For USIU-Africa, it was an easy transition to online study after Covid-19 struck: Was it foresight?
Sponsored by USIU-Africa
By Evans Ongwae
Way back in 2007 – exactly 14 years ago – USIU-Africa was already using ‘Blackboard’, a learning management system with online features.
Then in early 2019, the university mulled over introducing a fully online MBA programme that would give busy learners the opportunity to conveniently advance their education.
In mid-2019, USIU-Africa sought accreditation from Kenya’s Commission for University Education (CUE) and the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) in the United States. Come November 2020, CUE accredited the USIU-Africa online MBA programme. With this, the university became the first in the country to earn the regulator’s recognition for online delivery of MBA.
Yet as USIU-Africa quietly travelled through its journey of investing in online studies, little did the administrators imagine the idea would open a massive new window of opportunity for learners and instructors.
Philip Machoka, USIU-Africa’s director for online learning, says when the Covid-19 pandemic struck last year, disrupting teaching and learning nationally, the university quickly turned to ‘Blackboard’. He explains that the institution used the lessons from piloting the online MBA programme to shift the other 800 courses online.
This was in response to the Government’s ban of on-campus teaching and learning in mid-March last year as a way to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Says Dr Machoka: “‘Blackboard’ allowed us to seamlessly offer continuity through remote teaching. Largely, the Covid-19 pandemic has not interrupted our learning,” he adds.
Consequently, USIU-Africa is developing more online courses as envisaged in its 2020-2025 strategic plan. Dr Machoka says in the meantime, the university is upgrading ‘Blackboard’ into ‘Blackboard Ultra’ to enhance user experience with the LMS (learning management system). The upgraded system will go live in May 2021.
In its current form, ‘Blackboard’ allows faculty to share content (such as PowerPoint slides, videos and audio files), give assignments, host discussion forums, carry out assessments and communicate with students.
Dr Machoka says the university also uses the system to give assignments. Students can even do exams, which are then graded and posted online.
‘Blackboard’ has an in-built anti-plagiarism software that ensures the originality of students’ work.
The university has invested in Respondus LockDown Browser that uses artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to ensure students will be locked in the exam environment, such that should one wander from their seats or should another person join in, the system will capture those giveaway details.
Additionally, faculty can track and analyse a student’s performance, then take remedial measures to support especially those at risk of poor performance.
‘Blackboard’, explains Dr Machoka, is integrated to the student information system and the library. “Faculty can use it to communicate to all students – as a class or targeted learners,” he says.
The platform integrates business intelligence tools, which give statistics on class activities.
Dr Machoka points out that upgrading ‘Blackboard’ is in line with USIU-Africa’s drive to enhance the learning experience. “‘Blackboard’ is a robust system. We are only making it even better,” he says.
Over the years, the university has been investing annually in this proprietary platform that it has used for 14 years now. This year, it has invested more than Ksh60 million in its online learning infrastructure.
For example, the university has acquired from a third party, 380 Zoom licences for faculty and 10,000 ‘Blackboard’ licences for its students. ‘Blackboard’ integrates with such third parties, including exam proctoring applications and e-books, among others.
“Because of the agreement we have, we receive support from ‘Blackboard’, and the turnaround times are fast; at most 24 hours after we lodge a ticket,” says the USIU-Africa director for online learning. Students are thus assured of smooth learning online.
Dr Machoka reveals that when USIU-Africa transitioned to online learning in mid-March 2020, students expressed mixed feelings. Most of them preferred learning in a physical classroom because of the opportunity to socialise with peers on campus.
“Generally, students tended to look down on online learning,” says Dr Machoka. However, within the last year, their attitude has changed, he adds.
Students on the online MBA programme continue studying while working. They avoid traffic jams. They do not have to ask for permission from their bosses to attend class.
“Students appreciate that they can interact virtually with others and participate in class activities, including group work,” Dr Machoka explains.
He adds that once students are assured that their academic schedule will not be interrupted and they will graduate as planned, they appreciate online learning.
Through a virtual private network (VPN) connection, students access journals from over 60 databases and more than 600,000 e-books available in the USIU-Africa library. They can therefore learn and do their research from anywhere.
Dr Machoka says the students are assured of high standards, pointing out that USIU-Africa is a member of Quality Matters, an institution that provides standards on how to curate online programmes.
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