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Less than one year after establishing a cooperative agreement with the University of Arkansas, Kenyatta University has begun offering MBA courses online.
Officials of the two universities approved an agreement last April to offer the faculty and students of both institutions the opportunity for richer learning experiences through scholarly exchanges, technical assistance and joint research projects.
Fredrick Nafukho, an associate professor of vocational and adult education in the College of Education and Health Professions, announced recently his alma mater had acquired 25 computers for each of eight learning centers around the country. Nafukho, Penina Mungania, an assistant professor of vocational education, and Barbara Hinton, chair of the department of rehabilitation, human resources and communication disorders, visited Nairobi in 2004 to discuss potential collaboration with Kenyatta University faculty and administrators.
“The e-learning project has taken off,” Nafukho said. “They have launched courses.”
Following the agreement, RHRC faculty made additional visits to Kenya. During one visit, they conducted a needs analysis for the Kenyan university, making recommendations that included purchasing BlackBoard, a software platform that supports Web-based courses. When the vice chancellor of Kenyatta University, professor Everett Standa, and his team visited the University of Arkansas, the RHRC department, in collaboration with the Division of Continuing Education, invited BlackBoard personnel to explain the cost implications and advantages of the learning support system. The Kenyatta officials bought the idea and immediately purchased the system upon returning home.
The RHRC faculty members drew on their experience with distance learning in Arkansas to suggest staffing and other equipment needs and to offer guidance on designing courses, allocating resources and facing challenges ahead.
“We talked about having a clear mission of e-learning beginning from the top, how to explain the concept so that others would understand the value of e-learning,” Nafukho said. “Dr. Hinton gave them insight as an administrator.”
The UA department celebrates 10 years this spring providing Web-based instruction across the state in its human resource development program.
The RHRC faculty members had to curb their Kenyan counterparts’ enthusiasm a bit, however.
At the outset, Kenyatta University reported 4,000 of its 23,000 students use the distance learning centers around the country, and the UA faculty advised them not to try to get all 4,000 into Web-based courses at once. The MBA program was a natural because many of its students were already working and computer-savvy, Nafukho said, and many have computers at home.
“They initially thought they would offer e-learning to 4,000 students enrolled in their Institute of Open Learning,” Nafukho said.
After a recent phone conversation with the vice chancellor of Kenyatta University, Nafukho noted, "The vice chancellor was very appreciative of the e-learning knowledge gained from the University of Arkansas team that provided the impetus to the KU team to initiate e-learning."
Page last updated: 6/23/2006 16:44
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