UI Records Another First "KoEde" App to Digitalise Yoruba Language Learning

The Director of Special Duties, Office of the Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Professor Olumuyiwa Omobowale has said that the university is committed to fostering research and dialogue that address Africa’s unique challenges and opportunities. 

He made this statement on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode O. Adebowale, mni, FAS, fspsp at the 

launching of the KoEde Mobile Application and the 2nd Annual Symposium of the Human-Computer Interaction for Development Association of Computer Machinery which was convened by the Faculty of Computing, University of Ibadan. 

The symposium was jointly hosted by the University of Ibadan and Bowen University, Iwo with the support of the Special Interest Group in Computer Human Interaction. 

Professor Omobowale stated that the theme of the symposium: “Human- Computer Interaction (HCI)” sits at the very heart of man’s contemporary existence, noting that we have moved far beyond the age where computers were mere tools for computation. 

He asserted that computers are now extensions of our minds, mediators of our social interactions, and gateways to vast universe of information and experience. 

He also stated that the fundamental issue is not just what technology can do, but how it should be deployed in a way that is intuitive, inclusive, empowering and human centred. 

The Director reiterated UI’s commitment to research and innovation, affirming that the symposium is not an abstract academic exercise but an opportunity to deliberate on how we, as a society, will design, adopt and adapt to the technologies that are reshaping our education, healthcare, governance and cultural expression.

He referred to the KoEde Application as a brilliant fusion of cutting-edge HCI principles with profound cultural preservation, emphasizing that by designing an educational platform to teach our rich Yoruba language to students, the developers have demonstrated how technology can be harnessed to safeguard our heritage and make learning engaging for the digital generation.

The Chairman of the occasion, the 12th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka, FAS commended the team for their hard work and resilience, stating that KoEde is a remarkable problem-solving initiative. 

He added that the developers have demonstrated how technology can be harnessed to safeguard our heritage and make learning engaging for the digital generation. 

The first female Professor of Computer Studies in Africa, Professor Adenike Osofisan who served as the Chairlady commended the developers of the KoEde Application, saying that it would go a long way in sustaining our mother tongue. 

The Vice-Chancellor of Bowen University, Professor J.O. Babalola, FAS, FRSC in a goodwill message said that language is not merely a means of communication, but an identity, while lauding the team for their achievement and urged them to do more. 

Dr. Aderonke B. Sakpere, the Team Lead and Principal Investigator of the KoEde Mobile Application team, in her remarks explained that the app is an interactive mobile language learning platform which will bridge the gap between children and the learning of indigenous language.

She disclosed that the team had observed that the newer generation of Yoruba people do not speak their indigenous languages and decided to take it upon themselves to build an application to teach them. 

The Principal Investigator said that the app is an interactive mobile language platform that thrives on the principle of gamification and constructive pedagogy to make learning engaging and enjoyable.

She also explained that the app features puzzles, sentence formation, touch-and-drag interactive exercises structured across beginner, intermediate and expert levels, giving a game-based learning experience to users. 

She added that the app was developed in collaboration with the Yoruba Language Centre of the University of Ibadan and was funded by Klaus Tschira Stiftung, a German-based organisation.

The Symposium featured keynote addresses delivered by Dr Obinna Anya, a Senior UX Researcher at Google and Mr Marvellous Akande, Head of Product Design at Mainstack, Lagos.