Proscovia N A M U B I R U Ssentamu | Uganda Management Institute (original) (raw)

Addressing pedagogical training needs of teaching by Proscovia N A M U B I R U Ssentamu

Journal of Research Innovation and Implications in Education, 4(3), 75-87., 2020

The purpose of this research was to determine how academic staff in Ugandan universities are impl... more The purpose of this research was to determine how academic staff in Ugandan universities are implementing internal quality assurance (IQA) practices in their universities. The study examined the internal and external factors that determine an individual academic staff‘s perception of the IQA practices using a concurrent mixed methods design. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 321 respondents using self-administered questionnaires and key informant interviews. Data analysis and interpretation was grounded on Lipsky’s (1980) theory of street level bureaucracy and Ajzen’s (1991) theory of planned behavior. The analyses which reflect the views of a pragmatic realist, show that academic staff are positive about the presence of IQA practices in their universities, but they are not involved in the policy planning and they do not get relevant feedback from the different IQA activities they undertake. There was evidence of little understanding and application of institutional research (IR) to inform quality assurance and other management practices. This research thus recommends the adoption of an evidence-based dialogue (EBD) model. This model is an original proposition that provides a framework to integrate institutional research with IQA practices as well as facilitating constructive communication between university management and academic staff.

ternational Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT), 2019, Vol. 15, Issue 2, pp. 98-116, 2019

Most universities in Uganda encourage memorization as the predominant method of learning. This ha... more Most universities in Uganda encourage memorization as the predominant method of learning. This has been partly linked to limited practical pedagogical skills among educators, to effectively engage students to develop Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS). Consequently, students are not well prepared for the world after university. WhatsApp Enabled Learning (WAEL) has been found to support approaches to learning that promote development of HOTS, like inquiry, creativity, critical reflection and dialogue. Although many universities in Uganda have been using LMSs, there is little evidence that use of an LMS has enhanced development of HOTS. While the Ugandan society is catching on fast with use of WhatsApp due to increased access to mobile technology devices and Internet connectivity, use of WhatsApp in education is still limited. Additionally, there is limited research on the benefits of WAEL to development of HOTS in African countries. This paper examines how WAEL can facilitate development of HOTS through a general literature analysis and using the Activity Theory (AT) framework. The results show that WhatsApp has a great potential to support development of HOTS due to its affordances such as ubiquity, and AT provides a systematic and practical way to demonstrate this potential and how it can be applied.

International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. a-b, October 2018, 2018

his study assessed the influence of performance monitoring on quality teaching and research in pr... more his study assessed the influence of performance monitoring on quality teaching and research in private Universities in Uganda. Specifically, the study investigated how performance tracking, performance reviews, performance dialogue, and consequence management influence quality teaching and research. A positivist approach and cross sectional survey design were adopted for the study. Four chartered private Universities were selected using disproportionate stratified random sampling, basing on the foundation status. Data were collected from 181 lecturers, 5 Deans, 23 Heads of Department, 3 Quality Assurance officers, 3 Senior Officers from the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) and 39 Student Leaders using a questionnaire, interviews, documents reviews and observation methods. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses, collaborated with content analysis were used to analyze the data. Study findings revealed a positive contribution of performance monitoring to quality teaching and research. The study concluded that staff performance monitoring practices in private universities are coercive and unsustainable in enhancing quality teaching and research. Therefore, the authors recommend that managers in the sampled private universities should use a variety of participatory-oriented performance monitoring mechanisms where targets are agreed upon, constructive feedback is provided on staff performance and staff are rewarding based on performance reviews.

Journal of Education and Practice, 2018

This study explored the relationship between staff participation and quality teaching and researc... more This study explored the relationship between staff participation and quality teaching and research in private Universities in Uganda. The study was triggered by the persistent criticisms about the low quality of university graduates and the poor research output from the private universities. The study was approached from the positivist research paradigm and a descriptive cross-sectional survey research design was specifically used to conduct the study. Data were collected from four private chartered universities and the respondents included 181 lecturers, 23 heads of department, 5 Deans, 3 quality assurance officers, 3 Directors of research, 3 senior staff from National council for higher education (NCHE) and 39 student leaders. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and content analysis were used to analyze the data collected. Study findings revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between staff participation and quality teaching (r =0.457, P=0.000<0.05) and, staff participation and quality of research (r =0.562, P=0.000<0.05). Thus, it was concluded that the level of staff participation in planning, implementation of the planned activities, and decision making, partly corresponds to improved quality teaching and research, other factors notwithstanding. Therefore, the researchers recommended that in order to enhance quality, the private universities and the NCHE need to develop comprehensive policies that can be based upon to enhance staff participation in planning and decision making on activities that directly enhance the quality of teaching and research.

