Innovative New Teaching Approach Launched
Students arriving at Adama University this academic year are being met by an innovative new approach to teaching and learning. eLearning, with content developed by the university staff with support from the Engineering Capacity Building Program (ecbp), has been introduced for the first time in Ethiopia and is already being utilized at both of the universities’ campuses.
With 24 hour access to interactive education material, students enrolled in the 7 initial courses offering eLearning have a greater variety of practical tools at their fingertips. Betsega Million, a student participating in an eLearning course, says that he “believes that eTeaching will help us a lot.”
This is only the beginning for Adama University and all Ethiopian universities. According to Professor, Dr. Eichele, President of Adama University, the university will be “expanding this type of teaching to many more courses.” He also added that he “encouraged no one at the university to be reluctant to utilize this program.”
The eLearning environment will not only grow at Adama University, but plans are already underway to add eLearning courses at other Ethiopian universities. His Excellency Wondwossen Kiflu, State Minister of Education and ecbp Director and Dr. Mebrahtu Meles, ecbp Program Director both stressed that that eLearning should be scaled up to additional universities using the best practices and lessons from Adama University.
eLearning is a combination of tools offered in an electronic format such as texts, videos, interactive exercises, and much more. Teachers carefully plan out their curriculum and upload relevant content in addition to their standard teaching material to the eLearning server where students can access the material. While the burden on teachers may be intensive at the beginning; looking forward they have a carefully planned curriculum in place which can be updated and revised year by year.
In addition to the eLearning system, teachers conduct regular classes with the students in what is referred to as blended learning. Blended learning is the combination of face to face instruction and the utilization of interactive electronic tools to enhance the learning experience. The on.e | eCapacity Development team of ecbp takes the role of training instructors in modern teaching methodologies to ensure the proper utilization of blended learning.
The advantages are plentiful for both students and teachers. Besides better communication between the two groups, they both will gain an increasing knowledge of a variety of media and technologies as they more regularly utilize these devices. Students will also gain easier access to lecture materials as well as additional tools which increase the interactivity in the learning process. Teachers will be able to manage there materials in a more organized fashion in addition to gaining more flexibility in their teaching methods and free up more of their time since the system automatically marks and grades student performance.
The material for these initial 7 courses was self-developed by Adama University through its newly established eCompetence Center. The establishment of this Center was supported by the on.e | eCapacity Development department of ecbp. The eCompetence Center is crucial for the successful transition into an eLearning environment as it provides technical and didactical services to the university as well as removing the technical burden from the instructors. The Center is responsible for collaborating with instructors and developing the content for the eLearning system. In addition it gives trainings and raises awareness within the campus about eLearning so that the content can be utilized to its maximum potential.
In conjunction with the eLearning material, Adama University already has 15,000 publications in its eLibrary, an online collection of books and journals. The eLibrary gives students increased access to global information from which they can broaden their knowledge and perspectives.
on.e | eCapacity Development is already helping to establish eCompetence Centers at Jimma, Bahir Dar and Mekelle Universities so that these universities will soon benefit from the enhanced learning environment. Plans are also being made to expand to the other universities in the near future.