Seminar Report: Blended Learning in resource Constrained Contexts

Thanks to our presenters Jerome Dooga from University of Jos and Peter Aborisade from Federal University of Technology, Akure who provided a very accessible and useful introduction to blended learning in the form of a narrated presentation and shared their own practices in the discussions and live meetings. Sixty registered users logged in to our site and 27 posted at some point in the live site forums. Fourteen seminar participants posted in the e/merge Africa Facebook group. A total of thirteen took part in the two live meetings on October 23rd and 24th respectively with the most participation being on the 24th.

Topics discussed included experiences of how technology can support learning, choosing technologies appropriate for African contexts, the use of social media and mobile technologies, flipped classrooms and learner ownership of the learning process. The blend was adjusted to respond to challenges experienced by our presenters including an ongoing lecturer strike, power cuts and high latency connections so the live meetings relied quite heavily on text chat.

Some quotes from the seminar included:

  • I am thinking rather “technologies for teachers, and learners, and subjects, and contexts … and so on …”. It is MUCH more complicated that we tend to assume” Andy
  • Maybe we should be strengthening our traditions of exploring a variety of resources and using multiple modes of presentation, while we worry less about students coming to class or not” Lennox
  • Putting students in a class with a lecturer does not mean that teaching and learning is taking place”. (Penny)
  • Flip not only the classroom, but roles as well” (Peter)
  • There are many ways of killing a rat: If one medium fails you, try another “(Jerome)

e/merge Africa Needs and Priorities Survey

This message invites your partnership in the planning of a learning agenda of online activities for e/merge Africa by completing the anonymous e/merge Africa Needs and Priorities Survey. This survey is designed to gather information about our work, our elearning skills and practices, our priorities for professional development and our preferred modes of interaction in the new network. The survey has 23 questions and requires 20-25 minutes. In a busy day this may feel like a lot of time but the prize will be professional development activities which matter to you. The Needs and Priorities Survey will remain open until 26th July.

The e/merge Africa network focuses on the use of educational technology in African higher education institutions and on educational technology research conducted in Africa HEIs. Educational technology practitioners and researchers from Africa and across the world are invited to join e/merge Africa. 

Update

Our first activity has been postponed to August. An announcement will be made as soon as details of the event are available. In the meanwhile planning processes continue including the e/merge Africa Needs and Priorities Survey.