International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT), 2016, Vol. 12, Issue 3, pp. 128-140., 2016

Uganda's higher education system has generally been criticized for concentrating on theory leadin... more Uganda's higher education system has generally been criticized for concentrating on theory leading to a mismatch between training received and practical skills required by employers. Studies have documented the inability of graduates from some programmes at Makerere University in applying knowledge in the work environment. This could partly be attributed the use of traditional teaching methods, which do not adequately develop higher order cognitive skills and knowledge application in real life situations. Therefore, the study explored how technological approaches can be adopted to produce better graduates with ability to apply knowledge in real life situations. The study aimed to explore 1) how Facebook affords students to transfer knowledge acquired in the lecture room to the workroom and 2) the usefulness of Activity Theory (AT) as a lens to analyze how students interact with Facebook to develop knowledge application skills. Current methods of knowledge application were reviewed to identify gaps, strengths and effectiveness of Facebook learning activities guided by AT which is a useful social learning theory for studying transfer and knowledge application in new contexts among activity systems. Second year Bachelor of Information Technology students interacted with Facebook as a mediating tool to post videos installing an operating system on the page and interact with peers and their lecturer. Analysis of students' interaction with Facebook activities, practices and implications, and the potential of AT for research, development and dissemination is presented. Findings show the usefulness of AT in clarifying how interactions in Facebook and contradictions occur. Finally, limitations of using AT in understanding how Facebook develops knowledge application skills and recommendations for future research are highlighted. 1.

Higher Education Research 2020; 5(4): 103-116, 2020

One of the challenges facing higher education institutions in general and Uganda in particular, i... more One of the challenges facing higher education institutions in general and Uganda in particular, is the widening gulf between increased use of technology for teaching and learning and achieving meaningful learning outcomes, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we report on one use of technology where a teacher's integration of YouTube videos in teaching increased students' levels of interaction with the content of the video, with peers and with the instructor (teacher). Guided by the sequential mixed-method design, a series of online learning activities were designed and matched with a carefully selected YouTube video. The activity was piloted and refined for use on purposefully selected teaching staff. The staff watched the videos that were uploaded on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and responded to online learning tasks at individual and group levels. The VLE served as a knowledge sharing space for reflections. The paper concludes that lesson design was critical in enriching the VLE with carefully selected YouTube videos. Our key recommendations are: focus on the learning outcomes, design for the desired interactions, build into the task reflections, and decide whether to pre-select YouTube videos for students or to allow students to find appropriate YouTube videos; use reflections and knowledge sharing spaces. Further work has built reflective questions in the video which allows student to pause and reflect.

Africa Education Review 7 (2), 2014

The study examined the influence of teaching practicum supervisors’ identity on student assessmen... more The study examined the influence of teaching practicum supervisors’ identity on student assessment during the practicum. Identity was based on supervisors’ teaching experience and subject background. Using a confirmatory research design with qualitative and quantitative methods, data was drawn from 150 assessment forms on lessons observed by 15 supervisors’ during practicum besides follow-up interviews. Findings show that there is no relationship between supervisors’ identity and assessment of stu- dents’ knowledge of subject content. However, a significant relationship is suggested between supervisors’ identity and rating of students’ teaching plans, communication, use of instructional materials, classroom management, and evaluation of the teaching and learning process. Emphasis during assessment was placed on context-dependent rather than context- independent variables of the observed lessons. Context-dependent aspects are perceived differently by supervisors because they require students to reconstruct acquired knowl- edge to solve diverse teaching-related challenges. The assessment form completed by supervisors during lesson observation is a platform for discourse between the objective and subjective elements of assessment, whose outcome eventually determines students’ teaching performance. The form elevates supervisors to final judges as they negotiate along the objective and subjective continuum. Although perceived as rigid, it ensures validity and reliability of the scores obtained.

