The College of Education recently hosted its first Inter-College Lecture for the 2023/2024 academic year, with an insightful presentation by Professor Isaac Kofi Biney, Head of the UG Learning Centres, College of Education. The lecture, titled "Transforming Local Communities in Ghana: Is dialogue-based education the answer?" delved into the benefits of dialogue-based education for grassroots communities in Ghana, emphasising its role in promoting a self-help spirit in community development projects in the past.

Mr. Joseph Oduro Nkansah, College Secretary of the College of Education, gave the welcome address and commended Professor Biney for selecting such a relevant topic. He expressed hope that the lecture would help determine whether dialogue-based education was key to transforming local communities in Ghana.

Chairing the lecture was Professor Samuel Nii Ardey Codjoe, Provost of the College of Education. In his introductory remarks, he expressed his excitement for the knowledge the lecture would impart, given the topic. He encouraged faculty, staff and students present to listen attentively and engage in subsequent discussions.

In his lecture, Professor Biney noted that lack of engagement with local communities by government and external bodies often hinders development and results in projects that do not meet needs of the community. He emphasised that involving local community members allows them to contribute ideas and support, leading to more effective projects.  The Dompin-Pepesa community served as a compelling case study. Prof. Biney revealed that through dialogue-based education, this community successfully completed eight out of ten developmental projects, demonstrating the approach’s efficacy in meeting project deadlines.

He advocated for the active involvement of community members in developmental plans and emphasised the importance of understanding the unique assets each community possesses. He argued that armed with this knowledge, local residents can contribute innovative ideas to communal development. He also stressed that developers should actively engage communities to understand their exact needs.  Adding that community members often have a better understanding of the development needed and how to achieve it. He highlighted the need for leaders to be accountable and transparent in order to encourage community members to participate willingly.

Through research and interviews conducted by Professor Biney and his team, he concluded that dialogue-based education was best for community building. He called for the restoration of dialogue-based education, which was extensively used in the past, to revitalise grassroots communities in Ghana. He added that this type of education empowers local community members and groups to create and achieve their vision for their communities.

The lecture was followed by a lively question and answer session with active participation from faculty, staff, and students, which further enriched the discussion.

In his closing remarks, the Provost, expressed gratitude to Professor Biney for his insightful presentation and commended the audience for their active participation during the Q&A session.

The lecture was moderated by Mrs. Regina Afari-Boateng, Senior Assistant Registrar and School Administrator for the School of Continuing and Distance Education.