Education
Mak vision for blended learning is alive, Prof Kakumba
Makerere University’s vision for blended learning which was adopted during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, is on track, the Acting Vice Chancellor (VC) who doubles as the Deputy VC Prof Umar Kakumba has said.
Prof Umar Kakumba said Makerere has already integrated Open, Distance and e-learning (ODeL) into the teaching and learning of students.
He said the institution has ensured capacity building with two high-end servers installed to support the generation of course content.
“The servers are very powerful and will be enabling tools for lecturers during repository of heavy files, videos and other learning materials,” DVC said.
He was speaking at the dissemination workshop of Comprehensive Evaluation of Blended Learning (CEBL) Phase II at the university’s main campus in Kampala recently.
Researchers led by Mr Arthur Mugisha, the principal investigator (PI) of CEBL, conducted research to assess the e-learning model integrated into teaching and learning.
Their research launched in 2021, was aimed at evaluating long distance learning, how it works and the requirements to ensure effectiveness in higher institutions of learning.
The first phase of the study was conducted on undergraduate students.
CEBL I
The study revealed that the students called for sustainable resources, technologies and methods to improve the learning of students.
The study evaluated the learner’s status, to establish readiness, satisfaction and challenges they were facing and also establish potential solutions to the challenges they had.
“51 percent of the students were willing and were ready to take up blended learning for purpose of continuity because they were under lockdown,” the research finds revealed.
The study also indicated students were not consulted much but it was something that was helping them as well.
However, 49 percent of the students from the samples were a little bit skeptical, critical and were reluctant to adopt blended learning.
“60 percent of the respondents had not received adequate learner support but as students were looking for support, the lecturers were also looking for support,” the research further stated.
Mr Mugisha added: “89 percent of undergraduate students were getting support from their lecturers via zoom. And accessing this platform was mainly through smartphones and laptops.”
CEBL research also revealed how students at the end of the day, accepted that e-learning was the only way to go.
“We suggested that there should be a one-student support centre because students were asking how they can be supported,” the project PI said.
The support needed included a number of players that is the technical support, academic support, social support, equipment and resources and non-academic support.
CEBL Phase II
E-learning evaluation phase II looked at graduate students and how they understood ODeL.
According to the research, graduate students were yearning for quality blended learning and were so interested in it because it is convenient.
However, they noted people had misunderstood blended as the use of Zoom which was not correct.
Being a working class group, they believed if the university provided a cross-cutting course during entry to introduce them to how e-learning workers, it would be helpful to them.
e-learning infrastructure
IoDEL scholars led by Prof Kakumba worn a grant of Shs7bn to enhance capacity building including upgrading of the Makerere University e-learning (Muele) platform.
The University management has ensured the internet at campus is strengthened.
“Muele has been upgraded to increase on the operating speed because we received complaints that it was not stable and could not provide a conducive learning environment to students.”
“In the capacity building process, all the programmes offered by Makerere both at undergraduate and post-graduate level have a slot on Muele,” Prof Kakumba said.
Introduction of e-learning course for Mak staff
Working with the Institute of teaching and learning under the College of Education, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Makerere looks at capacity building.
A short certificate course is in the pipeline to equip academic staff with the skills needed, Prof. Kakumba said.
He said Senate and the University Council passed a proposal of retooling lecturers and once approved, all staff will be subjected to that course.
The short course is expected to take four-six weeks of training focusing on how to design course content, assessing competitiveness of learners and setting learning outcomes among others.
The proposal was informed by the Directorate of Quality Assurance after learning that some academic staff lacked delivery skills when teaching o-line.
Implementation of the e-learning Policy
Makerere’s learning agenda through the policy framework was passed by Senate and University Council concerning blended learning and a brief report will be sent to parliament.
The policy the DVC said is a pillar of innovative teaching and the Mak revised teaching and learning policy 2023 has enshrined the blended teaching and learning.
Principal of the College of education, Prof Anthony Muwagga Mugagga, noted that all lectures at his college have already adopted blended learning.
“As a leader in the educational pedagogy and ICT, we will be able to help the entire university to adopt blended learning and teaching and to help our students,” Prof Mugagga said.
