Hybrid E-Learning for Rural Secondary Schools in Uganda
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SCHOOLS IN UGANDA SECONDARY HYBRID E-LEARNING FOR RURAL ABSTRACT This licentiate thesis is concerned with the deve- despread standardization. Used computers with lopment of appropriate tools and implementation inferior capabilities that are being sold to rural HYBRID E-LEARNING FOR RURAL of hybrid e-learning to support science and mathe- schools cheaply are not useful for educational pur- matics education of female students in typical rural poses. The cost of acquisition is low but the total SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN UGANDA advanced-level secondary schools. In Uganda few cost of ownership is extremely high. The costs of rural female students participate in technology Internet installation, bandwidth, commercial plat- and engineering education in tertiary institutions forms and web-hosting make introduction of pure because they perform poorly in science and mat- e-learning in Ugandan schools not viable, even in hematics subjects at advanced secondary school educationally elite secondary schools. Hybrid e- level of education. learning is the only realistic option in the complex financial situation of Ugandan secondary schools. Rural secondary schools in Uganda are usually Experience has shown that where there is Internet very poor and financially constrained schools. Ge- presence for use in education, open source web- nerally, such schools have non-functional science hosting providers and open source platforms must Peter Okidi Lating laboratories and libraries. They also have difficulty be used. They are cheap and affordable even by in attracting and retaining qualified science and poor rural secondary schools. Hybrid e-learning mathematics teachers, especially at advanced level tools were developed to support such Ugandan of secondary education. The financial situations schools using participatory methodology. of the schools make capital investments in science infrastructures like laboratories and libraries im- The thesis is organized in three parts. Part I con- possible. Fortunately, such schools can afford to sists of six chapters including background infor- acquire computers preferably with multimedia mation, concept discussions, problem statement, capabilities. Hybrid e-learning can be introduced research questions, objectives of the study and in such disadvantaged schools to support science research location. A justification of the use of and mathematics education. The main delivery participatory methodology in the research is also tools under hybrid e-learning are the CD-ROMs made in part I. Part II includes the four papers due to their superior advantages over other por- upon which the thesis is based. Part III contains table storage devices: big memory capacity, high a brief summary of the papers, conclusions and data transfer rate, multimedia capability and wi- future research. Peter Okidi Lating Peter Blekinge Institute of Technology Licentiate Dissertation Series No. 2006:10 2006:10 ISSN 1650-2140 School of Technoculture, Humanities and Planning 2006:10 ISBN 91-7295-095-1 Hybrid E-learning for Rural Secondary Schools in Uganda Peter Okidi Lating Blekinge Institute of Technology Licentiate Dissertation Series No 2006:10 ISSN 1650-2140 ISBN 91-7295-095-1 Hybrid E-learning for Rural Secondary Schools in Uganda Peter Okidi Lating Department of Technoscience Studies School of Technoculture, Humanities and Planning Blekinge Institute of Technology SWEDEN © 2006 Peter Okidi Lating Department of Technoscience Studies School of Technoculture, Humanities and Planning Publisher: Blekinge Institute of Technology Printed by Kaserntryckeriet, Karlskrona, Sweden 2006 ISBN 91-7295-095-1 Table of Contents Abstract 11 Acknowledgements 13 List of abbreviations 14 Introduction 15 Part I 19 Chapter one: Background 19 1.1. Status of Advanced Level Secondary Science Education in Uganda 19 1.2. ICT Projects in some Secondary Schools in Uganda 24 Chapter two: Concept Discussion 29 2.1. E-Learning 29 2.2. Blended E-Learning 30 2.3. Hybrid E-Learning 31 2.4. Hybrid Digital Library 32 2.5. Rural School Concept 32 Chapter three: Problem Statements and Research Questions 33 3.1. Problem Statements 33 3.2 Research Questions 33 Chapter four: Objectives of the Research 35 4.1. Overall Research Objective 35 4.2. Specific Research Objectives 35 Chapter five: Research Location 37 5.1. Arua District 37 5.2. The Two Cases 39 Chapter six: Research Methodology 41 6.1. Research Modes 41 6.2. Action Research 41 6.3. Participatory Methodologies 44 6.4. Theory of Multilevel Analysis/Hierarchical Linear Modeling 47 Part II 55 Introduction to the papers 55 Papers I – IV 57 Part III 107 Brief Summary of the Papers 107 Concluding Discussions 109 Statement of Scientific Contribution and Originality 