Vodafone Uganda has this morning launched an online learning facility, the JUMP Academy, at a function which was attended by among others, top Ministry of Education officials.
The JUMP Academy comprises a series of recorded lecture videos that cut across various subjects based on the Uganda university curriculum. The 15 minutes videos will show topical tutorials by different lecturers and will be uploaded regularly.
JUMP was launched on February 10 2017; with categories in Education, Entrepreneurship, Self-improvement, and Lifestyle. As part of the education category, the JUMP Academy provides students with free and unlimited access to a wide range of educational materials, tailored to the Uganda University curriculum.
Some of the pioneering and partner lecturers on the Academy include Nicholas Ndahura – Faculty of Human Nutrition and Home Economics, Kyambogo University; Ms. Prever Mukasa – Faculty of Communication, African Bible University and Ruth Tile – Faculty of Humanities, Victoria University.
And, according to Vodafone-Uganda Chief Executive Officer John Ndego, this will enhance the e-learning space for university students in Uganda.
“In an increasingly digitized Africa, astonishing opportunities emerge when young people connect. These ambitious young and driven crops of innovators are unstoppable. Matched with our aspiration to empower young people, we have continued to deliver our creativity through digitised education. We are cognisant that education is the key to the successful transformation and development of any country; and Vodafone is proud to take the lead in this digital learning space through the launch of the JUMP Academy,” Ndego said.
Timothy Ssejoba, Principal Education Officer, Higher Education-Ministry of Education, applauded Vodafone for the initiative, saying that it is a platform for global interaction where the ability for students to connect with one another and the rest of the world becomes real and easy, especially for the Higher Education segment.
Cynthia Ayeza, the JUMP Editor for Education category expressed optimism of the Academy saying: “the conversational-style tutorials which move away from the typical lecture-hall style, will fuse theory and practice in one, which is an opportunity for wholesome learning.”
Ms. Ayeza added:“I encourage young people to take advantage of this opportunity because it will give them the opportunity to access beneficial information at the tip of their fingers. It also means that those who are financially unable to afford formal education at institutions of higher learning will be able to learn at a minimal initial cost (buying a simcard and MiFi), and thereafter at no cost to them if they are subscribed with Vodafone. Furthermore, anyone that is interested in learning beyond their own field of study will be able to expand their knowledge base by having access to a variety of subject-specific videos, by simply logging onto www.jump.ug“
The JUMP programme kicks off with topics on Human Nutrition, Communication and Marketing and Advertising.