Call for government support towards research
Prof Fred Masagazi Masaazi, the Chairperson of the Grants Committee/Makerere University Research and Innovation Fund (Makrif), called for government support.
He noted that the university receives Shs30 billion every financial year but he was concerned that for this fiscal year about Shs5 billion had not been received.
“Applications are overwhelming but there are no funds currently to facilitate research. We request the government for funds before the end of this financial Year,” he said.
Education
UNESCO CFIT III, Transforming Higher Education through Innovation and Competence-Based Skills
Makerere University hosted an insightful and educational national workshop at the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) conference hall on July 29, 2025 aimed at citing ways how Higher Education can be improved into innovation and research-led learning as well as how education can be changed from the traditional learning to competence-based learning. The workshop was based on the theme, “Reimagining Higher Education for a Skills-Based, Innovation-Led Economy”.
The event commenced with a tour of exhibitions which featured innovations like, skin care products (With love) body jelly created by Raphaelina Okoth a student from Mbarara University of Science and Technology, designed to provide effective hydration for different skin types, and an AI powered medical diagnosis system (Integrated healthcare system) designed to reduce waiting times in health care settings, featuring emergency management capabilities and patient doctor communication tools developed by Hargreave Aturinzire a student from the College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS). Other innovations included Mobile App similar to Uber that helps users find trustworthy mechanics in case a car breaks down in an emergency, reducing delays and inconveniences through features like voice support and photo uploads, developed by students based at the Makerere University Innovation Pod (Mak UniPod). Developed by Bill Canton Ojoke and Nanzala Joyce. M both students from CEDAT, a water quality testing prototype for fish farmers that automatically monitors parameters like temperature, PH, and ammonia levels sending SMS alerts when issues are detected was also showcased. Also exhibited was an automated precision irrigation system designed to solve issues of over and under irrigation problems, developed by students from College of Health Sciences (CHS) and College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) among others.
Speaking at the event, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, expressed his appreciation to the citizens and Government of the People’s Republic of China who made the funds available to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to undertake the important assignment, the China Funds In Trust (CFIT) project. He further thanked the government of Uganda for supporting innovations and technology taking place at different universities.
“I am really encouraged that they are still some Ugandans who receive other people’s money and put it to good use; they are people with integrity which helps our country to move forward,” said Prof. Nawangwe.
He made mention of the success of other countries like South Korea and China in innovation and the need for Uganda to follow suit as this will boost the economy of the country, and demonstrate the importance of promoting innovation and research.
He emphasized the importance of creating jobs for the growing youth population to stabilize the state of Uganda, a task that is upon Ugandans themselves and not anybody else from any country, “The bulk of industrialization in Uganda must be by Ugandans and particularly the young people who have had the opportunity to get higher education, especially in innovation and research related fields,” he said. “History will judge us harshly if we don’t do anything to create jobs for our people,” he argued.
The Vice Chancellor discussed the challenge of low enrollment in higher education in Uganda and the need to produce more engineers and technologists. “We need to put our efforts together in order to have a reasonable impact,” he said.
Prof. Nawangwe called for collaboration among universities to have a significant impact on industrialization and job creation. He highlighted the role of Mak UniPod in producing companies and creating jobs. “I believe that through the training our students and staff undergo at the UniPod, we are going to begin churning out companies”, said Prof. Nawangwe.
He sounded a wakeup call on the importance of using current resources to make an impact and the potential risks of relying on external aid. “This is not going to be there all the time as the funders can wake up in the morning and freeze all the funds”, said the Vice Chancellor. He said this in relation to the United States of America’s act of withdrawing their funding from UNESCO. “This should be a very good lesson,” he commented.
Deputy Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Prof. Nixon Kamukama highlighted the success of the project, mentioning that six African countries participated, with Mbarara University and Makerere University being chosen from Uganda.
“Traditional lecture methods are being replaced with hands-on, student-centered training, the emphasis is on practical skills, with more time spent in the field rather than lecture halls”, he stated.
