Osun initiates ‘tablet of knowledge’ to drive ease of learning for students

Forward-looking actions and initiatives are no doubt steps in the right direction towards the reversal of Nigeria’s declining education standard. In the present dispensation, creative initiatives are being undertaken by different state governments to address the development of education.

One initiative that is set to revolutionalise the all important education sector in Osun State is the introduction of Opon-Imo by the current state governor to address the challenges of mass failure in external examination in the state.

Opon- Imo (Yoruba), which translates to ‘tablet of knowledge’ is an android electronic operated device that it is a complete library in a single computer tablet. It’s a complete and closed system that cannot interface or interconnect with any other system.

Rauf Aregbesola, governor of the state of Osun, while speaking at the official launch of the computer tablet recently informed that the tablet is a first-of-its-kind standalone learning tablet in the world for self-paced study.

The governor revealed that the learning device provides three major content categories vis-à-vis, e-library, virtual classroom, and an integrated test zone.

According to him, “ The virtual classroom category contains 63 e-books covering 17 academic subjects for examinations conducted by WAEC, NECO and JAMB as well as non-academic life-enriching subjects such as History of The Yoruba, Sexuality Education, Civic Education, Ifa on ethics and morals, enterprise education, hints and tips on passing SSCE and ‘How to live a Healthy and Happy life.”

Unlike other tablet devices that distract students from learning, Aregbesola, the governor who pioneered the initiative said Opon-Imo is a veritable tablet of knowledge that levels the learning playing field for all students from different social backgrounds. “It allows students to learn at their own pace, wherever and whenever they choose. It provides robust and uniform learning content for all students, and offers a feedback mechanism for monitoring their performance,” he said.

The governor further said the advantage of using this tablet of knowledge is that Opon-Imo also offers a highly interactive computer-based learning and testing environment. In his words, “With Opon-Imo, learning becomes fun, easy and interesting. Because this tablet of knowledge is going to be distributed free to our students, it not only relieves their parents of the financial burden expended on learning materials, it likewise relieves the students of the burden of their book-laden backpacks.”

“In a world tilting inexorably towards ICT, Opon-Imo is a bold statement of our determination to qualitatively redefine public education. With Opon-Imo, we are certain to open the doors of good education to more of our students who would otherwise have been denied that priceless opportunity,” the governor added.

While explaining the decision behind the digital learning initiative embarked on by his administration, the governor was quick to point out that the world is going digital. “We would be doing the children a lot of harm if they are not exposed to the digital world at an early age.”

Opon-Imo is designed for senior school pupils. Even then, we are still looking into how to absorb the lower arms into the digital divide as soon as we can lay our hands on the appropriate textbooks and needed funds.

“The tablet however is more than a learning device. It is a revolution that individualises learning and brings the school to the child. The old order is that the child goes to school, but we have now brought the school to the child. In the old order, the pupils go to school to study, but with Opon-Imo, they now learn.” He said.