Perspectives in Education, 28(2):31-40., 2010

This paper explores the role of journal writing in enhancing student teachers’ learning during sc... more This paper explores the role of journal writing in enhancing student teachers’ learning during school practice. It analyses data from 22 student teachers’ journals and 23 questionnaires. The study focuses on the areas that student teachers reflected on most, the nature of their reflection and the extent to which previous experiences informed their subsequent reflection and learning. Findings showed that student teachers frequently reflected on handling indiscipline issues, procedures and outcomes of supervision, but less on their own learning. Inadequate reflection on their learning suggests that journal writing has not yet sufficiently promoted student teachers’ professional growth. Generally, the examination and cultural orientation in the Ugandan society influence student teachers’ journal writing. Finally, the paper proposes strategies for improving journal writing in order to enhance the potential of students learning from reflection during school practice.

Vernon Press, 2023

Translating learning into collaborative research: Reflections from a postgraduate cohort: This ... more Translating learning into collaborative research: Reflections from
a postgraduate cohort:

This chapter shares the reflections of a group of colleagues from three institutions who began collaborating during a one-year Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Technology course at the University of Cape Town. The course design is based on a modular approach, and taught using a blended mode of delivery, with intensive blocks of face-to-face engagement, combined with extended online and distance learning. Authentic learning through use of emerging technologies provides opportunities to support team teaching, hands-on group learning, and self- and peer assessment. Each of the four modules on the course has a project or research-based assignment. Students work closely with their peers and facilitators to design and develop individual research- and practice-based projects that seek to provide proactive educational and technological solutions to teaching and learning in their home institutions. Woven throughout the chapter are reflections, by the authors (comprisingstudents and course facilitators) on how their learning on the course translated into practice in their respective contexts, and consequently how their practice developed into publishable research outputs. The authors provide in-depth reflection on their collaboration with each other during and after the course, unpacking how they moved beyond individual assignments to collaborative research and publication. The scope and forms of collaborative teaching, learning and research, tools and technologies used to collaborate with and support each other, and skills needed to nurture this collaboration are explored. This provides an example of blended co-teaching, co-learning and co-researching in cross-cultural contexts to facilitate inter-institutional collaborative spaces, with support from a variety of educational technologies and tools. The chapter contributes to the discourse on emerging collaborative teaching and research approaches that may inform and shape strategies to advance Africa’s research agenda. It will also explore the advantages of and challenges faced in inter-institutional collaborative teaching and research engagement using technologies in multicultural settings, and reflect on how the challenges can be managed.

Tuning Journal for Higher Education, 2014

With the urge to Africanise the curriculum following colonisation, many African countries are sti... more With the urge to Africanise the curriculum following colonisation, many African countries are still wary of the educational initiatives from the developed countries. However, with the clear curriculum design and development guidelines provided by various national Quality Assurance bodies, African countries need not fear migrating curricula from developed countries. Drawing from the workshop experiences, authors of this paper illustrate the steps involved in migrating, contextualising and adapting a professional field of study in a multi-institutional partnership, with particular focus on the competence-based curriculum design and development process. The process of migrating higher education (HE) Administration, Leadership and Management curriculum taught at the University of Tampere (Finland) to a Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education Leadership and Management (PGDHELM) curriculum at Uganda Management Institute (UMI) in partnership with the Makerere University and the University of Helsinki involved undertaking a needs assessment, training of trainers and adapting the programme to the UMI context. The training of trainers provided opportunity for the trainees to reflect and generate information on the status of HE leadership and management in Uganda. The curriculum was institutionalised by aligning it to the vision, mission and profile of UMI in the context of the existing internal and external Quality Assurance frameworks. This paper underscores the importance of involving stakeholders, taking into account national and institutional requirements in all the steps when migrating an academic curriculum.
Keywords: competence-based curriculum; curriculum design; curriculum development; training programmes; quality assurance; partnership; internationalisation; infusion; higher education.

Tuning Journal for Higher Education, 2014

With the urge to Africanise the curriculum following colonisation, many African countries are sti... more With the urge to Africanise the curriculum following colonisation,
many African countries are still wary of the educational initiatives from the developed countries. However, with the clear curriculum design and development guidelines provided by various national Quality Assurance bodies, African countries need not fear migrating curricula from developed countries. Drawing from the workshop experiences, authors of this paper illustrate the steps involved in migrating, contextualising and adapting a professional field of study in a multi-institutional partnership, with particular focus on the competence-based
curriculum design and development process. The process of migrating higher education (HE) Administration, Leadership and Management curriculum taught at the University of Tampere (Finland) to a Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education Leadership and Management (PGDHELM) curriculum at Uganda Management Institute (UMI) in partnership with the Makerere University and the University of Helsinki involved undertaking a needs assessment, training of trainers and adapting the programme to the UMI context. The training of trainers provided opportunity for the trainees to reflect and generate information on the status of HE leadership and management in Uganda. The curriculum was institutionalised by aligning it to the vision, mission and profile of UMI in the context of the existing internal and external Quality Assurance frameworks. This paper underscores the importance of involving stakeholders, taking into account national and institutional requirements in all the steps when migrating an academic curriculum.

