By James Wakahiu
Mount Kenya University (MKU) is in the process of
upgrading its ICT infrastructure so as to host more than 100,000 online learners
at any time for different learning activities as demand continues to surge.
Dr Merceline Kamande, the university’s principal for
the Directorate of Open Distance and Electronic
Learning (ODEL) says they had 5,292 students by 2018 while by the end of 2021,
the number had grown to 15,874. “It is also projected that the numbers will
continue to rise as more people are open to alternate approaches in
education more than it was a few years ago,” Dr Kamande says.
She speaks in an interview carried in
the Kenya Secondary School Heads Professional Magazine (The Principal) released during this year’s ongoing Kenya Secondary
Schools Heads Association (Kesha) annual conference for principals in
Mombasa. “The university embarked on
e-learning in 2010 when the online learning platform was first developed to
host only two programmes. The current student population accessing education
through the Open Distance Electronic Learning (ODEL) are in excess of 15,000 in
65 degree programmes,” says Dr Kamande.
The students are distributed throughout
all MKU campuses as well as Diaspora centres in various parts of the county as well
as in Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Hargesia (Somaliland). Additionally, the
ODEL directorate serves students in other parts of the world including South
Sudan, Tanzania, Qatar, Canada and USA, among others. “The students have a
choice of study between the blended mode of study and a virtual mode of study
based on their locality and convenience,” adds Dr Kamande.
The Mount
Kenya University ODEL directorate is the technology hub responsible for
providing open distance and E-Learning university education. It coordinates
virtual classes to both on campus and off campus students and connects the
university and its campuses hence helping the university in achieving its
vision and mission. Students interact with their tutors and fellow students and
submit their assignment and Continuous Assessments Tests online. Tutors mark
and deliver results to the students using the same system. Students undertake
courses at their own pace and hence can always read ahead or back on topics
anytime.
ODEL offers
certificate, diploma, bachelors, postgraduate and masters programmes through
two modes: Digital learning and Distance and Institution-based Learning (DIBL).
The Digital Learning mode offers opportunities to online students who have no
opportunities for a face to face interaction. Instructor student interaction is
online through the digital learning management system.
The DIBL is
a blended mode of study where one-third of the learning is delivered face-to-face (14 hours) while two-thirds (28 hours) is done through web-based
learning.
Challenges
According to Dr Kamande, the Coronavirus pandemic had a huge impact
on the education sector just like in all other sectors worldwide. However, when
face-to-face teaching and learning was suspended by the government in line with
WHO’s recommendations, MKU was among the few universities in the country that
remained afloat by integrating their students to the online platform. “In this
way, the university continued to offer uninterrupted teaching and learning
services online. This ensured that students who were due for graduation were
able to do so without delays,” she added.
Naturally, some students face challenges in accessing
the internet. MKU has tackled this problem via a memorandum of understanding
with Safaricom and Telkom that offers affordable internet connection to faculty
members and learners. “The students are
able to download the clearing materials and study offline which reduces the internet
time they require,” notes the economists.
Going forward, Dr Kamande is pleading with the Kenya
government to institute policies that can bring the actualization of one laptop
per learner. A corresponding intervention
to reduce internet costs would also play a major role to enhance online
learning. “Online learning is very dependent on the internet, electricity and
availability of ICT infrastructure. Students are expected to have access to a
computer whose costs can be inhibitive.
Infrastructure:
To date, the university has stable and dedicated
fibre optic connections powered by KENET. MKU has also invested heavily in a
robust e-learning management system, Sakaj and other platforms such as
Microsoft teams, and office 365 collaboration tools that support all kinds of
online learning needs of the institution.
This is matched with a robust student management
information system (SMIS) which keeps track of students’ details and
engagements from recruitment, registration, examination, student finance,
attachment and teaching practice. It
also gives access to semester results, academic leave and resumption, students’
emails, clearance and certification.
To ensure quality, MKU has developed examination rules
and regulations that guide the process.
In addition, the institution has developed Online Examination Guidelines
to be followed in the administration of online tests. Examinations are uploaded in the university’s
approved online platform and the registered students are able to access the
papers from their respective portals.
“The university online proctor software system is used
for invigilation of examinations which is an improvement from the Microsoft
Teams software,” says Dr Kamande.
Meanwhile, the
university has adopted the SAKAJ eLearning solutions for both learning and
assessment. Adopting virtual labs for practical oriented programmes will also
go along way I improving the knowledge base and employable skills for e-learners
especially in the health and science courses.
Dr Kamande says a student who successfully meets the
requirements of a degree while studying online signals a very competent and
skilled worker who has the potential to perform well in the job market. “Most
students who choose online learning are mature age entry students who are in the
middle of their careers. …they are self-motivated students who have the ability
to direct their own learning environment and methods to fulfill course requirements
to achieve academic success.
And demand for online learning is growing. It is
projected that over 80 per cent of the ODEL student population will choose to
take online exams facilitated by the MKU-owned proctoring software. “We are in
the process of upgrading the ICT infrastructure so as to host more than 100,000
online at any time for different learning activities. The university is committed
to continuous content enhancement using the latest technology and in
partnership with other stakeholders to ensure that ODEL students get the best
of what is available in the learning ecosystem,” concludes Dr Kamande.
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