Researchers from Makerere University College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) through its Centre of Excellence in Research, Teaching and Learning (CERTL) have conducted research in different aspects of teaching and learning  of Humanities and Social Sciences  at Makerere University.

With funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in New York, the team is working on their data and gathering comments.

The research will be compiled as manuscripts for  a new publication named, the  “CERTL Book,”

The CERTL Book is provisionally titled, “Teaching and Learning Humanities and Sciences at Makerere University: Challenges, experiences and innovations”.

On Monday 27^th November 2023,CERTL  held its second pre-publication workshop to solicit comments and review the authors works that will constitute the CERTL Book.

The workshop held at Fairway Hotel in Kampala brought together over ten researchers, CERTL leadership  and CHUSS project Coordinators including Dr. Levis Mugumya who shared his experience on the process and challenges of a collected book and Dr. Pamela Khanakwa who shared the structure and citation for the CERTL book.

The function was also graced by representatives from Fountain publishers who guided on what the publishers want in a manuscript.

Speaking on the genesis, the Director CERTL, Prof. Andrew Elias State  said, the center looked at  the Vision and Mission of Makerere University to be  a Centre of Excellence for  Learning and Teaching.

Prof. State however noted that, many courses in the Humanities and Social Sciences were affected by  the policies implemented earlier on by the Government of Uganda and  global forces such as liberalization.

The Director acknowledged that in the event of the structural adjustments, governments and institutions either over- liberalized or did not consider issues that came with liberalization.

“The center was established to explore and develop mechanisms of strengthening and promoting teaching and learning in Humanities and Social Sciences. As a center, we were given grants for which we must have outputs and, in one of the MoUs, we agreed to have a minimum of two publications and the CERTL book is one of them”, He said

He explained that researchers were given fellowship grants to conduct the research. He expressed happiness that researchers had progressed well with research works which will later be published. He stressed the need for researchers to observe deadlines in order to be part of this CERTL Publication.

The CHUSS Projects Coordinator Dr. Edgar Fred Nabutanyi said, researchers are expected to submit their draft papers by 12^th January 2024.

Nabutanyi implored researchers to look at the comments received and work with the data they have and send the draft for further improvement.

“Because of the time constraint we intend to make this an intensive hands on peer review. The center got commitment from for senior editors who will come and workshop your papers on 7^th February 2024.

 When you submit your paper, we shall pair you with an editor, who will read your paper and give you personal comments and after that, we shall have just one more review”, Nabutanyi explained.

Within a week, Dr. Nabutanyi pledged that the center will be working on the citations and the tentative structure on how the chapters will look to have a tangible product.

Authors and research topics for the CERTL Book

Authors presented their research findings that will form book chapters. They include:

1. Dr. Sarah Nakijoba K –  The Art of Academic writing to undergraduate students: Voices from students and mentors.
2. Dr. Peace  Musiimenta –  Documenting existing  transformative pedagogies with potential to disrupt relations of dominance in gender studies at Makerere University.
3. Dr. James Mangeni Wasike –   You will be around but hardly learning, “Visually impaired students’ experience of e-learning at Makerere University.
4. Dr. Julius Niringiyimana –  Think Pair Share(TPS) as cooperative learning strategy in large classes: Contextualizing political science class at Makerere University.
5. Mr. Eric Jjemba – Musical connotation as a conduit for ethnic dance teaching and learning transformation in a university classroom
6. Prof. Julius Kiiza –  Does Digitised teaching deliver its promise? A readiness assessment of BASS program at Makerere University.
7. Dr. Nkonge Kiyinikibi – Using the blended learning approach to teach and learn Luganda (BLATALL) at Makerere University.
8. Dr. Nicholas Mugabi – An integrated blended field experiential learning approach: Opportunities and challenges amidst CoVID 19 disruption at Makerere University.
9. Dr. Isaac Tibasiima and Dr. Ceasor Jjingo – Writing centres as avenues for meeting students’ academic writing needs and challenges at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Makerere University.
10. Dr. Boaz Mutungi: – Enhancing second language oral expression; Interventions for Kiswahili for Beginners program at Makerere University.

View on CHUSS