Addressing Pedagogical Usability and Mobility Barriers in E-learning Systems: A Case of Youth Entrepreneurship Skill Development, Plan International Uganda

Abstract

Adoption of E-learning systems to address youth self-reliance entrepreneurship skills knowledge gap in developed countries has been rapidly evolving and reached advanced stages. Nonetheless, in the developing world most especially Sub-Sahara Africa it is still infancy. Of recent, some Non-Governmental Organizations have attempted implementation of Elearning systems as alternative means to traditional elitist spaces to equip the youth with self-reliance job start-up skills. However, despite the usual challenge of ICT infrastructure development, pedagogical usability and accessibility concerns are key undermining barriers to this initiative. This study therefor focuses on design and implementation of a youth entrepreneurship skills E-learning system prototype, ported on mobile technology with an integrated informal lifelong learning model. The proposed infrastructure also accommodates a mobile learning tool that enhances access and usability concerns of out-of-school youth lifelong learners in developing countries like Uganda. System design and development was achieved through a user centred participatory design approach (UCD) in conjunction with Human access point (HAP) design technique. User requirements inform of low-fidelity card paper prototypes were later transformed into working system interfaces. The developed prototype with both web and native mobile tool simplifies the process of self-employment business start-up skills access and development using interactive videos. Similarly, the system guides a youth in selection of appropriate survival skills, and selection of the learning path based on one's previous experience. In addition, the learning environment helps the youth to connect with skilled experts and coaches experienced in vast areas of the business. Conclusively, the platform helps survival skills providers to reach the unreached youth and monitoring of active youth ongoing projects. Evaluation of the developed system prototype was streamlined on the Unified Theory of Technology and Acceptance Model (UTAUT). From here user's feedbacks on the developed prototype were gathered using Survey questionnaires. Study findings revealed that mobile technology can bridge youth survival entrepreneurship skills knowledge gap in developing countries. Similarly, youth survival skills provider's responses on the developed prototype in terms of system access and usability were positive. Briefly, study findings revealed that personalized Smart mobile learning system architecture bridges pedagogical usability and mobility barriers in youth entrepreneurship skills development E-learning systems implementation in developing countries like Uganda.

A critique of andragogy in the South African TVET context

“…In South-East Asia, there appear to be expanding cross-national networks advocating applied andragogy as a 'real-world' instructional strategy to effectively bridge the practical skills students acquire in workplace learning to the formal curriculum of a TVET college (Arifin et al, 2020;Rubayet & Imam, 2021). Numerous local studies in African countries recommend an andragogical approach as the basis of a move away from traditional subject-matter-centred curricula and associated academic assessment systems, to a competency-based curriculum centred on 'more practical' job-related skills acquired by direct experiential learning in industrial or community contexts (Lloyd, 2018;Med & Lukyamuzi, 2019;Ngwacho, 2019;Odigiri et al, 2019;Ngozwana, 2020;Akintolu & Letseka, 2021;Mutambisi et al, 2021;Anyiendah, Odundo & Ganira, 2023). Johnstone suggests, referring to Tourism TVET in South Africa, that andragogical thinking takes us definitively beyond reliance on only the formal knowledge of the lecture theatre to a recognition that 'imitation and observation in the workplace produces experts in a specific technical or vocational field' (2021:108).…”

Genç Girişimciliği ve Sosyal Girişimcilik: Üniversite Öğrencileri Üzerinde Bir Araştırma

“…Genç girişimciliği, araştırmacıların, akademisyenlerin ve iş geliştirmeyi amaçlayan uzmanların ilgisini çeken bir konu olmakla birlikte aynı zamanda gelişmekte olan ülkeler için büyük bir endişe konusu haline de gelmiştir (Med ve Lukyamuzi, 2019). Girişimcilerin yerine getirdikleri temel görevler: yeni ürün ve hizmet üretimi, yeni üretim yöntemleri geliştirme, yeni kaynaklar bulmak ve yeni pazarlara girmektir.…”