ICT Integration in Higher Education: My Perspectives and Way Forward - Professor Venansius Baryamureeba, VC UTAMU, barya@utamu.ac.ug

1. ICT Integration in Higher Education: My
Perspectives and Way Forward
Professor Venansius Baryamureeba, VC UTAMU, barya@utamu.ac.ug

2. Overview
• What is ICT?
• ICT in learning
• ICT and research
• ICT in publishing and libraries
• Learner-centered education
• ICT integration in higher education
• Way forward

3. ICTs
Information and Communication Technologies
(ICTs) consist of the hardware, software,
networks, and media:
– for collection, storage, processing,
transmission and presentation of information
(voice, data, text, images) i.e. to generate,
distribute, collect and administer information
– for communication

4. Reflections on Knowledge Economy
The strongest currency today is neither the
Pound, Euro, Dollar nor the Shilling but it is
Knowledge
Today we live in a knowledge Society which
has two main categories of people
• Knowledgeable People
• Knowledge able People
ICTs are enabling the Knowledge Economy

5. ICT in Learning
• E-learning is the use of electronic media,
educational technology and ICTs in education
• Old and new technologies need to be used in a
balanced way. On-the-air and off-the-air
radio/radio-cassette, television and offline video-
assisted technologies; more interactive
computer/Internet-based virtual education or
online distance learning
• Possible for anyone, anywhere, anytime to learn
• Opened access to reserved educational capital

6. Learners taking more control
over the direction of their
learning with ICT
Social collaboration on joint
tasks both face-to-face and
in online collaboration
Learning out of school in
other settings and
environments
Deeper analysis of
concepts, processes and
visualisation
Use of ICT to locate, gather,
synthesis, analyse
reconstruct, communicate
and present information and
understanding
Creative development
and media literacy e.g.
digital video,
photography animation,
music
Developing thinking skills and
problem solving strategies
ICT in learning
Gaining knowledge,
understanding and skills
beyond that of the
teacher
Iteration and modelling using ICT;
eg in writing, design, maths,
science PE and music

7. ICT and Research
• Data Processing: Improved due to the steady
increases in bandwidth and computing power
• Use of online full text databases and online
research libraries/virtual libraries
• Communication links make it possible for
research teams to be spread across the world
• The combination of communications and digital
libraries is equalizing access to academic
resources, greatly enriching research
possibilities for all institutions

8. ICT in publishing and Libraries
• Electronic publishing is basically a form of
publishing in which books, journals and
magazines are being produced and stored
electronically rather than in print
• Types of Electronic Publishing Models
– Electronic Books; Electronic Periodicals; Electronic
Databases; Print on Demand; Digital Content;
Electronic Ink; E-mail Publishing; Web Publishing
• Electronic Publishing Models have led to
Digital Libraries
– Collections of documents in organized electronic
form that are accessible using electronic devices

9. Learner Centered Education
• ICTs in Education have led to a Learning
Paradigm Shift from Teacher Centered to Learner
Centered
– The Learner-Centered Education (LCE) focuses on both
teacher’s and learner’s experiences
– The focus is on each student’s individual needs
– The role of the educator shifts from a transmitter to a
facilitator. No longer is the teacher simply someone who
stands at the front of the room imparting knowledge on
students
• Students become more engaging and attain
autonomy in learning
– The student is no longer a passive “receptacle” for the
teacher’s knowledge

10. Learner Centered Education Cont’d
• Rather than revolving around content, the learner-
centered classroom centers on learning processes
– The learner-centered classroom provides an emphasis
upon higher-order thinking skills, such as the ability to
judge and evaluate, critical thinking, self advocacy
• Reluctant learners are more motivated to
participate in their own education, since their stake
in the process is clearly defined
• Students demonstrate improvement in motivation,
learning, and achievement.
– There is a higher rate of student retention, and students
are better prepared for success outside the classroom

11. Teacher-Student relationship in
emerging learning society

12. Learning Models will need to change
• How do students learn in a digital environment?
• How do institutions teach in the digital era?
• Are institutions ready for E-Learning?
• Do we need new learning models?
Industrial
Age Learning
Model
Digital Age
learning
Model

13. Delivery Modes will need to change
Lack of facilities and
funding
Increase in tuition fees
Growing student population
Privatization of
education
Cost effective solutions
(e.g. e-learning, virtual
learning, blended )
More virtual universities
Life Long Learning
Only Authorized Access

14. ICT in education Change Drivers
Knowledgeable
Society
Education
System
Technology
Drivers
Technology
Driven
Knowledge
Able
Society

15. Why do we Integrate ICT in Education?
Why ICT
Integration in
Education?
Allows
Effective
Networking
Allows
Easy Sharing
Of
Resources
Allows
Effective
Collaboration
Effective
Accessibility
To
Resources
Empowerment
In Learning
Ubiquitous
Education

16. Enabling ICT Integration in Education
Educational Capacity for any E-Learning form of
delivery

17. UTAMU Hybrid Model
Community
Engagement
Transformational e-
Learning Content Space
Policy Makers and regulatory bodies
Collaborative
Partners
UTAMU e-Learning Content Space
Digital Teachers Digital Students Digital Family
UTAMU Content
Database
Open Access
Database
UTAMU
E-Library
UTAMU Social
Applications
Integrated Layer

18. Digital Teachers

19. Digital Students

20. Digital Family

21. E-Learning Content Space

22. Personal Content Database
Personal Content Space

23. Education is opening up….

24. E-Libraries

25. Hybrid Learning @ UTAMU:VL Part
25
Virtual
Learning(VL)
Virtual
Classrooms,
hangouts,
twitter
Podcasts on
YouTube and
Moodle
Google Drive
Drop Box
Open
Courseware
(MIT, COUSERA)
E-library
Google Scholar
Conferencing
via Google
Hangouts
Skype
Internet
Electronic
Communication
Whatsup
Email and
Collaboration,
Google apps,
Facebook

26. engage
empower
extend
embed
enhance
enrich
exchange
e-learning?
enthuse
entertain
Hybrid Integration of E-Learning has to:

27. Way Forward
• Digital Technology is an indispensable teaching tool
• Urgent need for professional development of
teachers that allows teachers to construct
professional knowledge about pedagogy, content,
and technology, as well as strategies for managing
the changing classroom environments
• The use of ICT in education increases access to
learning opportunities. Thus, the integration of ICTs
in higher education is inevitable.

28. Till we meet
again!
I THANK YOU