Speaker
Description
Haruna, F. R.
University of Education Kontagora, Niger State, Nigeria
farukharuna75@gmail.com
Track: Digital Transformation in Higher Education
Abstract Content:
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed severe digital infrastructure gaps in African tertiary institutions, particularly in practical-based disciplines like Exercise and Sports Science. With limited access to biomechanics labs, force plates, and GPS tracking systems, many universities turned to low-cost mobile technologies and open-source platforms to sustain teaching and skills training. This study adopts a development studies lens to evaluate how these digital innovations influenced practical skills acquisition among sports science students in resource-constrained African universities, and their implications for building future-ready higher education ecosystems. Using a mixed-methods design, the research examines the extent of access to mobile apps for exercise prescription, video analysis tools, virtual anatomy labs, and open-source LMS platforms in select North-Central Nigerian universities and compares findings with 2 East African institutions. Data will be collected through questionnaires, practical assessments, and interviews with lecturers and students. The study argues that while high-end digital sports tech remains unequally distributed, strategic adoption of low-cost mobile tech and open-source solutions can bridge the digital divide, improve student competency, and align graduate output with 21st-century sports industry demands. The paper concludes with policy recommendations for inclusive digital infrastructure investment and curriculum redesign to ensure African sports science graduates are globally competitive.