This document summarizes the evaluation of a Digital Fluency Course implemented at the Open University of Tanzania from 2014 to 2017. The course consisted of 5 modules that covered digital fundamentals, working with open educational resources, learning design and development, academic integrity, and managing digital resources. The evaluation found that the course increased availability of learning materials, reduced costs by removing copyright restrictions, and built capacity through communities of practice. Challenges included low participation rates, requests to keep modules open-ended, and developer challenges around pedagogical approaches and time constraints. Lessons learned included the need for clearer requirements, longer duration, and acknowledging facilitation as an institutional responsibility.

1. 1
Evaluating the
Design, Development & Implementation
experiences of the
Digital Fluency Course
at Open University of Tanzania
Brenda Mallinson
OER Africa
September 2019

2. 2
1. Digital
Fundamentals
Concepts &
Operations
Digital
Resource
Editing
Internet
Fundamentals
Virtual
Learning
Environments
Multimedia
Fundamentals
2. Working
with OER
OER Concepts
Creative
Commons
Licencing
Mixing,
Adapting &
Reusing OER
OER
Production &
Institutional-
isation
3. Learning
Design &
Development
Models,
Frameworks &
processes
Designing for
Learning
Digital
Development
Modes of
Provision
Intro to
Learning
Analytics
4. Academic
Integrity in a
Digital Age
Intro to
Academic
Integrity
Intellectual
Property
Promoting
Academic
integrity
Data &
Information
Privacy
5. Storage &
Access of
Digital
Resources
The Nature of
Digital
Resources
Access to
Digital
Resources
Storage of
Digital
Resources
Content
Management
Systems
Digital Fluency Course (Professional Development)

3. 3
Subject
Matter
Language &
Referencing
Compliance
(Structure)
Quality
Assurance
Pedagogical
Evaluative Constructive
Review Cycle
Technology
Alignment
Copyright
Clearance
Overall
Contextual
Relevance
Copy Editing
OUT Support
IEMT, Library Services,
OER Team, Quality
Assurance, Senior
Management
Learning Materials
Developers
Academic & IEMT Staff,
Subject Matter Experts
Finish
2017
Start
2014

4. 4
• Firm Statement of
requirements
• Increase motivation
for participants &
facilitators
• Increase duration
• Leave open
indefinitely
• Facilitation should
be acknowledged as
institutional
responsibility
• Upgrade Network
• Upgrade Moodle
server
LMS
Accessibility
Workload &
time
management
Low
participation
rate
Requests for
module to
remain open
Developer Challenges & Recommendations
Post-Pilot Report Reflections

5. 5
Extent to which DF contributed to:
OER Africa Value Statement 0
Not at all
1 2 3
Greatly
A: Increased the availability of relevant, need-targeted
learning materials and support more productive learners
and educators
30% 70%
B: Reduced the cost of access to educational materials
by removing copying restrictions
10% 30% 70%
C: Encouraged educator participation in relevant course
design through adapting or developing materials for
learning programmes that are pertinent to African
contexts and learners
10% 50% 40%
D: Encouraged educator and learner participation in
relevant course delivery through use of appropriate
technologies and acquisition of the skills necessary to
move away from lecture-based teaching
30% 70%
E: Built capacity for learning through collaborative
partnerships and communities of practice, both within
and across educational systems and organisations
10% 10% 80%

6. 6
Changed approach - Activity types
Activity categories as used in
7Cs of Learning Design Toolkit
(University of Leicester, 2012)

7. 7
Level of Project Support
(0 = not at all - through to 3 = considerable support)

8. 8
Developers
 Language challenges, changed pedagogical approach, academic /
support experience differences, time constraints
Participants
 Light facilitation approach a challenge, some prior online
experience beneficial, time constraints
Process – building for Quality
 Iterative approach - time intensive but promotes sustainability
Way forward
 Update Modules
 Promote Learning Circles option for F2F support
 Formalise acknowledgement for both facilitators and participants
 Extract module activities to produce short stand alone PD
interventions
Lessons Learned

9. 9
Thank you!
brendam@saide.org.za
brenda.mallinson@gmail.com
View the Digital Fluency Models at:
https://tinyurl.com/digital-fluency-course
(.docx & .mbz)
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.