JournoTECH

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All posts by Blossom Gilbert-Amakiri

Blogs/Stories , Training

AI in Education: JournoTECH Trains Zimbabwean University Lecturers on Classroom Technology

Lecturers also learnt how to use NewsAssist AI to generate course content, grade and analyse students’ work, and help students learn how to write news stories.

Lecturers from two prominent Zimbabwean universities recently participated in JournoTECH training programme on AI technology applications, focusing on the various AI tools for classroom use, including NewsAssist AI.

The training, led by Elfredah Kevin-Alerechi, founder of NewsAssist AI, equipped lecturers from the Media and Journalism Department at the National University of Science and Technology and the Department of Languages, Media, and Communication Studies at Lupane State University with practical skills.

The programme began with participants sharing their prior experiences with AI. While many haven’t had prior AI usage in their workflows, those who had shared their experiences.  

Kevin-Alerechi emphasised the benefits and limitations of AI in education.  “While AI technology is good for the classroom,” she noted, “it has its disadvantages with excessive use. When using AI to do anything, it is very important that we still cross-check what AI has produced before publishing or using it in classrooms.”

She highlighted AI’s role in reducing lecturers’ workloads: “It can be used to create lesson notes, research, check plagiarism, and grade students; however, these tools are there to support you and not to replace lecturers in class activities.” 

The training included practical sessions on various AI tools, including NewsAssist AI, Gemini, Diffit AI, EdCafe AI, and Classpoint. Kevin-Alerechi distinguished NewsAssist AI by its reliance on content input to generate results, making it suitable for both teachers and students.

NewsAssist AI’s features—transcription, editing, summarisation, document analysis, and translation—were showcased as valuable classroom tools.  Lecturers learnt to use NewsAssist AI for transcribing and summarising lectures, analysing student projects, preparing course materials, supporting student research, and training students on real-world AI tools.

Regarding student applications, Kevin-Alerechi advised, “Students can use it to learn how to write reports, especially those just starting in media and struggling to write news stories, opinion pieces, or feature articles. 

However, when students are using it to learn, they shouldn’t dwell 100% on it but use it to learn and produce their original articles while comparing their work to NewsAssist AI’s output.  With this pattern, they will learn fast in addition to what their lecturers have taught them. They can share their work with lecturers and mentors for improvement.”

The training concluded with practical sessions demonstrating NewsAssist AI’s capabilities for lecturers at both universities.

Blogs/Stories

JournoTECH Trains 100+ NOA Staff on NewsAssist AI Across Southern and Eastern Nigeria

A cross-section of participants at JournoTECH NewsAssist AI training in Imo State, Nigeria/June 25, 2025 for JournoTECH
Photo shows a cross-section of participants at JournoTECH NewsAssist AI training in Imo State, Nigeria/June 25, 2025/ Photo taken by: Harsco Global for JournoTECH

Port Harcourt & Owerri— Over 100 staff members of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) across the South-South and South-East regions of Nigeria have been trained by JournoTECH on how to use NewsAssist AI, an innovative tool designed to promote ethical, accurate, and efficient information dissemination.

The training sessions, held at the NOA directorates in Rivers and Imo states, brought together officers from all local government areas. In Rivers State, the training was led by Faith Imbu and Blossom Gilbert-Amakiri, both members of the JournoTECH team. In Imo State, the session was conducted by Harriet Ijeomah, product manager of NewsAssist AI, Davidson Nwosu, and Winifred Ibe, beginning promptly at 9:00 AM.

Both training sessions were held separately on June 25 and 26, 2025.

Phot shows some participants after the the NOA Training in Imo State on June 25, 2025 NewsAssist AI training in Imo State, Nigeria, June 25, 2025// Photo taken by: Harsco Global for JournoTECH

The trainings focused on familiarizing participants with NewsAssist AI, a powerful platform developed by the founder of JournoTECH, Elfredah Kevin-Alerechi, a Nigerian innovator based in the UK. The tool is designed to assist journalists, legal professionals, educators, and public servants in carrying out time-consuming tasks such as transcription, summarization, data analysis, and content editing.

Photo shows some participants at the NOA Training in Rivers State on June 26, 2025
Photo shows some participants at the NOA Training in Rivers State on June 26, 2025

Elfredah, who champions the training initiative, explained the reason behind it: “NOA staff work across every local government area, educating and sensitizing citizens, especially in hard-to-reach communities without internet access or mobile networks.

“They are often the only link between these communities and national developments. By introducing them to AI and showing them how to use NewsAssist AI, we’re giving them tools to reduce the burden of manual transcription from interviews and field communications. It will help them save time and improve efficiency in their critical work.”

At the Rivers State session, Ms. Amucheazi Ifeyinwa Helen, Deputy Director of Planning, Research, and Strategy, praised the initiative and the tool itself: “It’s particularly impressive that NewsAssist AI was created by a Nigerian. We often assume such advanced tools only come from abroad. It has everything from A to Z, and both the training and the tool are free. This was truly innovative and engaging.”

Mrs. Stella Maris Damian-Igwe, NOA Director in Imo State, expressed heartfelt appreciation to the JournoTECH team “for thinking outside the box” and equipping their staff with cutting-edge digital tools. She welcomed future collaborations and more trainings.

JournoTECH team member, Harriet Ijeoma with State NOA Director of Imo State/ Photo taken by: Harsco Global for JournoTECH.

Participants were given a hands-on demonstration of the tool’s functionalities, with emphasis on ethical use, browser compatibility, and the importance of clear input for accurate results. The sessions were interactive, with many participants expressing appreciation for the AI’s refusal to respond to vague or unprofessional commands—a safeguard designed to maintain ethical standards.

This initiative is part of JournoTECH’s broader mission to take AI and digital tools to the grassroots, ensuring that public service workers, even in underserved or remote areas, are not left behind in the evolving digital landscape.