Speaker
Description
Ayodele, O. O.
ADEYEMI FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, ONDO
olukemioloja7@gmail.com
Track: Digital Pedagogy and Teaching Innovation
The persistent digital divide in African higher education continues to limit equitable access to technology-supported learning, particularly among students in institutions with inadequate digital infrastructure, limited internet connectivity, and uneven levels of digital competence. This study examines how inclusive blended learning can help bridge this divide by assessing the influence of digital pedagogy and teaching innovation on student engagement and future-ready competencies in Nigerian universities. Specifically, it investigates the extent to which accessible digital platforms, flexible learning approaches, interactive online content, collaborative technologies, and lecturers’ digital teaching practices enhance students’ participation, motivation, digital literacy, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities.
The study adopts a mixed-methods research design involving students and lecturers selected from Nigerian universities. Quantitative data were collected through structured questionnaires, while qualitative data were obtained through interviews with lecturers and institutional stakeholders. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and appropriate inferential techniques, whereas the qualitative evidence was analyzed thematically. The study is expected to reveal the digital, pedagogical, and institutional conditions under which blended learning promotes meaningful student engagement and the development of competencies required for employment, lifelong learning, and participation in a digitally driven economy.
The study will contribute to ongoing discussions on reimagining future-ready higher education ecosystems in Africa by providing evidence-based recommendations for inclusive digital pedagogy, lecturer capacity development, institutional investment, and equitable access to blended and online learning. Its findings will be relevant to university administrators, educators, and policymakers seeking to transform digital access into effective, inclusive, and sustainable learning outcomes.