DELP (Distance Education Leapfrogging) is a project which aims to increase access to flexible quality education in Uganda.
It is a collaborative project between the University of Agder in Norway and the University of Makerere in Uganda, with support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD). NORAD has granted the project close to 18 million NOK. The project timeline is five years from the end of 2013 through 2018.
The project activities are divided into three work packages.
Education The Education work package activities include:
Develop a curriculum for a Blended Master programme in Instructional Design and Technology
Develop a curriculum for a Blended Bachelor of Youth in Development Work Programme
Provide scholarships to Makerere University staff: Master Programmes related to Blended Learning
Research The Research work package activities include:
PhD Research fellowships for Makerere staff:
1 Sandwich PhD position situated within the ICT Department (UiA)
1 Sandwich PhD position interdisciplinary situated across ICT Department and Department of Development Studies (UiA)
1 Post-doctoral research fellowship for Makerere staff with 3 months visiting researcher grant at UiA
3 Annual Workshops
1 International conference
Funding for attending international conferences
Project members participating in international conferences
New scientific Journal
Institutional Developments The Institutional Development work package activities include:
Short courses in:
Online tutoring (e-teaching 1)
Making e-courses (e-teaching 2)
Refurbishment & equipment for
2 Computer Laboratories
Refurbishment and equipment for
Live recording of lectures
Videoconferencing
Customisation of a Learning Management System
Staff Exchange
Background
Makere University started with distance education in 1991. Print modules was sent to students, and they travelled to the university for residentional sessions. This is now an outdated method. At the same time, the demand for Open, Distance end eLearning is increasing in Uganda, as well as in South Sudan and East Africa.
The project's full name is "Leapfrogging 1st Generation Distance Education into 5th Generation Distance Education".
Goals
The DELP project has two goals:
To increase the capasity to integrate ICTs into pedagogical processes
To leapfrog the current 1st generation distance education provision, into 4th and 5th generation distance education
These goals are to be achieved through use of intellegent flexible learning models, like:
Online Interactive multimedia (IMM)
Web based learning resources
Social networks
Computer-mediated communications
Automated response systems
Campus portal access to institutional processes and resources
Major milestones
July 2013: Project proposal accepted
Dec. 2013: All agreements and contracts signed & 1st disbursement of funds
March 2014:Final revised implementation plan
June 2014: Early version of curriculum for blended learning programmes
Aug. 2014: Start of PhD projects
June 2015: Commissioning of new computer labs & Videoconference studios
Aug. 2015: Start of BA and MA blended learning programmes at MAK
July 2016: Stable version of e-courseware for BA & MA
June 2017: Last Post-doctoral research visit at UiA
