Universities Must Keep Humans at the Center of AI Education, FUOYE Vice-Chancellor Says
The Vice-Chancellor of Federal University Oye-Ekiti told education scholars this week that artificial intelligence should strengthen teaching and learning, not replace human creativity or critical thinking.
Professor Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole made the case at the university's 3rd International Conference of the Faculty of Education, which drew educators from across Nigeria to discuss how AI is reshaping schools and universities.
The conference theme - "Reinventing Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities, Challenges, and Global Imperatives" - reflects a shift happening in classrooms worldwide. Teaching has moved from a model where instructors controlled all knowledge to one where students access information instantly and globally.
But that speed comes with real problems. Ogunwole warned against ignoring ethics, data privacy, academic integrity, and digital inequality. He said universities must remain places where scholars ask hard questions and conduct research that solves actual problems.
"We must move beyond theoretical discussions by developing practical solutions capable of improving educational practice, policy implementation, teacher preparation, and learning outcomes," he said.
Teacher Preparation Needs Rethinking
The Acting Dean of the Faculty of Education, Associate Professor Sunday Adeniran, said schools are teaching students with outdated methods for a world that has already changed. Communication, research, healthcare, and governance have all transformed because of digital technology.
Curriculum delivery, teacher preparation, digital literacy, and assessment practices all need updating, Adeniran said. Teachers occupy a strategic position in shaping society, he added, and they bear responsibility for preparing students who can actually function in the modern world.
Educators looking to build skills in this area can explore resources on AI for Education or consider an AI Learning Path for Teachers to understand how to implement these tools in practice.
Awards Recognize Education Leaders
The conference honored individuals and institutions that have advanced education and national development. Recipients included Professor Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole, Emeritus Professor Peter A. Okebukola, and Professor Charles Anosike, Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.
Anosike said his agency has supported schools through curriculum work, climate workshops, and access to research data. The recognition, he said, would encourage further collaboration with universities to develop Nigeria's next generation of researchers and scientists.
The four-day conference included cultural performances and aerobatic displays alongside the intellectual work of examining how education must change.
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