[UAH] ONLINE COURSES MAY SPELL END FOR TRADITIONAL UNIVERSITIES!!!

Online courses may spell end for traditional universities

By Joyce Nyakato

When you click on many a website, you are most likely to be bombarded with adverts promising a quick and easy degree. Sometimes the name of the university seems to echo that of a prestigious University. Some students risk being duped. But keep your eyes open.

However, with the right research done, if you come across a good online degree, you will reap dividends from it. Coming to this decision between an online degree and an on-campus degree, has become more common nowadays.

The music industry, publishing, transportation, and retail – they have all experienced the great technological disruption. Now, it is education's turn. Distance learning is increasingly popular and one of the reasons is the growing number of free courses being offered online.

Over the past couple of years increasing numbers of universities across Europe and the US have set up web-based resources known as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). These MOOCs make recorded lectures, course materials and academic discussion forums freely available to anyone who wants to use them.

But in Uganda, this comes with the realisation that National Council of Higher Education has started accrediting institutions; which run such online programs.

Some universities use free courses not only as a shop window for the other courses they offer, but also as a way of sharing good practice with other institutions, experimenting with new technology and of seeing what does and does not work in distance education.

This is important because the availability of higher bandwidths and progress in developing effective systems of online assessment, combined with increasing demand, means that paid-for distance learning is also booming.

According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, the number of distance learning students registered at UK institutions grew from 238,800 in 2006/07 to 271,445 in 2010/11.

Bricks and mortar universities no longer have the capacity to deal with the number of students there are going to be in future, so online learning has to be the way to go.

Apart from inadequate staff, there is a serious problem of deteriorating physical infrastructure in most universities, especially public ones; due to the exploding enrolment in universities. The rapid enrolment is not matched a corresponding increase in physical infrastructure.

The most recent studies show that the lecture rooms/student ratio for Makerere is 0.32sq.m; 1.81sq.m for Kyambogo; 1.85sq.m for MUST; and 1.26sq.m for Gulu. MUBS is at 0.23sq.m.But all these fall short of the NCHE ideal of 2.5sq.m per student; implying all the universities have terribly congested lecture rooms.

Dr John Muyingo, the state minister for higher education says that online degrees are increasing in the fast evolution of the information, communication and technology. He explains that the advantage of doing an online degree, is keeping your job as you study compared to the traditional methods where enrolling for studies may impact negatively on someone's work.

In Uganda, we have some online courses that are affiliated by learning partners abroad. But, not all of them have foreign affiliations.

One of the online degree producers in Uganda include Management and Accountancy training (MAT) in Uganda; which offers three online degree programmes which provide a great flexibility for students who want to do the degree at their own terms.

"By choosing to go to study online other than having contact with lecturers, you will be allowed to do a degree on your terms," explains Jeff Thompson, the Managing Director of MAT. Usually, the courses are formulated in a module, which means you can undertake a given number of modules at a time, till you graduate. For every level that you finish, you get a certificate or a diploma like in the case of MAT.

Those who have objected to the idea of online degrees say that there is less personal interaction with the lecturers, as compared to the traditional way of university teaching. There is a myth that since you are not required to be on campus, online students may feel disconnected from their own institutions. This would include missing out on on-campus activities and campus associations.

However, Jean Katongole, the head of administration at MAT explains that that the world is changing; which may necessitate people working while studying.

So an online degree provides for them an ability to juggle between studies and their work. Doing an online course with an approved learning partner usually links students. For instance, on completion of the degree, students who can afford travel to abroad to attend their graduation ceremonies. However, even those who cannot attend the ceremonies, get their qualification papers delivered to them.

Dr Muyingo advises that whoever is looking for an online degree should do so in a field that is not highly practical. For example, some medicine degrees may require students to go to campus and participate in the practical aspects of the course.

If students cannot afford being at campus physically, they drop out, after wasting so much money. "There needs to be guidance before people can embark on any online degrees," he advises.

