Assuring Quality in Ugandan Universities during COVID-19

An Assessment of Students’ Experience with e-Learning A Case of Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) and Bishop Stuart University (BSU)

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59472/jodet.v1i2.28

Keywords:

COVID-19, Online Learning, Quality of Education, Learners' Experience, Corona Virus Pandemic

Abstract

The Corona Virus Pandemic sparked a crisis across many sectors of the economy. The virus led to the closure of many sectors including education. In Uganda, the education sector was closed for 22 months leaving many children and schools stranded on how to learn and deliver education services.  The higher education sector reacted by introducing online learning. Since to many online learning was a crisis response, the transition was abrupt, thus calling for an investigation into the quality of education offered by universities during COVID-19. We interrogate the learners’ experience with online learning with a view to understanding the extent to which quality standards were maintained. Understanding how the learning experience can lead to improved design of future online programs and avoid the crisis in the education program delivery system.

We collected both qualitative and quantitative data using questionnaires sent to students online. A sample was conveniently drawn from students who studied online during COVID-19. The sample consisted of both students undertaking undergraduate and post-graduate training at various levels. Our findings indicated that the majority of students were not well trained to undertake the online program, institutional support was also limited during online training and students indicated that online training can be better delivered if universities provide adequate training to students and invest in infrastructure development.

Author Biographies

Roberts Kabeba Muriisa, Mbarara University of Science and Technology

Professor Dr. Roberts Kabeba Muriisa (Dr. Polit. Bergen), Professor of Governance, Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies, Mbarara University of Science and Technology(MUST). He is Head of Department of Planning and Governance, Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies, MUST. His research interests are in public policy governance. Specifically, he conducts research in Natural resource governance, higher education governance, Governance in combating global pandemics such as HIV and recently COVID-19, and Governance and food security systems. He teaches public policy, and research Methodology for the undergraduate and postgraduate classes.  He is visiting Scholar at the University of Stavanger Norway and the University of Oldenburg Germany under the Master in Migration and Intercultural Relations (EMMIR) framework.

Rogers Bariyo, Mbarara University of Science and Technology

Dr. Rogers Bariyo is a Ph.D. holder with first-rated teaching, research, students’ research supervision and mentoring skills obtained through formal study and extensive teaching, research and development work. Currently, he is a Dean of the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies, Mbarara University of Science and Technology.   

Dr. Rogers research interest focuses on governance and in particular decentralized service delivery

Wendo Mlahagwa, Mbarara University of Science and Technology

Dr. Wendo Mlahagwa holds a PhD in Development Studies (MUST) and has been teaching at the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies, Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) Uganda for the last 19 years. She headed the Department of Gender and Women Studies from June 2013-2016. Wendo is a member of the Quality Assurance Committee in the faculty where she works and has participated in several workshops on the same.

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Published

2023-06-29

How to Cite

Muriisa, R., Bariyo, R., & Mlahagwa, W. (2023). Assuring Quality in Ugandan Universities during COVID-19: An Assessment of Students’ Experience with e-Learning A Case of Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) and Bishop Stuart University (BSU). Bishop Stuart University Journal of Development, Education & Technology, 1(2), 7–50. https://doi.org/10.59472/jodet.v1i2.28

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