79 Technologies for Open & Distance Learning in Nigeria

In education and in all spheres of life, the implementation and use of information and communication technology have contributed immensely in improving, if not completely changing the way things are being done. ICT has various proven tools and technologies to meet the requirements of the learners and teachers despite the distance. Due to heterogeneous requirements in open distance learning, there are issues and challenges that are to be addressed in usage of the technology and the service(s) being provided through ICT. This paper emphasizes the issues and challenges on the network infrastructure, portability with respect to hardware & software, security requirements and various learner support services. It will also presents the general architecture and procedure of the evaluation phase which can be used by any open and distance learning institution in order to effectively manage the usually large number of learners with quality, accessible and technologically driven form of education.