By Chisomo Sumani & Peninah Nalubega
At the ongoing international CoMMPASS conference taking place at Uganda Christian University, scholars have exchanged ideas on the value of distance and online learning not only in journalism but also in other disciplines.
The discussion followed a presentation by Prof. John Kalenga Saka, the council chairperson at the University of Livingstonia in Malawi, who gave what he called a specific example of the value of online education in the redesign of a curriculum.
Professor Kalenga emphasized that Distance and e-Learning at his university created an opportunity to both students and lecturers to continue learning and enabled them to think differently through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This pathway constitutes a great opportunity for students’ safe regulation and digital literacy,” he noted. He added that the COVID-19 outbreak “made us think differently as universities rapidly shifted to online platforms.”
Prof. John Kalenga Saka, the council chairperson at the University of Livingstonia in Malawi.
Kalenga stated the case that online education is increasingly shaping the redesign and accreditation of academic curricula, adding that educators need to show that online learning is as good as face-to-face interactivity.
“As educators, we must ensure that the quality and assessment of online programmes remain as strong as those of traditional, face-to-face learning,” he said.
Kalenga pointed out the need for a curriculum that is adequate, efficient and responsive to students’ needs.
Prof Kizito E. Kanyoma, Executive Dean of the School of Education, Communication and Media Studies at Malawi University of Business and Applied Science (MUBAS), described online learning as realistic and workable, particularly for postgraduate students many of whom are working professionals who can afford a laptop and internet bundles. “This makes online education accessible,” Kayoma said.
Richard Kajumbula, from the Institute of Distance and E-Learning (IoDEL) at Makerere University, highlighted the difference between distance learning and e-Learning where he noted that the former is mediated by written material while the latter is mediated by internet. He however noted that there are challenges associated with distance and online learning. “Quality assurance can be a challenge in e-learning,” he noted.
Dr. William Tayeebwa, a senior lecturer in the Department of Journalism and Communication at Makerere University, spoke about the multimodal format of delivery in distance and e-learning.
In response, Prof Kalenga said that a collaborative arrangement was underway between the National Council of Higher Education in Malawi and universities in Malawi Zambia to ensure that micro credentials have a defined framework.
Prof. Ralph Afolabi Ankinfeleye from Nigeria emphasized the need to embed Africanness and unity within online learning frameworks to drive academic excellence across the continent.
Dr. Marion Alina, Higher Education Officer at Uganda’s National Council for Higher Education, shared that the East African Community was declared a common higher education area, adding that this speaks to continued efforts to harmonize policy and regulatory frameworks in this regional bloc.
The weeklong conference, the third such gathering focusing on covering migration, ends on Friday.
Comments are closed