114 Future Work 116 6 7 8 9 is work is dedicated to my wife, children, mother, brothers and sisters 8 9 10 11 Abstract This licentiate thesis is concerned with the development of appropriate tools and implementation of hybrid e-learning to support science and mathematics education of female students in typical rural advanced-level secondary schools. In Uganda few rural female students participate in technology and engineering education in tertiary institutions because they perform poorly in science and mathematics subjects at advanced secondary school level of education. Rural secondary schools in Uganda are usually very poor and financially constrained schools. Generally, such schools have non-functional science laboratories and libraries. ey also have difficulty in attracting and retaining qualified science and mathematics teachers, especially at advanced level of secondary education. e financial situations of the schools make capital investments in science infrastructures like laboratories and libraries impossible. Fortunately, such schools can afford to acquire computers preferably with multimedia capabilities. Hybrid e-learning can be introduced in such disadvantaged schools to support science and mathematics education. e main delivery tools under hybrid e-learning are the CD-ROMs due to their superior advantages over other portable storage devices: big memory capacity, high data transfer rate, multimedia capability and widespread standardization. Used computers with inferior capabilities that are being sold to rural schools cheaply are not useful for educational purposes. e cost of acquisition is low but the total cost of ownership is extremely high. e costs of Internet installation, bandwidth, commercial platforms and web-hosting make introduction of pure e-learning in Ugandan schools not viable, even in educationally elite secondary schools. Hybrid e- learning is the only realistic option in the complex financial situation of Ugandan secondary schools. Experience has shown that where there is Internet presence for use in education, open source web-hosting providers and open source platforms must be used. ey are cheap and affordable even by poor rural secondary schools. Hybrid e-learning tools were developed to support such Ugandan schools using participatory methodology. e thesis is organized in three parts. Part I consists of six chapters including background information, concept discussions, problem statement, research questions, objectives of the study and research location. A justification of the use of participatory methodology in the research is also made in part I. Part II includes the four papers upon which the thesis is based. Part III contains a brief summary of the papers, conclusions and future research. 10 11 12 13 Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to thank Sida/SAREC for the financial support that enabled me to do this research. I am deeply indebted to my PhD supervisors: Dr. Samuel Baker Kucel of Makerere University, Faculty of Technology, Uganda and Professor Lena Trojer of Blekinge Insti- tute of Technology, Sweden. eir research discussions, constructive advice and suggestions during the execution of this research and writing of the thesis were very invaluable. My sincere thanks go to stakeholders who participated in setting up the research station in Arua. Many institutions participated but the key ones were: Arua District Local Council; Faculty of Technology, Makerere University; School of Graduate Studies, Makerere University; Arua Teachers Resource Center; Muni, Ediofe and Logiri Girls’ Senior Secondary Schools; Mvara Senior Secondary School;National Curriculum Development Center; Uganda National Examinations Board; Nakaseke Multimedia Community Telecenter and SchoolNet Uganda. It is also my pleasure to thank individuals from the following institutions who tirelessly supported me in my ways that I cannot fully express in the limited available space: Associate Professors Barnabus Nawangwe, Togboa-Tickodri, Gaddi Ngirane-Katashaya, Jackson Mwakali and Dr. Eng. John B. Turyagenda and Dr. Gyavira Taban-Wani – all from the Faculty of Technology, Makerere University. I am particularly grateful to Eng. Lawrence Pario, the Arua District Engineer, who supervised the renovation of the research buildings. More thanks go to the following staff of Blekinge Institute of Technology: Peter Ekdhal, Peter Giger, Pirjo Elovaara, Samuel Henningsson (Netport), Anita Carlsson, Ulrika Carlsson, Anna Olsson, Silvio Ocasic and Madeleine Persson. From the East African ICT Regional Collaboration Team, I would like to thank Dr. M. M. Kissaka, Associate Professor Bakari Mwinyiwiwa and Dr. Nerey Mvungi from Dar es Salaam University, College of Engineering and Technology and Mr. Orlando Zobra from Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique. Finally, my heartfelt