African Evaluation Journal, 2018

Background: Growing demand for higher education by national governments and their citizens, and t... more Background: Growing demand for higher education by national governments and their citizens, and the growth of public and private higher education institutions resulting from increased enrollment have augmented the demand for monitoring and evaluation (M&E). Consequently, the National Council for Higher Education in Uganda was established and mandated to among others monitor, evaluate and regulate higher education institutions.
Objectives: To explore good practices, drawbacks and improvement strategies in the external peer M&E of higher education institutions.
Method: Using the qualitative research design, data were collected from 15 peers invited by the Council to participate in external M&E visits to higher education institutions.
Results: Several categories of good external peer M&E practices and drawbacks emerged including statutory provisions for the external M&E exercise by the Council; purpose, planning and capacity for undertaking external M&E activities; involvement of peers and professional bodies; and political and legal interference.
Conclusion: Despite availability of an M&E framework and involvement of peers, the current external M&E model is centralised, bureaucratic and summative and therefore generally not supportive of continuous institutional improvement based on feedback from M&E visits. The current Higher Education Law should be amended; the Council M&E framework and practices should be periodically reviewed to match trends and needs, a gradual shift from compliance to participatory and performance-based M&E, and creation of a good policy environment to nurture the growth and development of institutional self-monitoring and evaluation mechanisms geared towards a culture of continuous self-improvement.

This paper reviews the ideological trends in initial teacher education curricula in East African ... more This paper reviews the ideological trends in initial teacher education curricula in East African universities during the post-independent and contemporary times. From the mid-1960s and mid-1980s, initial teacher education curricula were integrated and harmonised with support from the East African Community whose efforts were coordinated by the Inter-University Council for East Africa. With the breakup of the Community in 1977, each independent state pursued its own educational strategy. However, underfunding of the public sector by governments, introduction of market-friendly reforms under the World Bank Structural Adjustment Programme in 1987 and the de-regularisation policies led to the liberalisation of public services, including education. Liberalisation affected among others, the quality of the initial teacher education curricula. Consequently, national councils and commissions for higher education were established to control standards in higher education, and the Inter-University Council for East Africa was revived to standardise and harmonise educational standards at regional level. The review shows that over the past five decades, the structure and organisation of initial teacher education curricula has continuously adjusted itself and been adjusted to a hybrid culture blending classical humanism, utilitarianism, social re-constructionism, market and global ideologies. Comparable ideological inclinations at socioeconomic and political levels have influenced this trend in the region. The paper highlights the implications of such trends on the future of initial teacher education in the region.

Faculty quality is a key variable in the quality of teaching and learning. However, although lear... more Faculty quality is a key variable in the quality of teaching and learning. However, although learning is the basis for teaching, the circumstances under which faculty learn largely remain unexplained. This paper focuses on the opportunities and threats to learning by faculty at Uganda Management Institute (UMI). The paper is based on a study of the evaluations completed by faculty at a pedagogical workshop organised to strengthen their teaching knowledge, skills and attitudes. A case study confirmatory research design was used to identify and analyze the opportunities and threats affecting learning based on the theories of constructivism, social constructivism and the principles of adult learning. Findings confirm that learning opportunities and threats are dependent on the degree of support from significant others, the content, methods and environment (Reigeluth & Carr-Chellman, 2009; Aldridge & Fraser, 1999; Seaman & Fellenz, 1989). Faculty were more critical of the strengths and weaknesses of the facilitators, methods and environment than they were of the content and of themselves as learners. The evaluation of the former focused on the conduct and management of these constructs than on the constructs themselves. Limited self-reflection and criticism could be viewed from a wider Ugandan cultural perspective. Whereas the teaching of content could be evaluated differently, content itself is a context-independent variable, and therefore a stable phenomenon (Ssentamu, 2010). Based on the findings, higher education institutions could holistically focus on colleagues, facilitators, content, methods and environment as key constructs in enhancing faculty learning both at strategic and operational levels.

