Open, Blended and Flexible Learning-

Impact on Quality of Higher Education

By

Mouhamad Mpezamihigo, PhD

Vice Chancellor, Kampala International University

www.kiu.ac.ug

Paper presented at the 2016 Malaysian Qualifications Agency & IQA International Seminar on Quality Assurance of Higher

Education and Round Table meeting,

Kuala Lumpur, 17-18 October 2016

Appreciation

MQA

IQA Secretariat

Kampala International University

The Organizing team and the

Government of Malaysia for the

hospitality and hosting

Geographical Scope

• Founded fifteen years ago in August 2001

• KIU is a chartered university, a member of the Inter-University Council of East Africa, Association of African Universities and Common Wealth Universities

• Main Campus is located in Kansanga, a rapidly growing suburb of Kampala City

• Western campus (School of Health Sciences) is located in Western Uganda, Bushenyi district in Ishaka town

• Kenyan Campus located in Nairobi Kenya, and Dar es Salaam Campus located in Gongolamboto Tanzania

• Runs two study centres located in Tororo and Lira in Uganda

The main administration Block

Key Highlights

• The Leading Private University in

Uganda and The Private University of Choice

• A conducive learning environment with adequate facilities

• Exchange programs enable students complete their studies in foreign and industrialized countries

• Offers a flexible admission schedule with three intakes per year; January, April and August

Free Wi-Fi Access to Students on Campus

Key Highlights

• Conducts two graduations a year

to avoid prolonged waiting after final exams

• Adoption of E-Learning as a strategy to reach more students and deliver to a wider geographic scope

• KIU connects University education to society needs though our Community outreach programs

• We apply the use of I.T in all academic and administrative functions of the University

We build Medical careers at our Leading Private Hospital

Academic Structures

• Three Colleges which include the following:

– College of Economics and Management

– College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Education

– Open and Distance Learning

• Three Schools:

– School of Law:

– School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

– School of Computing and Information Technology

• Other academic units include the following:

– Directorate of Higher Degrees and Research,

– Institute of Social Research and

– Centre for Research, Innovation and Extension

The IBML library is the largest in Uganda with a 5000 sitting capacity

Quality in Higher Education- The Driving forces

An increase in Private Higher Education provision in the

last 3 decades

Elite to Mass Education- Increase in Gross enrollment

(varies with region)

Resource base Versus resource needs- (global financial

constraints)

Stakeholder expectations (individual, Institution, Employer,

Nation, Society, Global)

Technology adoption in higher education

The Perspectives

Access and equity

Relevance and quality of graduates, outcomes, and value to society- globalized environment

Efficiency and Effectiveness

Sustainable financing of Higher Education

National and International (including Higher Education cross border accreditation and regulation)

(Mpezamihigo, M. (2011).

Change and innovation management

Cross institutional Collaboration

Focus on measuring learning (student centred)

Open education resources (public domain access)

Blended learning (face to face and online mixture)

Redesigning the learning space

Technology Adoption in

Higher Education

Open, blended and Flexible

Learning- defined

Illustration by Ann Griffins, University

College London, Medical School, 2013

What is blended learning?

• An integrated approach to teaching and learning

that includes multiple modes of instruction and

student practice

• "to combine or mix modes (e.g., live virtual

classroom, self-paced instruction, collaborative

learning, streaming video, audio, videotape, CD-

ROM, Web-based training, film) with face-to-face

instructor-led training.and text)…”

• "to combine various pedagogical approaches

(e.g., constructivism, behaviorism, cognitivism)

(Driscoll, 2002 and as adopted from A. Griffin,

2013)

Aims of Blended and flexible

learning To provide the most efficient and effective

instruction experience by combining delivery mode.

To combine the best of classroom teaching and learning with the best of online teaching and learning (A. Griffins, 2013)

Blended Learning is a combination of multiple learning components and learning events to enable effective learning.

Considerations for blended learning

What curricula is to be delivered?

How will students learn? (system?)

What basic skills and competencies do

the learners need? (IT, reading, writing and research competencies?)

How will the blended learning take

care of the practical aspects) (Labs, field experiences?)

Practical Considerations

IT infrastructure, facilities and technical support

Training of students and staff

Student Assessments

Regulation and Accreditation

Plagiarism and Copy right issues

Available MOOCs and other Open Access

materials

Implications for interaction with other levels of

lower education training (Primary, Secondary or

other tertiary

Role of government and official bodies

Potential for development cooperation

IT gadgets, devices in the hands of learners

Institutional and Government Policies

The Teaching and learning in HE

Adaptive systems: field trips, lab sessions, simulations, models

Expositions: lectures, study guides, slides, podcasts, videos

Formative assessment: feedback from peers, digital systems

Readings: books, papers, websites, pdfs

Collaborations: projects, workshops, role play simulations, wikis

Peer group discussion: seminars, discussion forums

Formative assessment: tutor feedback offline, feedback online

Tutored discussion: tutorials, small groups, discussion forums

Summative assessment: exams, essays, designs, performance

Is open and blended learning fit for the purpose?

Stakeholder Expectations

Stakeholders

Student, guardian/parent, government, employer, public/society

Student Perspective

Value for money, quality and relevant education conveniently received within the expected time period

Challenges of open, distance

learning in the Ugandan Context

Infrastructure for Higher Education

The Cost of Higher Education

The Relevance of the Curriculum

Inadequate Expertise in Distance

Education

Poor Attitudes towards Distance Learning

(Ref: G.N. Basaza, N.B. Milman and C.R.

Wright, 2010: “The Challenges of

Implementing Distance Education in Uganda:

A Case Study)”

Issues of Quality Assurance in Open,

blended and flexible learning

Tools for:

a) Institutional policy development and implementation

b) Content development

c) Content delivery

d) Assessment and evaluation

e) Research, innovation and product and business development projects

f) Multi-site, Multi-campus/university or Multi-delivery- collaborative or joint qualifications

Way Forward

How can the IQA collaborate with the

National Agencies and other partners to

benefit from systems performance and

improvements in the open, blended and

flexible learning?

Sharing of best practices and online

databases

THANK YOU

FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION