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Connecting Africa’s Teacher Training Institutions. UGANDA’S EXPERIENCE By: Nsumba Lyazi and Ahmed Kamya. Back ground of ICT in Teacher Training Colleges.
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Connecting Africa’s Teacher Training Institutions UGANDA’S EXPERIENCE By: Nsumba Lyazi and Ahmed Kamya
Back ground of ICT in Teacher Training Colleges • Connect-Ed a project funded by USAID is aiming at improving the level of ICT at Primary Teacher colleges. It is working with eight select PTCs as a pilot. • The Connectivity for Educator Development (Connect-ED) program award was signed by USAID on December 11, 2003. • This activity is to run until 30th September 2005. It has seven results as listed below:-
Expected Results of Connect-ED • Result 1: • An improved policy on ICT in education, with a component for the colleges. • Result 2: • Approved business plans for each college that are being implemented actively to ensure full financial sustainability by month twenty of the award (May 2005).
Expected Results of Connect-ED Cont’d • Result 4: • Tutors and other educators with capacity to use technology to increase student centered learning. • Result 5: • Increased capacity for tutors and pre-service teachers to create educational resources and contribute to online versions of teacher training curriculum. • Result 6: • Fully designed websites for each college and KyU, with maintenance strategy and decentralized capacity for maintenance. • Result 7: • Increased number of curriculum units that are online
What is on Ground • PTCs are Categorized into core and non core PTCs, Government and private PTCs. • Only eight (8) out of 47 PTCs have ICT facilities under the USAID initiative through Connect-Ed project. All these are on the same network and can be accessed online • Canon Apollo is also coming on Board with a different funding body-Irish
Eight Select PTCS and their URLs • Kibuli PTC www.itek.ac.ug/Kibuli • Shimoni PTC www.itek.ac.ug/shimoni • Ndegeya PTC www.itek.ac.ug/ndegeya • Bushenyi PTC www.itek.ac.ug/bushenyi • Mukuju PTC www.itek.ac.ug/mukuju • Canon Lawrence Boroboro www.itek.ac.ug/lira • Soroti PTC www.itek.ac.ug/soroti • Gulu PTC www.itek.ac.ug/gulu
ICT facilities • 10 networked computers with Internet connectivity. • Computer peripherals like Printers, Scanners, Digital Cameras, overhead projectors and CD writers. • Furnished Computer lab which houses the above.
Using ICTs • ICT Training for Educators and administrators at the different PTCs to improve the teaching learning environment to integrate the use of technology in Education. • Educators are involved in developing and enhancing the PTC curriculum which is available online www.itek.ac.ug/curriculum
Experience • Tutors involvement in the creation of educational websites where students assignments are posted. • Search for information from the internet to enhance their teaching materials. • Use office packages to create their teaching materials. • Educators refer student to the lab to search for additional teaching materials
Cont’d • Students participation in E-learning exercises with other learning institutions e.g. we have had students participate in e-learning experiments with Ghent University of Belgium. • Tutors have participation in e-learning courses like the on-going course with the Harvard university on Teaching with new technologies. • Collaboration with other centers online through use of the collaboration tools like the use of the Global Learning Portal (www.glpnet.org)
Future of ICT in Training Institutions • Connect-ED project is working with the MOES to develop an ICT in Education policy. • MOES has authorized the eight select PTCs to charge lab user fees on students to sustain the existing facilities. • Extend ICT awareness to the nearby schools through outreach activities.
Challenges • No. of machines vs. users • Access to the lab by students and Educators is limited • Students practice hours is almost impossible • Training schedules • A limited number of students can access the lab for a given training session. • Behavioural change especially on the side of tutors. • Applicability of skills acquired after students have training centres. • A small fraction of the PTCs is using ICT • Power fluctuations
reference • More information on ICT and its impact in Primary Teacher colleges can be obtained online http://www.connected.ac.ug