He further explained the training of lecturers under the CFIT project, with two cohorts completing the training and receiving certificates. This is in line with skilling and preparing for the students doing the new curriculum who are coming on board. “And it is our policy that as a lecturer, if you don’t have a certificate when it comes to 2027, it will be hard for you to appear on the timetable, because you will have no skills”, said Prof. Nixon.
However, he discussed the challenges of matching traditional lecturers with students trained in competence-based education. “It would be very difficult to match the traditional lecturer and the student who has trained differently”, he said.
He went on and said that there is a mismatch in training approaches, particularly affecting education students who struggle to find employment. Schools are finding it very difficult to employ Students who are doing education because they have not been taken through the competence-based curriculum”, he expressed.
He however encouraged the government to address employment issues by supporting competency-based education whereby a student can manage to start up a project and move on instead of looking for jobs.
Prof. Kamukama also emphasized the need for practical training. “You need farms that will engage all these students, 80% of the time should be spent in the field. We have to take lecture rooms to the industries or bring industries to the lecture rooms”, he stated.
He explained that traditional lecture methods are becoming obsolete, with a shift towards hands-on training. “Soon lecturers and professors are going to put aside their yellow notes and we move on”, he said.
He acknowledged the role of artificial intelligence in education with a focus on practical skills.
Mr. Timothy Ssejjoba, the Commissioner University Education and Training in the Ministry of Education and Sports, expressed gratitude to UNESCO for their coordination efforts and securing funds from the People’s Republic of China.
In his remarks, he highlighted the focus on competence-based assessment systems to prepare students for employment. “I think this project is really leading higher technical education into employment”, he stated.
Mr. Ssejjoba introduced the concept of green skills and their importance in creating a sustainable world. “We need to ensure that whatever we do, we do it in a way that would enable the world to be here long after us”, he commented.
He further mentioned the upcoming training on green skills to ensure that the education system empowers learners to sustainably develop the world. In this he emphasized the need for the education system to support and embrace green skills development.
Mrs. Nasaba Rosemary a representative from UNESCO, congratulated Makerere University and MUST upon their competence based education initiatives. And on this note, she emphasized the importance of celebrating success and innovation in education.
She further mentioned the pride felt by UNESCO due to the universities’ achievements and hoped that the successful model will be replicated across all universities and schools in Uganda.
The UNESCO representative discussed the importance of hands on learning and practical experience in education. “We need people who have learned from experience, that’s why we are very proud that you are looking at competence and hands on approaches”, she stated.
Education
Mak CEES Principal commends Prof. İbrahim Hakan Karataş for undertaking research in higher education
On Thursday 24th July 2025, the Principal of the College of Education and External Studies, Prof. Anthony Muwagga Mugagga, commended Prof. İbrahim Hakan Karataş, an international Postdoctoral Research Fellow from Turkey, for his contribution to research and graduate training at Makerere University in particular, and Uganda at large.
Prof. Karataş has undertaken research on Uganda’s Higher Education considering its broader political, economic and academic context, in order to contribute to a comparative study aligned with Turkey-Africa vision and internationalization policies in higher education.
Prof. Karataş is a scholar and researcher. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Turkish language and literature. He earned his PhD in Educational Leadership in 2008. He is an academic, who has served in the capacity of Assistant Professor as well as Head of Educational Administration Department at the Medeniyet University in Istanbul, Turkey.
Prof. Karataş has worked with academic staff at School of Education including Dr. Charles Kyasanku and Dr. Alfred Buluma to write papers focusing on Uganda’s higher education sector. He has also engaged and involved graduate students in research and publication undertakings.
Posted at the School of Education effective 15th August 2024, Prof. Karataş completed his research fellowship at Makerere University on 24th July 2025.
Bidding him farewell, Prof. Mugagga appreciated Prof. Karataş for choosing to work with staff in the College of Education and External Studies, and for his deliberate focus on research in higher education. Prof. Mugagga re-affirmed that Prof. Karataş’ research and findings will inform and enrich the higher education sector.
To ensure that Prof. Karataş continues to remember the institution, the College Principal presented to him, a Makerere University Necktie. Prof. Mugagga noted that the souvenir would enable Prof. Karataş always rekindle the great memories about Makerere University and the College of Education and External Studies.
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