For Aisha Mohammed, a third-year Quantity Surveying student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST), the Vice-Chancellor's One Student, One Laptop (SONSOL) initiative has become an important part of her academic and professional development, helping her build practical digital skills and apply classroom knowledge during her industrial attachment.
The One Student, One Laptop (SONSOL) initiative was launched in late 2020 by the then Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mrs Rita Akosua Dickson, with support from benefactors, to improve students' access to digital learning tools following the disruption to teaching and learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since then, the initiative has provided thousands of students with laptops to support their studies and help them develop digital competencies.
Aisha, who received a laptop under the initiative in 2024, said it has transformed the way she learns by enabling her to practise software applications required for her programme.
"The laptop has helped me in so many ways. I now use it to practise software applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, which have improved my digital skills and made learning much easier."
She said the benefits of the laptop became even more evident during her industrial attachment, where she combined practical field experience with self-directed digital learning.
"During my internship, after our site visits, I would go back and sit behind my laptop to practise and understand some of the software we use. It helped me connect what I learnt on site with what I was studying in class."
According to Aisha, owning a laptop gave her an advantage by allowing her to reinforce lessons independently and improve her understanding of technical concepts.
Expressing her appreciation for the initiative, she thanked Professor Mrs Rita Akosua Dickson, the benefactors and other partners who have supported the programme.
"I am very grateful for the SONSOL project. It has made learning easier and given me digital skills that will benefit me throughout my studies and in my future career."
Story: Eunice Odumaa Asare
