Kyambogo University joins the e-learning tide

Continuing students of Kyambogo University will resume for semester two 2019/2020 academic years with open distance and electronic learning to complete the remaining part of the studies.

National Council for Higher Education-NCHE granted permission to roll out emergency open distance e-learning-ODel for most of the academic programs for a period of twelve months. This mode of delivery the use of information communication and technologies- ICTs which the university has already invested in, inform of physical infrastructure and training the lecturers on how to use various learning platforms.

Vice Chancellor of the University Professor Elli Katunguka Rwakishaya says that they have agreed that continuing students begin on 18^th to 30^th January 2021 for a period of two weeks on open distance and electronic learning and then students will after report for face to face lectures on 1^st to 14^th February 2021.

He says students will be required to come with their own laptops for purposes of easy access of learning materials and revision. Vice Chancellor adds that for students who might not be able to manage data, the university has many internet hot spots, they are allowed to come to campus and utilize them.

E-Learning, or electronic learning, is the delivery of learning and training through digital resources. Although eLearning is based on formalized learning, it is provided through electronic devices such as computers, tablets and even cellular phones that are connected to the internet.

Students are programmed to sit for  their final examinations from 15^th to 28^th February 2021, and this will mark the end of semester two 2019/2020 for continuing  students. Semester one of the 2020/2021 academic year will begin on 1^st march and ends on 4^th July 2021.

Concerning the issue of graduation, Kyambogo University has not decided about when to hold the graduation for 2020 because final year students have not carried out their internship and college or school practice. Vice chancellor Katunguka says, the school practice or internship will be carried out when the schools are open and they have not known when this shall happen.

According to Professor Katunguka, the internship still has challenges of placement and issues of supervision that requires staff to traverse the country to monitor what the students are doing. He says with time and guidance of the government, solutions to this will be found.

Kyambogo University temporarily opened for finalists on 17^th October to complete their studies for a period of six weeks and examinations were completed on 29^th Nov. 2020. All students were asked to return to their respective homes immediately after examination. Students pursuing programmes that require internship began their internship activities 14^th Dec 2020 and they are expected to complete on 30^th January 2021.