Leapfrogging 1st Generation Distance Education into 4th and 5th Generation Distance Education at Makerere University: A Study Materials Writers’ Experiences 

Stella Achen and Ruth Nsibirano

Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

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Presentation Outline

Introduction Identification of course writers Tasks for course writers Findings Challenges Recommendations

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Introduction

Greatest development and growth of new technologies in the 20th and 21st Centuries than any other century.

New technologies and systems are increasingly being used in education among other sectors.

Makerere University through the department of Open and Distance Education(ODL) has run a 1st generation mode of distance education(DE) programs

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Introduction Cont’d

In 1991,ODL was launched with two academic programmes – Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Education

In 2001, two more academic programmes added- Commonwealth Diploma in Youth in Development Work programme (CYP) and Bachelor of Science (External)

Student enrolment rose from 246 (1992) to 8,000

students in 2001

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Introduction Cont’d

Successful proposal to NORAD

ODL sought to leapfrog DE from 1st to 4th and 5th generations of DE

A number of activities including developing course materials fit for the 4th and 5th generations DE programme

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Aim

Writers, Trainers, Project Administrators and reviewers (in and out of Mak)

Personality & context issues

This paper examines the experiences of the 20 course writers for the fifth generation modules

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Methods Used

Study designed

Qualitative and qualitative data was collected through

Study population = 20 course writers for the fifth

generation modules

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Identification of course writers

Course writers were identified by the committee for DELP

Lecturers and practitioners from various disciplines

DELP conducted a series of workshops

Understanding a distance Learner

curriculum development for DE learners

Content for the 4th and fifth generation of DE.

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Tasks for course writers

Writers were given time lines (month) for drafts of courses Effects from change of working environments

Conflicting demands

Writers transformed their course materials to online Poodle & moodle

Infrastructural issues

Uploaded MUELE

About 20 courses uploaded on MUELE.

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Findings

90 percent writers had never participated in such an activity.

A challenge to develop interactive online content

“It is much harder to writer materials for distance education learners because you must write content in form of a dialogue. It is also more time consuming because a lot of planning must be done”.

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Observations

Much easier to conduct face-to-face lectures than online lectures

Easier to drop out University calendar affects scheduling of training

workshops Even harder to transform content to online learning

materials with activities

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Best Practices and Lessons Learnt

Time constraints due to push and pull factors

Writers must be learners first

Communication & commitment is essential

Interpersonal skills (soft skills) needed

Embarrassment of writers by some facilitators.

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Recommendations

The University should train more human resources with

skills for curriculum development of DE materials

befitting the 4th and 5th generations.

The University should start more online DE programmes

to decongest the campus

Facilitators should consider slow learners during sessions.

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END

Thank you for listening

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