The Centre for Open Distance and eLearning (CODeL) at University of Rwanda
Usage of e-learning in universities in Africa has been growing as the internet becomes readily available and cost of devices decreasing.
The Covid-19 challenges demonstrated the important role technology can and should play in enabling resilience at the higher-education level considering that 77% of universities in Africa that were forced to close during the pandemic.
Estimates show, just 29% of institutions were able to quickly move teaching and learning online but with many countries coming out of COVID-19 restrictions, today, there is evidence of an increased appetite and urgency to enable e-learning at the tertiary level.
Digitizing higher education through advanced learning tools could have the power to make higher education more accessible and inclusive in a context where only 8% of young people typically attend university.
But experts believe that achieving those goals requires a range of investments to address content, infrastructure, training, and devices. It also requires shifting mindsets among students and teachers alike.
To understand the current situation in Rwanda, the EdTech episode of August will air on Kigali Today KT media channels with a focus on e-learning or online learning at the university level.
The show will air live, from 6PM to 7PM, on both KT Radio and live on Kigali Today YouTube Channel with three (3) panelists and one radio presenter to moderate the discussions.
In the context of the show, it will beg the following: How does Rwanda drive the required investments; what is the role of different actors in the process; and what kind of collaborations is needed?
Dr. Mathias Nduwingoma, the Director of Centre for Open Distance and eLearning (CODeL) at University of Rwanda will explore how we would define “e-Learning in higher education” in the Rwandan context and the experience with online learning before and during COVID-19 at University of Rwanda?”
Alleluia Mireille Kirezi, a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at Carnegie Mellon University and Data Scientist at Cenrfi will share her experience with online learning and compare it with face-to-face learning. She will further share a scenario in which she would choose online learning over the traditional face-to-face learning before the pandemic.
Eric Ruzindana, the Marketing Director at Talent Match Inc will prove whether marketing the online learning can expand access to higher learning in Rwanda, especially among the underserved communities when 8% of young people make it to the university level in Africa.
Ruzindana will show the necessary investments that need to be made to materialize this potential in Rwanda.
Fundamentally the penal will analyze the recurring challenges faced by students and lecturers at the CODeL and what would be the possible recommendations for regulators, EdTech innovators and university administrators to fuel e-learning at higher institutions in Rwanda.
The audience, which will be given time to call in, send messages on the live show social media platforms will also give inputs on why should e-learning be adopted in Rwanda higher education even after COVID-19.
Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning in ICT in partnership with Rwanda ICT Chamber prepares the EdTech Monday Rwanda on every last Monday of the month.
In Rwanda, the show airs in Kinyarwanda and it focuses on leveraging technology to advance education and learning in Rwanda.
An integrated, Africa-wide conversation of EdTech Monday also airs monthly on CNBC Africa and Mastercard Foundation Young Africa Works Facebook Page.
Aligning to the monthly Africa theme, Mastercard Foundation offices in Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda and Nigeria, in partnership with local EdTech support organizations, disseminate the discussions with local context, experts, nuances and case studies.