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AROMA PATRICK-THE TRUE SON OF UGANDA!!!THIS IS MY COUNTRY!!!THIS IS MY MOTHERLAND-THE PEARL OF AFRICA DOES NOT BELONG TO THE MAFIAS ALONE,I WHO IS WALKING IN THE SHADOWS OF DEATH DAILY  AND LIVING  ON BORROWED TIMES  UNDER GOD'S PROTECTION  SINCE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD,BURIED SIX FEET UNDER-I,THE UNWANTED AND HATED,THE MOST VILIFIED AND SABOTAGED,THE DOWNTRODDEN AND CRIPPLED,THE INNOCENTLY DELIBERATELY TORTURED AND PERSECUTED IS ALSO A SHAREHOLDER AND A STAKEHOLDER WITH FULL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS TO PARTICIPATE IN ITS DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSFORMATION IN ALL SECTORS AND SPHERES-NO GOING TO EXILE,NO RETREAT AND NO SURRENDER TO THE MAFIAS!!!THE END MUST SET ALL UGANDANS FREE AND CREATE A BETTER LIFE FOR ALL!!! "THE RIGHT TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT AND COURTESY,THE RIGHT TO LIVE AND THE RIGHT TO DIGNITY ARE NOT FAVORS TO BE BESTOWED BY ANYBODY:THEY ARE THE BIRTH RIGHT OF EVERY HUMAN BEING"DECLARES PRESIDENT YOWERI MUSEVENI AT THE BEGINNING OF HIS BUSH WAR IN 1981!!!page 182-paragraph two The Minds of Achievers-The Seeds of Greatness by GRACE MUSIIME MUGYENZI

MANAGING DIRECTOR

CAMKWOKI INVESTMENTS LIMITED

Dealers in General Merchandise, Agro Input and Chemicals and Agro- Processing(Value Addition BAKERY)

LIRA BUS PARK  SHOP NO:57/ LABOURLINE TRADING CENTER AND BAL-PE MARKET ON ALEBTONG-BARR ROAD 

P.O Box 268-LIRA,TEL:+256-782-658-458

 A VICTIM OF APARTHEID ETHNICALLY ENTRENCHED GENOCIDAL CUM TERRORIST MAFIA DICTATORSHIP OF MUSEVENI,SUPER -BLOODY MAFIA STRATEGIST AMAMA MBABAZI,THE DEADLY SAM ENGOLA/MUSEVENI LANGO HENCHMAN  AND THEIR MAFIAS OPPOSITION/LANGO MAFIA  NETWORKS PLUS A VICTIM OF NORTHERN UGANDA NRM GRAND HUMAN RESOURCE DESTRUCTION POLICY OF ITS POTENTIALS AND GRAND NRM ECONOMIC SABOTAGE PLANS TO KEEP THE NORTH PERPETUALLY IN POVERTY/TURN US INTO BEGGARS,A NORTHERN UGANDA GENOCIDE SURVIVOR,MY RIGHT LEG BROKEN ON 24/JUNE/2001 IN  FRONT OF SAM ENGOLA LIRA HOTEL IN THE PRESENCE OF PRESIDENTIAL GUARD BRIGADE WHO PROTECTED MUSEVENI IN LIRA WHILE CAMPAIGNING FOR SAM ENGOLA THAT DAY-SURVIVING DEATH MIRACULOUSLY DUE TO GOD'S PROTECTION  AND I ESCAPED SEVERAL MURDER ATTEMPTS ON MY LIFE  RIGHT FROM 2000 TO DATE-POLITICALLY PERSECUTED,ECONOMICALLY SABOTAGED IN BUSINESS AND MY NGO PROJECTS, DENIED ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES IN LIFE/ EDUCATION-EXPELLED FROM MAKERERE UNIVERSITY IN FOURTH YEAR  WHILE PURSUING BACHELOR OF LAWS  AND COMPLETELY FRUSTRATED IN TERMS OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT,SOCIALLY DISLOCATED -ISOLATED AND LIVING IN PAINED PHYSICALLY,MENTALLY,EMOTIONALLY WHILE SPIRITUALLY FOUGHT WITH NRM EVIL SPIRITS(MAYEMBES/KIFARO) AND CULTURALLY UPROOTED BECAUSE OF OPPOSING/DISAGREEING WITH MUSEVENI & HIS NRM MAFIA POLITICAL  PARTY,HAILING FROM A WRONG REGION/ TRIBE/CLAN .I PATRICK AROMA TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE AFFIRM AND CONFIRM THAT WHAT I HAVE STATED HERE IS THE TRUTH AND THE WHOLE TRUTH NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.CAN YOU IMAGINE THIS BEING DONE TO YOU OR YOUR SON BY YOUR OWN GOVERNMENT??? A MAFIA GOVERNMENT IN MY OWN MOTHERLAND WHO HATES TO SEE MY PROGRESS, PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY -IF THIS IS NOT APARTHEID THEN WHAT IS IT ??? FROM 1999-2004 I WAS ON TEL:NO 0772-621-761 which MTN MADE IT IN ACCESSIBLE/BLOCKED AND LATER SOLD TO ANOTHER PERSON BEFORE TAKING ON 0782-658-458.ALL MY COMMUNICATIONS AT THAT MATERIAL TIME CAN BE ACCESSED ON 0772-621-761. 

