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Expanding varsity enrolment best done online
2005-07-12 07:44:20
By Ludger Kasumuni
The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) has begun to break the myth that university degrees including Doctor of Medicine (MD), Bachelor of Science (BSc.), the engineering profession and Bachelors of Laws (LL.B) can only be obtained through physical presence in lecture rooms and laboratories.
Displaying the power of Information Communications Technology (ICT) to bridge the enrolment gap, the UDSM Centre for Virtual Learning (CVL), has revealed to visitors at the Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair, that a Tanzanian can obtain a high grade degree by online instruction.
The CVL Learning Centre Manager at the UDSM Sophie Mgaiwa says that already the first batch of 23 students have been taking a degree course in Business Administration through Online learning.
’’The first batch of 23 students taking a degree course in Business Administration (BBA) had started learning online in 2004. They are now going on with the studies smoothly,’’ Mgaiwa says.
She says there is no doubt that the quality of a degree acquired through online communication and instruction will be similar to one acquired by attending lectures and seminars conducted at university premises.
Already there are 150 students taking certificates and diploma courses in computer science online, she says, noting that the ICT revolution which is being pioneered by the UDSM in Tanzania’s education sector is now here to stay.
In the past discussion about online learning was a theory existing in people’s minds and bookshelves of researchers, but now the UDSM has proved to people that the power of ICT can tremendously increase the number of graduates.
Currently Tanzania is lagging behind in the East African region in terms of enrolment of students in universities.
’’Our long-term goal is to increase access to higher education by many Tanzanians with secondary and tertiary education,’’ she says.
The UDSM established CVL so as to increase access to quality higher education through distance, open and e-learning, she says adding that the CVL will aggressively and efficiently use the power of ICTs, the infrastructure and facilities at UDSM to render high quality services.
According to the UDSM report, total university enrolment stands at around 15,000 students while neighbouring countries of Kenya and Uganda have roughly 40,000 students in universities, each.
The UDSM admits 5,000 students in a year, while students completing Form Six with good passes are thrice that number.
’’Although Tanzania has the largest population in East Africa, it is still lagging behind in terms of the number of university students and graduates.
We want to tackle this problem through Online learning,’’ says Mgaiwa.
She says that through CVL, university authorities plan to increase enrolment of first year students to 10,000 yearly, to equal up with EAC partner states.
Many youths completing secondary schools were failing to study in universities even when they have the right qualifications, because of low enrolment places. Expansion of secondary education has not matched with expansion of university enrolment.
Talking on how students learn online, she says a student is usually guided by a co-ordinator, a university lecturer familiar with the area of studies, as to how to obtain facts through the internet and participate in videoconferences.
’’Students can be lectured by a professor from a foreign country like the United States, Britain or Australia by a videoconference method,’’ she says.
She outlined a number of advantages of using the training services offered by the UDSM Virtual Learning Centre.
It offers cheaper training costs, flexibility in training, efficient learning time management, accessibility to competent trainers at low cost and easy communication with other students and lecturers.
Since the UDSM Virtual Learning Centre has a programme of co-operation with Australian universities, Tanzanian students wishing to study in Australia can study similar degrees obtained in Australia locally.
The centre co-operates with the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology at the University of Australia and Curtin University of Technology also in Australia to run such a programme.
In Australia one can obtain a first degree in Business Administration at the cost of around US dollars 6,000 per semester, but here you can pay US Dollars 1,000.
’’This is the cheapest means of acquiring a degree. It is also flexible in the sense that you can learn and work at the same time,’’ she says.
As for a diploma course in computer science, she says a student or a sponsor pays 900,000/-, while for a certificate course in the same field a student pays 700,000/- in a year.
He says the UDSM is also planning to introduce a postgraduate degree in Education to be managed by the CVL, beginning September this year.
’’This programme is expected to increase the number of qualified teachers for secondary schools, reducing the need to increase even more teachers at high cost by customary methods,’’ says Mgaiwa.
The programme will bridge the shortage of teachers in secondary schools as many teachers can be rapidly upgraded.
’’Teachers can learn while working in their respective schools. This will give an opportunity to many teachers to upgrade their knowledge without abandoning their duties,’’ she says.
According to her, the UDSM has a long-term programme for transforming the CVL to run all degree courses Online.
Even the degree courses requiring practical training like Doctor of Medicine, Engineering and Computer Science can be obtained Online, but under special co-ordination.
’’Under such kind of degree programmes the responsible co-ordinator can design the arrangement for practical training through video conference and guidelines,’’ she says,
Unlike in classroom courses, Online degree programme students are given handouts, syllabi and course programmes and other guidelines to make sure that a student knows what they are supposed to learn, she says.
She says the myth that it is not possible to obtain those degrees Online has been broken through the worldwide ICT revolution.
Tele-surgeries and tele-medicine are being performed through videoconferences involving communication of specialist surgeons and doctors among various countries.
They are vivid examples of the power of ICT to effectively impart knowledge and services at a reduced cost.
Explaining about how assessment of students is done, she says it is also done Online. Lecturers assist the students through videoconferences and physical examinations at different intervals, the coordinator explained.
Adult Tanzanians and ex-school leavers can equally use Online degree training to raise the quality of training without abandoning their jobs or other occupations, she added.
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