2014 e learning innovations conference

1. Opportunities and Challenges of instituting Distance Learning and E-
Learning: Evidence and Experiences of Mzumbe University, Tanzania
Theme: 21st Century eLearning
Transforming Education, Employment, and Economies
By
Jennifer Sesabo and Rashid Mfaume
Mzumbe University, Tanzania

2. Theme of the Conference, 2014
2014 eLearning Innovations Conference dedicated to
• Our presentation fits well with the theme and dedication of this
year’s conference “ICT innovators, leaders, and educators seeking to
enrich learning experiences using diverse technologies”
• We are focusing our presentation on challenges and opportunities of
instituting DE and e-learning for different programmes and campuses
within Mzumbe University
• The major question we try to address is ‘how can we institute e-learning
and DE while maintaining quality of the programme, process as well as
outputs (graduates)
• Our presentation is based on our experiences and ground based evidence
for over 5 years of implementation attempts

3. Presentation Outline
- About Mzumbe University – in glance
- Changing context of higher education in
Tanzania
- Quality Assurance in Distance Learning and
E-Learning (perceptual and institutional-QAF)
• - Distance education and e-learning: Facilitating and enabling issues
- Challenges and Opportunities (experience and
evidence)
- Conclusion – Are we there?

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Mzumbe University at Glance - Location
• The University Main Campus is located 22 Kms
South-West of Morogoro Municipal centre,
about 4 Kms off the Tanzania-Zambia Highway
• It is about 220 Kms away from Dar es Salaam,
and within an hour's drive to the Mikumi
National Park
• Situated at the foothills of the Uluguru Mountain
ranges (on the Eastern and Southern sides)
• The University has two other campuses and
2 teaching centres

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• Mzumbe University – Dar es Salaam Campus
• In line with the Mission of the University, the
main purpose of the campus college is basically
to offer high quality training, research and
consultancy.
• The location of the campus is strategic, since Dar
es Salaam is the home of many Tanzanians who
would like to pursue Masters Degrees that the
campus offers.
• Currently the campus offers postgraduate
programmes only

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Mzumbe University – Mbeya Campus College
• Mzumbe University Mbeya campus college
College provides academic activities including
teaching
• The campus offers mainly undergraduate degree,
diploma and certificate programmes
•
• The Mbeya Campus is located in the Mbeya city
in the Forest Area. It is a walking distance from
the Tanzania/Zambia Highway.
• The campus is currently under heavy expansion of its
staff, programme and infrastructure facilities

7. Changing context of higher education in Tanzania
• Over recent years key changes have taken place in higher
education institutions that have led to significant
transformations in their policies and practices
• Policy change and some pragmatic strategies saw increase in
secondary school completion rate that place huge demand for
higher education
• This growing demand for education has placed institutions in a
new scenario where they needed to respond creatively and
within the constraints of limited funding and inadequate
infrastructures
• DL and e-Learning has been seen as one strategy of coping or
solving the challenge

8. Triggers of DL and E-Learning
• The growing interest in distance learning and e-learning
seems to be triggered by a variety of sources:
- Massification in students’ enrolment in universities,
- Limited space and teaching in conventional campus based
classroom settings
- Limited number of qualified teaching staff,
- Keeping pace with new technology and trend as well as
- Adopting flexible learning modalities to students

9. • Over recent, the quality of education
offered through distance and e-
learning portfolio has generated
skepticism and intense debates about
quality teaching and learning process
• There are also long standing
perceptual issues and trust on DL
and even e-learning
• Many would think that DL and use
of e-learning result into
production of low quality
graduates
Conceptual Issues

10. Distance Learning and e-Learning
• Education Technology or computer
based learning, or e-learning can
enhance teaching and learning
practices
• It is flexible, economical and more
importantly it breaks the hard walls of
class rooms thus creating and
appetizing learners
• In addition, it can empower teachers
and learners, transforming teaching
and learning processes from being
highly teacher dominated to student
centred (Higgins, 2003; Trucano,
2005).

11. Teaching and learning at Mzumbe University
• Ever since its establishment - traditionally
teaching mode
• Mzumbe University courses are taught in
plenary sessions combined with seminars
each week (5 contact hrs for undergraduate
and 4 contact hrs for PG)
• Students are required to physically attend
both lecture (plenary) as well as seminar
sessions (ref: MU student assessment and criteria
by Laws, 2012)
• All submissions of student works
(assignments, tests, term papers) have to be
done in hard printed form

12. Changing landscape in teaching and learning at
Mzumbe University
• Education is also undergoing radical transformation as a result of the
digital revolution and the rapid development of ICT and digital media
• The multiplication and diversification of sources of information, the
continued production and circulation of knowledge, combined with
the development of new ICT
• Digital media, are spurring the emergence of new forms of learning in
the context of the knowledge society
• Mzumbe University has responded to the challenge and continued to
institutionalize in her Corporate Strategic Plan (2012-2017)

13. E-Learning Adoption and Use at Mzumbe University
• Has slowly adopted the use of e-learning/blended
learning way back in 2009 (save for use of
computers in processing work)
• The adoption and use among lecturers and
students has been slow
• It has gained momentum and impetus from 2012
when it has clearly institutionalized in university SP

14. KEY RESULT AREAA: To Enhance and Maintain Excellence in Teaching and Learning
Strategic objective: A1.3 Strengthen digital environment for teaching and learning
Targets
a) Digital communication within the Mzumbe University community fully adopted and
operational by 2017.
b) Standard students to computer and students to access points ratios supporting access to
digital knowledge environment is achieved by 2017
c) Requisite computer network infrastructure (Ethernet, wireless) for intranet, internet and
virtual private networks rehabilitated and installed by June 2017.
d) Digital collaboration environment, platforms and supporting application software are
established and operational by 2017
e) Teaching and learning related documents for all courses of Mzumbe University are
available on virtual and online learning by 2013
f) Requisite smart technologies for effective learning and teaching for both students and
teachers acquired and deployed by 2017.
g) Mzumbe University network infrastructure connected to national backbone (fiber optic
cable) by June 2016
(Extract of MU SP (2012 – 2017) pg. 29

15. Adoption and uses has started
• More use of blended
learning by students for
independent study
• Increased owning of
mobile phones, social
media portfolio etc
• How do we assure quality
in these self directed
studies?
• What is the extent of
readiness among lecturers
and students?

16. • Perception and Readiness
of Students on the Use E-
Learning (high)
• Number of barriers are
mentioned by Lecturers
and students
• Low competence is ranked
high by both students and
lecturers (86% and 79%)
Barrier Staff % Students %
Insufficient computing facilities (labs, etc.) 56% 45%
Lack of assistance when facing technical problems 49% 45%
Difficulty of gaining internet connectivity 73% (78%)
Low competence in using e-learning portfolio 86% (79%)
Practices and experiences 34% (18%)
Not interested in using technology 24% 16%

17.  Top leadership commitment and
support through policies,
institutionalization in university Plans
and monitoring – Thanks it exist
 Technology (computers, tablet, mobile
gargets, technical support – modest
available??
 Readiness to adopt and use among
target groups – Needs to inculcate
changes
 Economy of connectivity and
affordability (relatively high) – ?????
 Monitoring and institutionalization of
quality assurance framework – quality
of curriculum content, LMS, and
delivery – continue assuring quality