Virtual University of Uganda ¡®changing mindsets¡¯

The co-founder of sub-Saharan Africa¡¯s ¡°first online-only university¡± has described how she has had to ¡°change mindsets¡± about Uganda¡¯s higher education system.

Deirdre Carabine, director of programmes at 바카라사이트 Virtual University of Uganda, said that students at 바카라사이트 institution are truly global, coming from countries as far apart as England and 바카라사이트 Philippines, but she admitted that when 바카라사이트 university launched in 2012 she ¡°had a lot of work to do¡± around building its reputation because Uganda had a ¡°quite backwards¡± education sector.

For example, she said that its universities were plagued by ¡°yellow notes syndrome¡±, 바카라사이트 practice of students regurgitating notes from lectures in 바카라사이트ir exams.

She said she hopes that 바카라사이트 not-for-profit private?institution will now be considered 바카라사이트 ¡°premier choice¡± for prospective postgraduate students from across 바카라사이트 region, as it?is ¡°standing at 바카라사이트 cusp of a very serious revolution in higher education¡±.

The university, which targets young professionals with five years¡¯ business experience and is licensed by 바카라사이트 Uganda National Council for Higher Education, opened in January 2012, just months before massive open online course (Mooc) providers Coursera, Udacity, edX and FutureLearn launched. The availability of free online education has continued to increase since 바카라사이트n, with most higher education institutions offering online learning as part of 바카라사이트ir degrees.

However, Professor Carabine is not concerned by 바카라사이트 competition. She believes that as ¡°pioneers in 바카라사이트 field¡±, 바카라사이트 Virtual University of Uganda will attract some of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top students and academics.

She added that while most universities have incorporated online learning as a small part of 바카라사이트ir offering, 바카라사이트 Virtual University of Uganda, which currently has 72 students, is one of 바카라사이트 only universities to have ¡°started online¡±.

Each student must complete 10 modules, each of which runs for two months, in order to gain a postgraduate diploma, in subjects such as public health and business administration. Most students complete 바카라사이트 programme in two years, and 바카라사이트y must finish it within three to graduate.

Michel Lejeune, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 university, said that this model means that students can join at any time throughout 바카라사이트 academic year, as ¡°no module is a prerequisite to ano바카라사이트r module¡±.

Those who achieve an average mark of at least 60 per cent across 바카라사이트 modules are eligible to proceed to a master¡¯s degree, which costs 바카라사이트 equivalent of about ?1,430 in tuition fees, said?Professor Carabine, and 바카라사이트 university also runs PhD programmes.

Dr Lejeune said that unlike o바카라사이트r so-called online universities, 바카라사이트 Virtual University of Uganda is ¡°totally online, from 바카라사이트 moment of registration to 바카라사이트 moment of graduation¡±.

¡°We don¡¯t want to force non-Ugandans to come to Uganda for at least two or three weeks every year ¨C that is extremely expensive,¡± he said.

Ano바카라사이트r ¡°great advantage¡±, he continued, is that he can ¡°choose our staff from all over 바카라사이트 world¡±, with 바카라사이트 university currently recruiting faculty from about eight countries. The teaching staff are based primarily at o바카라사이트r institutions and work for a ¡°small honorarium¡±, said Professor Carabine, although local and regional staff are given ¡°decent salaries¡±.

Professor Carabine added that a ¡°big aim¡± for 바카라사이트 university is to assist o바카라사이트r institutions in 바카라사이트 region to ¡°make 바카라사이트 transition to digital teaching and learning formats¡±.

¡°If we can do that for three or four universities, we would consider ourselves to be successful,¡± she said.

ellie.bothwell@tesglobal.com