MY FIFTY YEARS DEADLY JOURNEY TO THE GOLDEN TRAGEDIES OF OUR MOTHERLAND-WHY I NEVER CELEBRATED THE  JUBILEE AND HAS NEVER LIVED MY LIFE!!!

1962-1975-1 was not yet born

1976-1979-IDI AMIN MURDERED MY UNCLES THE LATE HON: AROMA MARTIN,EMOR BEN AND MY FATHER THE LATE PETER OGWAL 

1980-1986

WE SURVIVED ON RELIEF FOOD (YELLO POSHO +BEANS) under very difficult conditions as orphans though we had plenty of cattle that was eventually stolen by NRM/UPDF

1986-2000 My Childhood Destruction

NRA/UPDF STOLE ALL OUR CATTLE WHEN I WAS LOOKING AFTER THEM AND RAPED MY COUSIN SISTER IN MY PRESENCE

Museveni SURAMBAYA FIGHTER JETS BOMBS OUR HOME VILLAGE-FIVE KILOMETERS FROM LIRA TOWN AND I SURVIVED AS MANY INNOCENT CIVILIANS WERE KILLED PLUS LIVE STOCKS ON OUR VILLAGE COMPOUNDS BY BOMBS AS WE SCAMPER FOR SAFETY

Alice Lakwena War BEGAN that really exposed us to a lot of dead bodies bombed,shot and cut with matchetes LYING LIFELESS FROM OUR VILLAGE TO LIRA TOWN

Gen: David Tinyefuza OPERATIONS NORTH where even Children were not spared KIBOKO-we were thoroughly caned by UPDF as they arrested the 18 famous Northern Uganda Politicians at that material time

2000-2012

NRA Mafias start my PERSECUTION at Makerere University

Breaking of my leg

Expulsion from Makerere

Museveni STATE HOUSE PLUS THEIR MAFIA NETWORKS ON MY HOT PURSUIT DEVISING ALL STRATEGIES TO MURDER ME

 2012 ON WARDS

• STILL SURVIVING THE MAFIAS,LIVING IN FEAR AND PAIN,BEING HUNTED LEFT,RIGHT AND CENTER BY MAFIAS PLUS THEIR NETWORKS.
• ON 29/JANUARY/2004 DURING RADIO ONE EKIMEEZA TALKSHOW AT CLUB OBBLIGATTO I REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF MUSEVENI CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION BOUGHT FROM NORTH KOREA AND IRAN-THAT WAS HIDDEN UNDER GULU AIRPORT HUNKER AND THE UNITED NATIONS GRABBED,DESTROYED AND TOOK AWAY THE REMAINING ONES TO UNKNOWN DESTINATION-THIS IS ONE REASON WHY PRESIDENT MUSEVENI AND HIS MAFIAS CAN NEVER-NEVER-I SAY NEVER FORGIVE ME SINCE I EXPOSED AND SPOILED THEIR DEADLY DESTRUCTIVE AGENDA FOR NORTHERN UGANDA!!!

ON-TOP OF THE ABOVE,NO TERM LIMITS PROMOTING LIFE PRESIDENCY, CREATING HOPELESSNESS, UNCERTAINTY & CONSOLIDATING APARTHIED PLUS TRIBALISM, THERE IS MASSIVE POVERTY,UNEMPLOYMENT,HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES,IMPUNITY,MURDERS,INEQUALITY,GENOCIDE,DISUNITY IN THE COUNTRY,ETC

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