USE OF RADIO AS A TOOL OF LEARNING IN CRISIS PERIOD

Abstract

Radio has remained a powerful medium of communication and this is due to the fact that its message contents can be received at distant places as a result of its wide coverage and its ubiquitous nature. It has the ability to reach large audiences because it is relatively cheap and can function without electricity. Therefore, it is regarded as the most accessible tool of technology used for information dissemination. Studies have found out that radio is the most popular broadcast medium used for teaching in times of crisis all over the world. This is due to the fact that it is relatively cheap and can be easily accessible. Unfortunately, little attention is being given to radio as a tool that can enhance education especially in crisis period. An instance is the COVID-19 pandemic that has shut down the academic walls in Nigeria and elsewhere around the globe. Against the foregoing, this paper sought to conceptually look at the power of radio broadcasting as a platform that will not only provide a new way of teaching, but make available effective tool that will augment class room teaching during and after the ravaging Corona virus pandemic. The paper highlighted the role radio could play as well as the benefits of radio as a tool for educational learning in the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study highlights the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic effects on education could have a lasting impact on the trajectory of education in Nigeria if not tackled with the utmost urgency it deserves.