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Presentation at the Muslim Student Forum Nigeria by Dr Omar Hasan Kasule Sr MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard) Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health
MEDIUM OF DISSEMINATION VARIES BY TIME AND PLACE
• Word of mouth
• Poetry and music
• Storytelling (griot/hakawati)
• Written book
• Radio and Television
• Internet
ONLINE MEDIUM WILL BECOME DOMINANT FOR THREE REASONS
• Increasing public access to the smartphone and internet penetration reaching more people
• Convenience and low cost of online programs
• Positive experience during the covid19 pandemic lockdown
TABLE 1: NUMBER OF SMARTPHONES AND INTERNET ACCESS IN SELECTED COUNTRIES OF SOUTH ASIA
TABLE 2: NUMBER OF SMARTPHONES AND INTERNET ACCESS IN SELECTED COUNTRIES OF SOUTHEAST ASIA
TABLE 3: NUMBER OF SMARTPHONES AND INTERNET ACCESS IN SELECTED COUNTRIES OF THE MIDDLE EAST
TABLE 4: NUMBER OF SMARTPHONES AND INTERNET ACCESS IN SELECTED COUNTRIES OF SUB SAHARAN AFRICA
ACCESS THROUGH THE ONLINE MEDIUM
• Smartphone usage and internet penetration is high in both poor and rich Muslim countries as shown
• The online medium is able to reach the unreachable who are confined to one place because of work or illness
• The online medium can reach more people at home who cannot attend the weekly Friday khutbah eg mothers of small children
• The online medium overcomes barriers of communication because anyone with a phone can set up a program and share ideas with others with minimal external control because the system is too large to control.
THE ONLINE MEDIUM IS CONVENIENT
• Convenience and low cost of the online medium that uses a virtual venue or meeting room.
• Both the presenter and audience stay in their homes and do not have to prepare and travel out to another place for a program.
• Save travel time and travel costs. The physical venue also has costs associated with it such as rent, maintenance, electricity, water, beverages, etc.
• The biggest benefit of the virtual meeting room is staying at home and fulfilling home duties while at the same time participating in an educational program.
POSITIVE EXPERIENCE OF THE ONLINE MEDIUM DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN
• Positive experience of the online medium during the Covid 19 lockdown starting in March 2020 when we were forced to use the online medium because of lack of an alternative.
• Overwhelming response from all parts of the world and from all sectors of the population
• We knew about the existence of online technology but did not appreciate its impact until we were forced to use it during the lockdown.
• We also came to realize that the online medium has no boundaries. We advertise a program locally and find participants from other continents because of the many interlocking social media networks
FIGURE 1 ONLINE PROGRAM POSTER – CENTRAL NIGERIA
FIGURE 2 ONLINE PROGRAM POSTER CENTRAL NIGERIA
FIGURE 3 ONLINE PROGRAM POSTER NORTHERN NIGERIA
FIGURE 4 ONLINE PROGRAM POSTER - PAKISTAN
FIGURE 5 ONLINE PROGRAM POSTER MALAYSIA
FIGURE 6 ONLINE PROGRAM POSTER INDONESIA
DOWNTURN WITH EASING OF THE PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN
• We noticed that the response decreased as the lockdown was eased. This forced us to explore further what interested people.
• We distributed an online questionnaire worldwide. Analysis of the responses showed several interesting facts. Participants preferred programs in the evenings and on weekends.
• Participants prefer a program on one module given over 5-7 sessions instead of isolated lectures on different topics. Some respondents preferred programs on specialized issues while others preferred general programs.
FIGURE I SURVEY OF ONLINE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS-BY GENDER
FIGURE II SURVEY OF ONLINE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS-BY COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE
Tanzania 2.0% (9) / Sri Lanka 1.6% (7) / South Africa 1.6% (7) / Singapore 3.2% (14) / Pakistan 3.4% (15) / Nigeria 27.2% (120) / Bangladesh 2.3% (10) / Indonesia 29.2% (129) / Malaysia 12.4% (55) / Others 17.1% (75)
FIGURE III SURVEY OF ONLINE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS-BY HIGHEST ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION
FIGURE IV SURVEY OF ONLINE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS-BY CURRENT JOB
Teacher 04.2% (19) / Lecturer 33.7% (148) / Student 26.9% (119) / Professional 19.8% (87) / Others 15.4% (68)
FIGURE V SURVEY OF ONLINE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS-BY PREVIOUS ATTENDANCE OF ONLINE PROGRAMS
FIGURE VI SURVEY OF ONLINE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS-BY PREFERENCE GENERAL vs SPECIFIC SUBJECTS
FIGURE VII SURVEY OF ONLINE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS-BY THEORETICAL vs PRACTICAL SUBJECTS
FIGURE VIII SURVEY OF ONLINE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS-BY PREFERENCE EDUCATION vs TRAINING
FIGURE IX SURVEY OF ONLINE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS-BY DAY OF WEEK PREFERRED
FIGURE X SURVEY OF ONLINE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS-BY THE TIME OF DAY PREFERRED
FIGURE XI SURVEY OF ONLINE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS-BY PROGRAM DURATION
FIGURE XII SURVEY OF ONLINE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS-BY LECTURE vs MODULE
FIGURE XIII SURVEY OF ONLINE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS-BY UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC vs non-ACADEMIC COURSES
FIGURE XIV SURVEY OF ONLINE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS-GETTING A CERTIFICATE
FIGURE XV SURVEY OF ONLINE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS-BY WILLINGNESS TO PAY A NOMINAL FEE
REPACKAGING THE PROGRAM
• We repackaged the program according to the findings of the online survey and discovered rising interest.
• We have virtually changed all programs to the online medium and will continue even after the end of the pandemic.
• We are providing modules of 5-10 sessions on a particular subject or area of concern
• We are also planning to provide attendance certificates from academic institutions to formalize the learning attained.
FUTURE VISION
• The pandemic experience has made us discover the power and benefits of technology
• We shall not go back to the pre-pandemic period. We shall go forward with more technology in the future
• Use of technology will also spread to other areas of endeavor
• Finally this technology will be a great equalizer. It will enable us to catch up where we lagged behind because it is new to everybody. we are having the same starting point. Nobody has a head start.