Faculty quality is a key variable in the quality of teaching and learning. However, although lear... more Faculty quality is a key variable in the quality of teaching and learning. However, although learning is the basis for teaching, the circumstances under which faculty learn largely remain unexplained. This paper focuses on the opportunities and threats to learning by faculty at Uganda Management Institute (UMI). The paper is based on a study of the evaluations completed by faculty at a pedagogical workshop organised to strengthen their teaching knowledge, skills and attitudes. A case study confirmatory research design was used to identify and analyze the opportunities and threats affecting learning based on the theories of constructivism, social constructivism and the principles of adult learning. Findings confirm that learning opportunities and threats are dependent on the degree of support from significant others, the content, methods and environment . Faculty were more critical of the strengths and weaknesses of the facilitators, methods and environment than they were of the content and of themselves as learners. The evaluation of the former focused on the conduct and management of these constructs than on the constructs themselves. Limited self-reflection and criticism could be viewed from a wider Ugandan cultural perspective. Whereas the teaching of content could be evaluated differently, content itself is a context-independent variable, and therefore a stable phenomenon . Based on the findings, higher education institutions could holistically focus on colleagues, facilitators, content, methods and environment as key constructs in enhancing faculty learning both at strategic and operational levels.

Production editor and typesetting: Marion Boers [011 803 2681 words@boers.org.za] Printing: Laser... more Production editor and typesetting: Marion Boers [011 803 2681 words@boers.org.za] Printing: Laser Facilities [011 699 8300] A journal of comparative education and history of education

Opportunities and threats to learning: lessons fro by Proscovia N A M U B I R U Ssentamu

Migrating a professional field of study in a mult by Proscovia N A M U B I R U Ssentamu

Teacher Educator Identities and Students’ Assessme by Proscovia N A M U B I R U Ssentamu

Namubiru Ssentamu P. (2014). “Ideological trend by Proscovia N A M U B I R U Ssentamu

Africa Education Review, 2010

The study examined the influence of teaching practicum supervisors' identity on student assessmen... more The study examined the influence of teaching practicum supervisors' identity on student assessment during the practicum. Identity was based on supervisors' teaching experience and subject background. Using a confirmatory research design with qualitative and quantitative methods, data was drawn from 150 assessment forms on lessons observed by 15 supervisors' during practicum besides follow-up interviews. Findings show that there is no relationship between supervisors' identity and assessment of students' knowledge of subject content. However, a significant relationship is suggested between supervisors' identity and rating of students' teaching plans, communication, use of instructional materials, classroom management, and evaluation of the teaching and learning process.Emphasis during assessment was placed on context-dependent rather than contextindependent variables of the observed lessons. Context-dependent aspects are perceived differently by supervisors because they require students to reconstruct acquired knowledge to solve diverse teaching-related challenges. The assessment form completed by supervisors during lesson observation is a platform for discourse between the objective and subjective elements of assessment, whose outcome eventually determines students' teaching performance. The form elevates supervisors to final judges as they negotiate along the objective and subjective continuum. Although perceived as rigid, it ensures validity and reliability of the scores obtained.

Journal of Research Innovation and Implications in Education, 4(3), 75-87., 2020

ternational Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT), 2019, Vol. 15, Issue 2, pp. 98-116, 2019

International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. a-b, October 2018, 2018

Journal of Education and Practice, 2018

International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT), 2016, Vol. 12, Issue 3, pp. 128-140., 2016

Higher Education Research 2020; 5(4): 103-116, 2020

Africa Education Review 7 (2), 2014

Perspectives in Education, 28(2):31-40., 2010

Vernon Press, 2023

Translating learning into collaborative research: Reflections from a postgraduate cohort: This ... more Translating learning into collaborative research: Reflections from
a postgraduate cohort:

