Makerere student leaders to train freshers on online learning

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Makerere University student leaders will train first-year students on the online learning platforms during orientation.

The University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Barnabas Nawangwe has directed the Directorate in Charge of ICT to train all Guild Representative Councils-GRCs ahead of the task.

“The directorate of ICT is hereby directed to train GRCs as trainers of other students particularly the freshers,” he said in a statement. First-year students are expected to report for orientation on Saturday this week.

Muchyo Gatuya, the Makerere University Guild Speaker says that bringing GRCs on board will ensure wider coverage the Directorate of ICT at Makerere has offered in the past.

He explains that whenever students get stuck with navigating the online platforms, their first go-to are their student leaders, which made it inevitable for the university to have them trained.

He also noted that they hope to have a meeting with the Directorate of ICT by the end of this week to schedule the training, which is often virtual. One of the students’ online platforms is the Academic Information Management System-ACMIS used for registration with the university, keeping track of academic progress as well as tuition payment.

The other system is the Makerere University eLearning Environment-MUELE through which students can learn online, attempt courseworks and examinations as well access course-related notes.

During an engagement held by university heads last year to find a way to improve electronic learning, one of the resolutions was to have students involved in training in order to improve their attitude towards online studying.

This is still a challenge at Makerere University where the same guild is mobilizing students against online learning with the slogan “No bending for blending,” as many complications with using the platforms have been reported.

In almost two years of lockdown, the Directorate of ICT has made endeavors to train students at the college level through zoom but only a handful show up for the training.

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