Abstract
Presidential Address at the 2019 AITIE Conference
I wish to welcome you all, our distinguished hosts, resource persons, guests, and participants to the 3rd International Conference and Workshops on Innovation, Technology and Education (ICWITE, 2019) in the City of Abuja, the Centre of Unity.
Since our inaugural conference and workshops at the University of Ilorin (24th – 27th July 2017), AITIE as an Association had been focused on the cognitive, affective and psychomotor development of our members. As members of AITIE, we aspire to inspire. We aspire to develop ourselves to be the leading integrators of technology in education. We inspire others to make productive use of technology to create value within the educational circle. We don't just theorise about technology integration, we put into practice what we have learnt.
In line with our established practices, this year’s pre-conference workshops, the keynote and lead paper presentations are meant to deepen the knowledge and competence of our members on how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can be used to democratise education and ensure quality at the same time. The democratisation of education connotes the provision of greater access to education, irrespective of location, physical ability, commitments, and so on. It must be underscored that technologies in themselves cannot assure access to quality education. While the availability of technological infrastructure and support may be a strong factor for providing access to quality education, only the development of the human capacity to integrate technology will ensure success.
This year's conference features a keynote and three lead paper presentations. Prof. Is-haq O. Oloyede, the Registrar of JAMB is our distinguished keynote presenter. He is the foremost Nigerian educational administrator in the integration of ICT for education. This is evidenced in his trailblazing achievements as a University Vice-Chancellor and as the Chief Executive of an examination board. Prof. Ismail Junaid as an educational administrator had made significant contributions in ensuring that the Nigerian educational system moves in line with the 21st-century knowledge needs. Dr. V. Odumuyiwa and Prof. Rasheed Jimoh are proved leaders and emerging initiators of contemporary ideas in ICT integration in education. Our workshop tracks: Augmented Reality Using Open Source Apps; Mobile Apps Development for Massification of Education; and AMOS Statistics Solution or R-Statistical Package were selected to further enrich and deepen our members’ knowledge and competence in exploring and exploiting the potentials of the digital ocean, to permanently change the nation’s educational landscape.
We thank the Administration of the Federal Capital Territory College of Education, Zuba, Abuja, under the able leadership of our Chief Host, Dr. Mohamad Gambo Hamza, and the Dean School of Education, Dr. (Mrs.) Eunice U. Orji, for their provision of institutional resources and personal support that made the 2019 AITIE 2019 Workshops and Conference events possible. We are also thankful to the Local Organising Committee, under the able leadership of Dr. Lateef Olawale Kareem, Dr. Bamidele Ogunlade, Local Organising Secretary; and the entire LOC Team for their commitments and sacrifices to plan and execute the wonderful workshops and convention within a short time. I also wish to thank members of the National Executive Committee and other members of the Association for their commitments. Finally, we thank all authors who submitted their work to ICWITE, 2019, and the reviewers without whose expert input this conference would not be possible.
Participants, I hope during your time at the conference that you explore the opportunity to engage with your colleagues and peers across the nation, to discuss your ideas, and to explore the potentials for collaborative research and practice.
By the grace of God, I hope that we will meet again at the next AITIE Conference and Workshops. Wishing you a happy and fruitful time in Abuja, and safe journey back to our destinations.
Prof. Mudasiru Olalere Yusuf
National President