Tuning Journal for Higher Education, 2014

With the urge to Africanise the curriculum following colonisation, many African countries are sti... more With the urge to Africanise the curriculum following colonisation,
many African countries are still wary of the educational initiatives from the developed countries. However, with the clear curriculum design and development guidelines provided by various national Quality Assurance bodies, African countries need not fear migrating curricula from developed countries. Drawing from the workshop experiences, authors of this paper illustrate the steps involved in migrating, contextualising and adapting a professional field of study in a multi-institutional partnership, with particular focus on the competence-based
curriculum design and development process. The process of migrating higher education (HE) Administration, Leadership and Management curriculum taught at the University of Tampere (Finland) to a Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education Leadership and Management (PGDHELM) curriculum at Uganda Management Institute (UMI) in partnership with the Makerere University and the University of Helsinki involved undertaking a needs assessment, training of trainers and adapting the programme to the UMI context. The training of trainers provided opportunity for the trainees to reflect and generate information on the status of HE leadership and management in Uganda. The curriculum was institutionalised by aligning it to the vision, mission and profile of UMI in the context of the existing internal and external Quality Assurance frameworks. This paper underscores the importance of involving stakeholders, taking into account national and institutional requirements in all the steps when migrating an academic curriculum.

African Evaluation Journal, 2018

Faculty quality is a key variable in the quality of teaching and learning. However, although lear... more Faculty quality is a key variable in the quality of teaching and learning. However, although learning is the basis for teaching, the circumstances under which faculty learn largely remain unexplained. This paper focuses on the opportunities and threats to learning by faculty at Uganda Management Institute (UMI). The paper is based on a study of the evaluations completed by faculty at a pedagogical workshop organised to strengthen their teaching knowledge, skills and attitudes. A case study confirmatory research design was used to identify and analyze the opportunities and threats affecting learning based on the theories of constructivism, social constructivism and the principles of adult learning. Findings confirm that learning opportunities and threats are dependent on the degree of support from significant others, the content, methods and environment . Faculty were more critical of the strengths and weaknesses of the facilitators, methods and environment than they were of the content and of themselves as learners. The evaluation of the former focused on the conduct and management of these constructs than on the constructs themselves. Limited self-reflection and criticism could be viewed from a wider Ugandan cultural perspective. Whereas the teaching of content could be evaluated differently, content itself is a context-independent variable, and therefore a stable phenomenon . Based on the findings, higher education institutions could holistically focus on colleagues, facilitators, content, methods and environment as key constructs in enhancing faculty learning both at strategic and operational levels.

Africa Education Review, 2010

Higher Education Research, 2020

One of the challenges facing higher education institutions in general and Uganda in particular, i... more One of the challenges facing higher education institutions in general and Uganda in particular, is the widening gulf
between increased use of technology for teaching and learning and achieving meaningful learning outcomes, especially in the
face of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we report on one use of technology where a teacher’s integration of YouTube
videos in teaching increased students’ levels of interaction with the content of the video, with peers and with the instructor
(teacher). Guided by the sequential mixed-method design, a series of online learning activities were designed and matched with a
carefully selected YouTube video. The activity was piloted and refined for use on purposefully selected teaching staff. The staff
watched the videos that were uploaded on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and responded to online learning tasks at
individual and group levels. The VLE served as a knowledge sharing space for reflections. The paper concludes that lesson
design was critical in enriching the VLE with carefully selected YouTube videos. Our key recommendations are: focus on the
learning outcomes, design for the desired interactions, build into the task reflections, and decide whether to pre-select YouTube
videos for students or to allow students to find appropriate YouTube videos; use reflections and knowledge sharing spaces.
Further work has built reflective questions in the video which allows student to pause and reflect.

Higher Education Research, 2020

One of the challenges facing higher education institutions in general and Uganda in particular, i... more One of the challenges facing higher education institutions in general and Uganda in particular, is the widening gulf
between increased use of technology for teaching and learning and achieving meaningful learning outcomes, especially in the
face of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we report on one use of technology where a teacher’s integration of YouTube
videos in teaching increased students’ levels of interaction with the content of the video, with peers and with the instructor
(teacher). Guided by the sequential mixed-method design, a series of online learning activities were designed and matched with a
carefully selected YouTube video. The activity was piloted and refined for use on purposefully selected teaching staff. The staff
watched the videos that were uploaded on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and responded to online learning tasks at
individual and group levels. The VLE served as a knowledge sharing space for reflections. The paper concludes that lesson
design was critical in enriching the VLE with carefully selected YouTube videos. Our key recommendations are: focus on the
learning outcomes, design for the desired interactions, build into the task reflections, and decide whether to pre-select YouTube
videos for students or to allow students to find appropriate YouTube videos; use reflections and knowledge sharing spaces.
Further work has built reflective questions in the video which allows student to pause and reflect.