capital databank

8. BrainFriend BrainFriend is an educational software package developed to aid all students (ranging from UBE 1-9, the senior secondary school to the post secondary school) in their preparation for major examinations within and outside Nigeria. The software is a compilation of examination questions and answers in compact discs (CDs) and on the internet. Through this product, students are exposed to a wide range of questions, answers and explanations (over 40,000 questions, answers and explanations) covering the Nigerian examination curriculum in 35 subjects. Furthermore, it has electronic books with visuals to facilitate learning coupled with the National Education Curriculum to guide teachers in what to teach and how to go about it. It is indeed a sure bet for improved academic excellence. This product has 100% chance of enhancing students’ and teachers’ performance. Available in schools and homes across the country.

9. Subjects covered (so far)

10. BrainFriend Board Game This is an educational game that complements the BrainFriend software. It is a board game that can be played by two or more students. Unlike BrainFriend software, it doesn’t need a computer or the internet to play or activate. It is a board game that teaches students the values of education, intimating them on the various activities they will come in contact with as they progress through their educational pursuit. These include virtues/vices, their rewards and consequences. The game also comprises questions and answers with explanations. Players will choose a particular subject called ‘flavour’ or topic with fifty (50) questions in the selected subject or topic to answer as they play the game. The first to get to the point of graduation becomes the winner of the game. This makes learning fun! Students can learn on their own without waiting for their teachers. Teachers in turn can use this game as part of extra curricular activity for the students, during recess.

11. Benefits of BrainFriend Some of the Benefits of BrainFriend are as follows: • It aids as an adaptive learning tool • It aids students to prepare for examinations and therefore build their confidence towards the exams • It reduces examination malpractice as students can better prepare for exams • It helps students and teachers to be digitally literate • It is affordable • Teachers and parents can be better positioned to guide their wards using the national curriculum • It helps parents/ teachers assess the preparedness of the their children/ students. • The enterprise version can be used to assess an entire class without the teachers bearing the brunt of marking, as the software is capable of giving instant results. • The Aptitude and Driving tests are also useful to undergraduates and graduates alike in preparation of such exams

12. www.9jaskool.com www.9jaskool.com is Nigeria’s foremost educational portal designed to meet most of the country’s educational needs. The portal is geared towards providing a one-stop-shop for educational activities at all levels. It is made up of but not limited to the following services: • Preparatory Examinations (WAEC, NECO, JAMB, Entrance exams and related tests and exams) • National Schools’ Directory • e-Counseling • Educational Web Market • Educational Resources and Articles • The Examiner – an examination setting tool • Discussion Forum for Students • Virtual Classrooms • e-Mock Exams • Knowledge Meter and Ratings and more. Available online at www.9jaskool.com

13. Benefits of www.9jaskool.com Some of the benefits of this product includes: • Availing world class educational resources to all levels of students. • Creation of a community of knowledge that will encourage sharing of knowledge for the overall benefit of all. • Availing Nigerians and the rest of the world an insight of the ideal educational system for Nigeria. • Creation of useful data for educational analysis, forecast and planning. • Closing the ranks between the pupils and students of rich families and those from poor families by centralizing useful educational resources for the benefit of all. • It is free for basic access and affordable for subscribed members • Standardisation of educational resources and services (curriculum, textbooks etc) for national implementation in the educational system. • Creation of online jobs for the teaming unemployed graduates. • Reduction of education related vices through campaign and development of resources/services to counter or check such vices. • Making the Nigerian education a world class and globally competitive.

14. The Examiner With the incessant issues with examination ranging from mass failure to leakage of exam questions and other examination related vices, this product and service was developed to enshrine best examination values into the Nigerian educational system. The software has standard questions and answers as prototype to be used by examination bodies and institutions in the country and beyond has the following features: • Over 40,000 prototype questions that can be adapted by examiners • Question Builder (Questions, options and answers input interface) • Exam builder (Questions aggregator to form an exam) • Exam Scheduler (for both paper and electronic exams) • Exam Exporting features into other formats • Common API with BrainFriend to serve as Client in Enterprise computing • Search Engines • Question mimicking Available online at www.9jaskool.com(only for users who have signed up)

15. Benefits of The Examiner Some of the benefits of the product includes: • Standard solution for examination question mining and marking • Secure interface for question generation and retrieval • Ease the brunt of Question mining and development • Saves cost as questions can be reused with little updates rather than new generation yearly. • Provides the national curriculum and e-books as guide for question generation • Provides marking templates for all Multiple Choice questions developed using the solution • Allows Simultaneous generation of question on the platform to accelerate speed in question generation and vetting • Allows flexibility in the orientation or position of questions if more than one type of question is involved. • Works via the internet, LAN or Stand-alone • Exports questions, answers and others into formats such as PDF, HTML, BrainFriend and paper (hardcopy) • Generates Reports and schedules for examinations. • Has a search facility to help locate questions for spotting, update or delete.

16. Conclusion These products and services are part of our efforts in ensuring that the country’s educational system assumes its rightful position in the scheme of things. As the world rapidly tilts towards a knowledge based economy, we believe our country and the rest of Africa should not be left behind. To this end, there must be a concerted effort in enhancing the educational development of the continent to ensure that our students at all levels can globally compete with their peers. This can only be achieved when the proper solutions and technologies are deployed; as you know, ICT is one tool that can make it happen. Therefore, the above listed products and services as well as many more educational products and services developed by Nigerians and other people around the globe is fast changing the face of education in the world and we (Nigerians and the rest of Africa) MUST not be left behind! For further details log onto www.cinfores.com