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Supporting Effective Online Learning Groups for eLearning Systems

Godfrey Mayende of the Faculty of Engineering and Science  at the University of Agder has submitted his thesis entitled «Supporting Effective Online Learning Groups for eLearning Systems», and will defend the thesis for the PhD-degree Wednesday 21 October 2020.

In this dissertation, we proposed methods and factors for ensuring effective online learning groups.

Godfrey Mayende

PhD Candidate

The disputation will be held digitally, because of the Corona covid-19-situation. Spectators may follow the disputation digitally – link is available below.

Godfrey Mayende of the Faculty of Engineering and Science at the University of Agder has submitted his thesis entitled «Supporting Effective Online Learning Groups for eLearning Systems», and will defend the thesis for the PhD-degree Wednesday 21 October 2020.

He has followed the PhD Programme at the Faculty of Engineering and Science with Specialization in ICT at the University of Agder. 

The research work has been funded by the Norad NORHEAD-programme.

Summary of the Thesis by Godfrey Mayende:

Supporting Effective Online Learning Groups for eLearning Systems

Learning in groups has been advocated to increase learning based on the social constructivist learning theory.

Information and communication technology connects distance learning students and provides possibilities to use the benefits of learning groups.

However, although learning groups can bring about meaningful learning, learning groups in online environments are often not working.

Effective online working groups

To solve the problem, design science approaches were used to establish methods and factors that support effective online learning groups.

The solution involved three research areas as follows:

(1) the context of online learning groups

(2) processes for supporting online learning groups

(3) tools for supporting online learning groups.

Experiences from Uganda and Norway provided the context as a foundation for this study.

eLearning development

Authentic online courses helped to establish processes to support online learning groups, which again led to methods and factors.

The methods and factors guided the design of scenarios for the development of eLearning systems.

In this dissertation, we proposed methods and factors for ensuring effective online learning groups.

The methods detail how to

(1) create online learning groups

(2) structure online learning group activities

(3) facilitate online learning groups.

The methods use the factors influencing effective online learning groups.

 

Disputation facts:

The Candidate: Godfrey Mayende (1977, Jinja, Uganda). B.Sc. in Computer Science and Mathematics, Makerere University (MAK) Uganda (2001), M.Sc. Eng. in Information Systems from Norwegian University of Science and Technology - NTNU (2007), PGDE in Information and Communication Technology, University of Cape Town, South-Africa (2013). Godfrey Mayende has been working as an academic staff in high education institutions since 2001. His research interests are online learning groups, social media for teaching and learning, distance learning, eLearning, collaborative learning, and interaction design.

The trial lecture and the public defence will take place online, via the Zoom conferencing app (link below)

Professor Christian Omlin, Department of Information and Communication Technology, Faculty of Engineering and Science, will chair the disputation.

The trial lecture at 10:15 hours

Public defence at 12:15 hours

Given topic for trial lecture: «What are the pedagogical considerations for the design of online learning systems that support collaborative work and co-creation of artifacts?”

Thesis Title«Supporting Effective Online Learning Groups for eLearning Systems»

Search for the thesis in AURA - Agder University Research Archive, a digital archive of scientific papers, theses and dissertations from the academic staff and students at the University of Agder.

The thesis is available here:

Opponents:

First opponent: Professor Judith Ann Molka-Danielsen, Faculty of Logistics, Molde University College - Specialized University in Logistics

Second opponent: Associate Professor Evode Mukama, College of Education, University of Rwanda

Professor Vladimir Oleshchuk, Department of ICT, University of Agder, is appointed as the administrator for the assessment commitee.

Supervisors were Professor Andreas Prinz, Department of ICT, University of Agder (main supervisor), Associate Professor Ghislain Maurice Norbert Isabwe, Department of ICT, University of Agder and Associate Professor, dr Paul Birevu Muyinda,  Makerere University, Uganda (co-supervisors)

 

What to do as an audience member:

The disputation is open to the public, but to follow the trial lecture and the public defence, which is transmitted via the Zoom conferencing app, you have to click in as an audience member.

We ask audience members to join the virtual trial lecture at 10:05 at the earliest and the public defense at 12:05 at the earliest. After these times, you can leave and rejoin the meeting at any time. Further, we ask audience members to turn off their microphone and camera and keep them turned off throughout the event. You do this at the bottom left of the image when in Zoom. We recommend you use ‘Speaker view’. You select that at the top right corner of the video window when in Zoom.

Opponent ex auditorio:

The chair invites members of the public to pose questions ex auditorio in the introduction to the public defense, with deadlines. Questions can be submitted to the chair, Professor Christian Omlin, on e-mail christian.omlin@uia.no