2014 e learning innovations conference

1. Blended learning at Mzumbe University:
Students’ Perspective
By Stephano Nalaila
Mzumbe University
M.Ed. Comparative and International Studies
Kenyatta University
A Paper presented at 21st Century eLearning and Innovation Conference at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya.
July 28-31, 2014

2.  Introduction
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion: Issues ahead

3. Introduction
• Despite an increase in HLIs from 4 before 1990s to more than
55 in 2010, Tanzania still registered the lowest GER (bellow
2%) among the East African countries (Trust Africa, 2012;
Kashorda and Waema, 2011)
• The demand for the higher education has increased due to
recent success in primary and secondary education
development programs, PEDP and SEDP in the 2000s.

4. Introduction cont..
Consequently, HEIs have been grappling with the following
challenges;
• Cost of accommodating students in the available residential
infrastructures and improvement of teacher-students ratio.
• High demand for quality education
• Unproductiveness of the traditional bound curriculum
environment regarding the demographic change

5. Introduction cont.…
Today, the use of ICTs is well articulated in the main policy
documents, mainly;
• The national ICT policy of 2003
• The Tanzania development Vision 2025 of 2006
• The ICT Policy for the Ministry of Education and Vocational
Training-MoEVT of 2007
• Higher Education Development Programme of 2007
According to these policy documents, ICTs are seen important
for the following;

6. Introduction cont.….
• Quality improvement in education delivery
• Expansion of access to majority needy
• Pedagogical roles changes
• Cost-saving

7. Introduction cont.…..
In the past five 5 years, the government and HEIs of Tanzania
have struggled to establish ICT infrastructures to support various
forms of e-learning, mainly the application of online activities to
supplement the traditional face-to-face instructions. For
example;
• The establishment of National Research Network (NREN)
• Establishment of the marine cables to provide reliable internet
provision

8. Introduction cont.…
 Exemption of value added tax to ICT equipment
 Providing suitable environment for private investors, e.g. mobile
phone companies, which have significantly contributed to
availability of internet.
 Currently, Science and Technology Higher Education Programme
(STHEP) under support of the World Bank is implementing several
interventions aimed at strengthening ICT capacity of HEIs, such as
the EMIS, and The E-library, which are expected to have a
significant impact on the use of E-learning

9. Introduction cont..
STHEP is also supporting the pilot move for the use of MOOCs
and indispensably mobile learning in the country
In Tanzania, just like many other African countries, studies
show that, the use of various forms of e-learning still remains
rudimentary and its adoption has been very slow (Government
of Ghana, 2014; E-learning report, 2012; UNESCO, 2012; Sife
et al., 2007). While the emphasis on the quality of education is
also shared to the domestication of technology as well, critical
pedagogical considerations must be critically put in place.

10. Introduction cont..
Major challenges relate to how well the HEIs can incorporate the
ICTs in the teaching and learning, mainly as a result of
• Cost of setting up ICT facilities
• Technology characteristics
• Lack of preparedness and self-efficacy among users
• Limited accessibility
• Lack of technical support
• Failures to anticipate the outcomes sought out of ICTs
Mtebe and Raphael, 2013; InfoDev, 2013; Kashorda and
Waema, 2011; Shimba et al., 2011;Swarts and Wachira, 2010)

11. Blended learning at Mzumbe University
In Tanzania, B/L is a recent practice, and its conception has not
featured well in the current e-learning practices. Currently,
Mzumbe university is part in many government initiated projects
like TERNET, EMIS and E-Library System, and donors like
VLIR-OUS from Belgium, which are all directed to building
capacity to harness the best ICT solutions in the teaching,
learning, research and management.
The available e-learning environments, enabled by Moodle
platform provides for a substantial online functions to
supplement the face-to-face instructions at the university.

12. Blended learning at Mzumbe..
However, the recent e-learning utilization report (MU, 2013)
presented an abysmally low level of utilization of the system by
teaching staff, students and administrators. For instance, the
report presented only 0.8% of over 280, which translates to 25
teaching staff using the available platform to blend the
instructions. This report relates to findings at University of Dar
es Salaam by Mtebe and Raphael (2013) and at OUT by Nihuka
and Voogt (2012)

13. Methodology
This paper is a result of an exploratory study which was
conducted by using documentary review (mainly training
manuals, reports and policy documents), interviews and focused
group discussion on students’ perspective on the experiences,
opportunities and challenges of the blended learning at Mzumbe
university.
Interviews were administered to directors for QA, ICT and
DELCE (Director for External Linkages and Continuing
Education), while focus group discussion were conducted on 6-7
member groups of students

14. Findings of the study
 B/L supports at the university;
• Some irregular trainings for students and instructors
• Motivated helpdesk team for technical support
• Committed management especially in the directorate of ICT
• Networked computer labs (6 of them with over 230 computers)
• Fair internet connectivity (bandwidth of 40 Mbps)
 Traditional face-to-face strategies still dominate the T/L
practices at MU despite government and institutional
initiatives.

15. Findings cont.….
 Only few subjects can be accessed on-line, some of which do
not have contents, some faculties/schools did not have any
contents online
Perceived/experienced benefits of B/L
At Mzumbe, students expressed interests to use B/L, with the
anticipation to improve delivery quality and flexibility

16. Findings cont….
 Students perceived that, B/L may reduce instructors
concervativeness (some instructors force students to buy/use
their books/publications) and enrich learning.
 In the satellite centers, students perceived a reduction of
geographical distance with their instructors

17. Challenges experienced by students
These were related to the teaching staffs and technology resources,
and students themselves;
• Lack of delivery motivation from the teaching staffs
• Role substitution (technology to do everything) by the teaching staff
• Inadequate know-how to use navigate the online strategies
• Lack of resources in the satellite centers where teachers rarely reach
• Though no much complaints on, but no ICT facilities for special
needs students
• Inadequate and piecemeal coordination of the B/L-DICT, DELCE,
QA, top management, teaching staffs

18. Conclusion: Issues ahead
The traditional lecturers’ approaches/culture
Piecemeal implementation; commitment of actors within and
between institutions and ministry and how they are linked link
Types, adequacy & effectiveness of training
Resource constraints- Evaluation of different projects
 All these need to be looked not only from the institutional
context, but also national policy frameworks

19. Thank you
snalaila@mzumbe.ac.tz
Steven.nalaila@gmail.com
www.mzumbe.ac.tz
Skype: Nalaila Steven