General
Postgrad Students receive Info Competence and Management Training
26 students have been awarded certificates after a successful two-week (1st-14 June 2015) training in Information Competence and Management. The training was organized by Makerere University Library in conjunction with the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT) to equip postgraduate students; mainly PhD and Second year Masters Students, with skills on how to use research and manage information in their research projects, as well as professional careers.
Speaking at the award ceremony on Friday 12th June 2015, the Acting Librarian Dr. Helen Byamugisha said that participants were equipped with knowledge and skills on the various ways of; conducting research, referencing their work, drafting proposals, as well as packaging and disseminating information.
“We have given you skills to boost your competencies in conducting literature reviews, organizing your information and making the best use of information in your research project,” said the Acting Librarian.
She then applauded participants for exhibiting incredible discipline during the two-week course. “The information I have received from the facilitators, shows that you have been very exemplary participants who were always on time as well as very keen and eager to learn. I commend you and request that you continue to uphold that spirit.”
The Information Competence and Management is a cross-cutting course designed to equip post graduate students with skills and knowledge on research information gathering, organization, usage and dissemination.
The course offers a range of skills in
• Introduction to research process, including elements of research proposal writing
• introduction to bibliographic searches for literature review
• Searching Makerere University in-house databases (MakULA, MaKIR and AIM)
• Searching specific databases (E-brary, Sage, OUP, EBESCO, Jstor, HINARI, OARE, AGORA TEEL, ARDI, Cochrane, Emerald, Wiley)
• Document Delivery Services (DDS)
• Management of multiple electronic files
• Professional citing and quotations
• Reference management using Endnote and Medely
• Scholarly writing and communication skills and
• Presentation of research work
According to Ms. Faith Akiteng, College Librarian – College of Education and External Studies (CEES), today’s digital and technological changes, necessitate that students should equally gain aptitude in information search and management.
“This is the 21st century where technology changes everything. You should therefore have information searching skills compatible with technological evolution in order to get the information you want. You should know the database that can give you that information, and how to filter that relevant results from the lots of resources we have. The internet is a global village which requires that you manage and use information ethically,” Ms. Akiteng advised.
On behalf of participants, Mr. Omany Andrew Komakechi, thanked the facilitating team for the great job they did in exposing participants to invaluable ideas and knowledge with visible benefits in their research and professional careers.
“The training has taught us what we are supposed to do as scholarly people. And as a teacher, it has taught me how to gather the information I would like to pass on to my students as well as equipped me with the best dissemination skills,” he said.
“The facilitators have done a great job. They are proficient in what they are doing, and I urge them to also open up this course to undergraduate students, in addition to the existing intakes of postgraduate students. I also ask that this course be held on a periodical basis that is to say after every two months, so as to refresh every one,” Mr. Omany added.
Article by Nabatte Prossy, Intern-Public Relations Office
By Agnes Namaganda
On July 22nd 2022, Makerere University–Child Health and Development Centre (Mak–CHDC) launched a draft manual for the National Parenting Standards. The Centre has been working together with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) with funding from UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund), to develop standards that are agreeable to all organisations in the country that are involved in parenting work. The draft manual was being presented to members of a consortium that brings together all these organisations together, called the Parenting Agenda Consortium.
“We produce many documents and they are shelved,” Irene Ayot Chono, who was speaking on behalf of UNICEF said. “We hope that this document will not be one of them,” she emphasized.
Dr. Godfrey Siu, the Principal Investigator from Mak-CHDC who presented the draft manual to participants, emphasized that if any organization is doing parenting work, there should be a minimum package that they should offer.
Draft Manual Content
The manual which will have several modules. These modules will be delivered face-to-face in 1.5 hour sessions. Some of these include; Module 6 which will focus on “understanding responsible masculinity and fatherhood” and on “understanding the concept of head of family.”The draft manual also proposed that Module 11 focuses on Parenting in the 21st Century. Some of the sessions in this module will include Children and Technology, Contemporary Influence on Children and Modernity, Culture and Morality.Module 9 will focus on Parenting for Adolescents and some of the suggested sessions within this module are Needs for Adolescents and The Art of Communicating with Adolescents. Module 5 will focus on Preventing Violent Parenting and Promoting Alternative Discipline Strategies while Module 10 will be about Parenting to Address the Mental Health for Children and Adults.
Participants’ suggestions
After the presentation, participants raised several suggestions for discussion and consideration. These included whether there should be a module on spirituality since Uganda is a strongly religious nation. There was also the concern of how children in remand homes should be parented. Another concern raised by a participant was as to whether teachers who make an undeniable contribution to parenting, should be taken through the parenting manual.
In her closing remarks, Ms. Juliana Naumo Akoryo, the Director of Cultural Affairs at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) said that the manual is for the parenting organisations to utilize and not for MGLSD.
Ms. Chono also adjured the team behind the manual to use picture illustrations in the manual that can be relatable by the Ugandan parents.
Contact: Agnes Namaganda – agnesvioletnamaganda@gmail.com
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