Technophilia: Viable Tool for Actualizing Refugee Education

Abstract

The use of computers and associated hardware, software, and networks, to provide learning through virtual learning systems have become a means of supplementing the existing traditional teaching method. This innovation, though new in a developing country such as Nigeria, is capable of serving the needs and requirements for improving the quality of education in the numerous Internal Displacement Camps in Nigeria. In this research, the education of school-age children in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps is examined with particular focus on the enrollments, and the quality of provided education. Also, case studies of various African countries’ programs geared towards improving the quality of education, and skilling up her students for employment using various Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools, are presented. The innovations directly or indirectly yielded positive impacts on national economies of the deploying countries. Targeting school age children in the over 140,000 IDP camps in Nigeria with ICT-based learning, will have the triple effect of quality education, skill acquisition, and reduction in the growing number of IDPs in the camps as a result of unwanted pregnancies. National Communication Commission’s Digital Job Creation for Youth (DJCY), which follows a customized boot camp, with the beneficiaries being offered computers with associated connectivity toolset, and set up as Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) after training them in ICT services, is recommended for the youth in the IDP, while immersive learning (VR lens) should be used for interactive learning experience for the younger children, with Google expedition for control of accessed content. The framework for refugee education is adapted to specifically focus on ICT-based education, training, and skill acquisition for refugees. Keywords: Quality Education, Virtual Reality, Google Expedition, Internally Displaced Persons, Education Innovation, National Communication Commission (NCC) CISDI Journal Reference Format Olebara, C.C. (2023): Technophilia: Viable Tool for Actualizing Refugee Education. Computing, Information Systems, Development Informatics & Allied Research Journal. Vol 13 No 4, Pp 31-44 Available online at https://www.isteams.net/cisdijournal. dx.doi.org/10.22624/AIMS/CISDI/V14N4P3