Are you an educational technology user working in African higher education? Educational technology usage in African higher education has been changing for a while now, and even more so since the pandemic. Completing the e/merge Africa-IRCEES survey is a powerful act of participation in growing e-learning capacity across our continent. We need your help with this. The results will help us to design online opportunities aligned with your needs and suited to our African contexts. This survey should take between 15-30 minutes to complete. Please complete the survey HERE.
Learning in groups has been advocated to increase learning. However, although learning groups can bring about meaningful learning, learning groups in online environments are often not working. To solve this problem, this study used design science approaches with three case studies. These case studies were used under three research areas: context of online learning groups, processes to support effective online learning groups and tools to support effective online learning groups. The study adopted mixed methods. Establishing the context of online learning groups laid a foundation for this research study. This was done using a survey approach that covered the five regions in Uganda, semi-structured interviews with experienced online learning facilitators and observation of interaction logs of online courses at both the University of Agder and Makerere University. Initially, preliminary findings of effective online learning groups were established. The preliminary findings consist of the need for: study guide, trained online tutors, motivating and sustaining interaction, high levels of cognitive interactions, peer assessment based activities and ICT. From the context of online learning groups, the Methods and Factors for Effective Online Learning Groups (FEOLG) were established. Methods include: methods for creating online learning groups, methods for structuring online learning group activities, methods for facilitating online learning groups. FEOLG include: supporting institutional online learning group policy; supporting institutional online learning group technology; quality of online learning group activity; quality of the online learning group; and quality of online learning group facilitation. The factors were evaluated using online learning courses based on the existing Makerere University eLearning Environment (MUELE). Therefore, this webinar aims to explain an investigation on how learning groups can work effectively in online learning environments.
Facilitated by: Dr. Godfrey Mayende, Ag. Director, Institute of Open, Distance and eLearning, College of Education and External Studies, Makerere University.
Dr. Godfrey Mayende (Male) has worked at the Institute of Open, Distance and eLearning since 2001, and he is currently the Acting Director of the Institute. Godfrey holds a PhD in ICT (specialising in online learning groups) from the University of Agder (UiA), Norway. He has a PGDE (Educational Technology) from the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa. Godfrey holds a MSc. Eng (Information Systems) from Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway and a BSc. Comp Science and Mathematics from Makerere University (MAK), Uganda. He has recent peer reviewed publications in the area of eLearning and specifically online learning groups. He has vast experience in eLearning training workshops most especially for online course development. He is a member of the Makerere University e-Learning Fast-Tracking Task Force. He is an educational technology consultant and his research interests are: online learning groups, social media for teaching and learning, distance learning, eLearning, collaborative learning, Instruction Design and Interaction Design.
To join this event please complete the form below – please note once submitted you will be taken to a separate Zoom sign up form. We kindly request that both are completed.
Date and Time: Friday 18th June 2021, 4:00pm SAST/Cairo Time
Presenter: Dr. Jalal Saifeddien Al-Jaber, PhD in Education Technology, Jordan
Description: Designing digital courses according to quality standards is an important matter that Instructional designers must take into account when designing any digital course. To prove the effectiveness of online learning has become one of the biggest challenges. In this workshop, we will give an introduction to online course design and how to design them according to quality standards formulated by some of the most significant quality assurance organizations.
Presenter Bio: Dr. Jalal Saifeddien Al-Jaber, PhD in Education Technology, Jordan
Language: Please note seminar language is Arabic
To join this workshop please use the form below. Please note once you hit submit you will be taken to a separate Zoom sign up form. We kindly request both to be completed
Date and Time: Friday 25th June 2021, 4:00pm SAST/Cairo Time
Presenter: Mohamed Nada, RAYA Higher Institute, Egypt
Description: In this workshop Dr. Mohamed Nada from RAYA Higher Institute, Egypt invites the participant to discover various types of virtual laboratories. He will show the usefulness of virtual laboratories in education and how to employ virtual laboratories with different learning strategies. This workshop will also introduce various types of scientific content suitable for school students. The following main points will be covered:
What are virtual laboratories and how are they important in education?
Introduction to examples of virtual laboratories and who they are used.
Methods of employing virtual laboratories with different learning strategies
The role of the Flappy platform as one of the Arab examples of virtual labs for school students
The use the Flappy platform to explain practical experiences
The use of gamification in practical online activities and its importance in motivating students
Presenter Bio: Dr. Mohamed Nada, PhD in Educational Technology, RAYA Higher Institute, Egypt
To participate in this workshop please sign up using the form below. Please note once you hit submit you will be taken to a separate Zoom sign up form. We kindly request completion of both.
Date: Wednesday, 30 June 2021; 10am – 11:30am SAST
Description of webinar:
WhatsApp has been used across African Higher Education Institutions for teaching and learning activities in a variety of innovative ways. Tarirayi will share her experience of using WhatsApp as a case study of a course lesson planned and delivered on WhatsApp during this webinar. She will give examples following a specific ID model in creating instructions. She will also share about technologies she uses to create plans and content as well as how she delivers the lesson on WhatsApp.
Facilitated by: Tarirayi Mukabeta, Lecturer: Educational Technology Department, Faculty of Science Education, Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE), Zimbabwe.
Twitter handle: @hietari
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hietari/
To join this event please use the form below. Please note once you hit submit you will be taken to a separate Zoom sign up form. We kindly request that both are completed.
Facilitating Online provides a solid foundation for facilitating online events and courses. It is registered as a short course at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Facilitating Online was developed by the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching (CILT) at UCT and is funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York as part of its support for the e/merge Africa network. It is convened by Tony Carr and co-facilitated by facilitators from across Africa.
We consider applications in the order in which they arrive so earlier applications stand a higher chance of being accepted
Recommendations by participants
“I learned many facilitation skills that I am now able to apply with my own students. I would recommend the course highly to anyone embarking on the online teaching and learning journey.” Dr Judith McKenzie, Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Cape Town.
“This course doesn’t just teach you ABOUT online Facilitation, it actually gets you to facilitate … It’s a real opportunity to learn and develop. And what’s more? It has an African taste…” Daniel Adeboye, Online Maths Tutor, Tutor for the Future
Presenter: Professor Mona El-Sabban, ?professor at High Institute of Cinema-Academy of Arts-Cairo.?-Founder and director of the Arab film TV School ?www.arabfilmtvschool.edu.eg
Presenter Bio: Professor Mona El-Sabban, ?professor at High Institute of Cinema-Academy of Arts-Cairo.?-Founder and director of the Arab film TV School ?www.arabfilmtvschool.edu.eg ?-
Language:Please note seminar language is Arabic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mona.elsabba
This session has ended – please refer to the recording
