Education
DETA Conference: Researchers discuss transformation of e-learning
The Distance Education and Teacher Training in Africa (DETA) Conference opened yesterday July 24, 2023 at Makerere University with a call to embrace distance and e-learnings and address the challenges associated with emerging Information and Communication Technologies. The 4-day conference will run until July 27, 2023.
Under the theme “A Paradigm Shift towards innovative, resilient and transformative teacher education” the conference is being attended by over 150 distance education scholars from across the globe.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Umar Kakumba said while it is important to revolutionize Distance Education, it is also important to address the issue of curriculum for it needs to be designed to address emerging issues in the environment. The curriculum he advised must address quality and inclusivity. Prof. Kakumba reminded the delegates that digital technologies have got deficits which out to be addressed.
The Acting Vice Chancellor said it was important for teachers to get the best training, arguing that the quality of a nation is dependent on its human capital.
He thanked the Institute of Distance and e-learning (IoDEL), led by Prof. Paul Muyinda Birevu, which is spear heading the mainstreaming of ODEL in all academic programs at Makerere University. Pointing to the Covid-19 outbreak which forced institutions of higher education into online learning, Prof. Kakumba said this was a learning point which left an indelible mark on all institutions.
The conference is organized by IoDEL in collaboration with the University of Pretoria and Busitema University. Speaking on behalf of the organizing committee of Makerere University, Prof. Muyinda thanked all the participants for making the time to travel to Kampala as well as submit papers for the conference. He thanked Dr. Harriet Najjemba, the chair of the Makerere Organizing committee for her commitment to the event.
Prof. Muyinda shared with participants the birth of Distance education in 1991, saying however, that it only became popular during the Covid-19 lockdown. “It has proved to be a sustainable mode of teaching and learning which will propel our countries to the attainment of SDG4,” he said.
SDG4 aims to Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. He called for synergies to help advance distance education.
The Vice chancellor of Busitema University Dr. Paul Waako cautioned on the quality of education offered in the course of distance education delivery. How do we harness the affordances given by the existing digital technologies such as AI?
He called for the consolidation of the achievements made during the pandemic because the pandemic showed the world the importance of distance education.
Food for thought
Prof. Anthony Muwagga Mugagga also challenged the participants to critically discuss the issue of AI especially with the emergency of robotics, which human qualities.
“Can technology replace a good teacher? How can we interest the young generation into taking up distance education? Can we train people with special needs and animals using distance education? “he questioned.
He made a plea for the different universities attending the conference to share online resources such as libraries and journals such that they can share the knowledge they have.
Prof. Mathias Mulumba, the Dean of Education, who chaired the Pan African Deans Forum said the deans had formed a committee to discuss the quality of teacher education in Africa.
Teacher education defines the quality of education in any country and ultimately dictates the speed at which social and economic transformation takes place.
The knowledge, skills and values teachers receive and develop during training has far reaching implications on the teaching and learning process in the class room and the resultant competences acquired by the learners.
The conference it is hoped will help teacher trainers harness all opportunities in preparation of teachers. Distance education he said has enabled people get an education that they previously would not have got because of access. This has been facilitated by the affordances of Technology.
Prof. Sehoole Chika, the Dean Faculty of Education, University of Pretoria shared with the audience what the discussions of the 4 days will centre on.
He said the conversation will be around learner support in Distance Teacher Education as learner support plays an important role in the success of students in both contact and online delivery modes. “It ensures that the customer-satisfaction dimension of quality in the online learning delivery is clearly explored and well implemented,” he said. Day 2 of the conference say researchers discuss and present papers on Curriculum development to fit modern learning, integrated learner support services such as Learner intake support, Information support, Academic advising, Technological support, Health and wellness as well as learner engagement.
Government through the Ministry of Education and Sports has been called upon to find ways of popularizing the subject of art and crafts in lower and higher secondary education.
Prof. Anthony Muggaga, the Principal of the College of Education and External Studies at Makerere University, said yesterday that the government should explore measures including making the subject compulsory.
“We should have at least a module for one term like we have General Paper or computer,” he said.
Prof. Mugagga believes that without popularizing Fine Art, the education sector will continue churning out students who lack critical thinking.
“Fine Art is what will cultivate a critical mindset amongst our learners. That is why we encourage children in nursery school to draw; we are trying to bring out what is in their minds,” he said.
“It is the same reason that art is considered therapy for mental health patients. When they draw, they express what is taking place in their minds.”
Prof. Mugagga was speaking at the launch of the findings of the pilot report for the Visual Arts Curriculum Review.
Dr Julius Ssegantebuka from Makerere University College of Education and External Studies and the lead researchers said the curriculum review project is intended to prepare secondary school art and design teachers, by equipping them with practical skills and values that match the modern world.
“During this second phase of the project, we had trial lectures and discussions with the teachers. We also embarked on removing obsolete content and replaced it with new content and also separated some of the art disciplines that were formally combined,” he said.
The updated curriculum he said, puts emphasis on research, group discussions, and field studies among others.
Speaking as chief guest at the launch, Dr Grace K Baguma, the Director National Curriculum Development Center commended the initiative.
“I commend Dr Ssegantebuka and the team for this initiative, which is aimed at contributing to the development of quality curricula that employ modern pedagogies that respond to societal needs,” she said.
On her part, Dr Moreen Muwanga from Kyambogo University called for the integration of ICT in the teaching of visual arts.
“Many of us have a phobia of handling a computer. Yet the students we are teaching are flexible and conversant with ICT,” she said.
The Acting Vice Chancellor, Assoc. Prof. Umar Kakumba has welcomed a delegation from the German Adult Education Association (DVV International) led by the Board Chair Hon. Martin Rabanus. The delegation was in the country to assess the impact of their partnership with Makerere University and the community.
DVV International and Makerere University, Department of Adult and Community Education have been partners since 1986.
The support has been in the areas of teaching and learning. DVV International supported the development and launch of the Master of Adult and Community Education (MACE) in 2007. Makerere University has since graduated many who now work as lecturers in Higher Institutions of Learning, programme managers, development workers, adult education trainers and so on. Before then, DVV International was supporting undergraduate students of the Bachelor of Adult and Community Education (BACE) with financial support towards internships and practical training during the Recess term of Year 2.
Speaking in his office on April 15, 2024, Assoc. Prof. Kakumba appreciated the Germany government for the support over the years. Saying through this support Makerere has continued to foster adult education by settling up Adult Education centres in Lira and Mbale for this purpose.
DVV International has over time supported staff in the area of research and publications. Some of the beneficiaries include Dr. Stella Achen, Dr. Twine Banakuka, among others. In early 1990s the organization helped to renovate the building housing adult and community education. The organization has also previously supported staff to acquire Masters and PhDs.
Prof. Kakumba appealed to Hon. Martin Rabanus to consider renewing the MoU between the two institutions in an effort to continue training adult educators.
Hon. Martin Rabanus applauded Makerere University for the achievements obtained so far and the contribution the partnership has enabled. “We are happy that we were able to provide adults an opportunity for them to get a certificate and improve their lives,” he said. “Thank you for the corporation for the last 40 years.”
Present in the meeting were the Principal of College of Education and External Studies(CEES), Prof. Anthony Mugagga, the Dean of the School of Distance and Lifelong Learning, Dr. Harriet Nabushawo and Dr. Stella Achen – Head of Department, Adult and Community Education.
Scholars have called for the inclusion of patriotism in the country’s curriculum, arguing that starting as early as nursery school will go a long way in transforming our society. The call was made during a stakeholders’ workshop organized to discuss the integration of patriotism in the teacher education curriculum among selected Public Universities a project supported by the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF).
Lack of a shared Ugandan culture, beliefs & national value system is one some of the things that were identified as those that hinder the spirit of Patriotism.
It was also noted that the sense of patriotism demonstrated by most students who graduate from universities in Uganda is at its lowest. This, Dr. Dorothy Kyagaba, said is manifested in the persistent riots, rise of the crime rate, vandalism, rampant students’ death, Individualism which are detrimental to the nation.
Although legal frameworks & initiatives, National Patriotic Programs, trainings in secondary schools, and patriotism clubs in high schools exist, the sense of patriotism among universities is still disturbingly low, Dr Kyababa said.
To this end, the research teams seeks to analyze the teacher education curricula to ascertain aspects of patriotism among selected Public Universities in Uganda, to establish teacher trainees’ perception of patriotism among selected Public Universities and to build capacities of teacher trainees in integrating Patriotism among selected Public Universities in Uganda.
Some scholars have argued that using practitioners & teacher education to build a sense of patriotism in preservice teachers as a community of practice increases the odds that future generations will care about each other and love their country.
Speaking during the stakeholders’ meeting on April 15, 2024, the Principal of CEES, Prof. Anthony Muwagga Mugagga, said that many people confuse patriotism with being a member of a political party. This he said is far from the true meaning of the word. Patriotism according to scholars’ entails living in harmony with each other, limited violence, sense of unity, peaceful environments with each other, preserving a county’s heritage, interests, respecting each other’s culture, values, and love and commitment to the country’s democratic principles. To achieve this, Prof. Mugagga advised that people ought to be taught about self-management, honesty, emotional intelligence, etiquette, hygiene, entrepreneurship, soft skills and survival skills among other things.
In her remarks, the Assistant Commissioner of the National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps Dr. Tibamwenda Brenda demystified the Misconceptions about Patriotism emphasizing that it is not an NRM agenda or a recruitment group but it is rather a program that would help learners better through protecting the environment, cherishing hard work, honesty, accountability and fairness.
Prof. Betty Ezati, who also attended the meeting advised that patriotism ought to start at home. “Patriotism should start at home and pre-primary. For higher institutions of learning, let us train the teachers to love their country and in so doing, they will pass this on to the young generation,” she said.
In her closing remarks, the Principal Education Officer, Teacher Education Training & Development, Ministry of Education and Sports Mrs. Elizabeth Kisakye Nsamba emphasized “a need for a think tank to re-conceptualize Patriotism in Teacher Education with a well-structured programme”
The Stakeholders’ workshop was graced by key Stakeholders from the Ministry of Education and Sports, Uganda National Institute of Teacher Education, Uganda National Teachers’ Union, National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps Teacher Educators and Preservice teachers among others. The study will be conducted at the School of Education Makerere University, Faculty of Education, Kyambogo University and Faculty of Education, Mountains of the Moon University.
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