ICT for e-learning in three higher education institutions in Tanzania

Abstract

The advancement in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has brought new opportunities for learning. Tanzania is adopting the new technologies in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) through e-learning and m-learning. However, delivery of learning contents is becoming a challenge for HEIs due to the constraints in resources and network bandwidth. This study discussed learners’ perceptions on using e-learning applications and mobile devices for learning in three HEIs in Tanzania. Findings show that majority of the students own more than one mobile devices which can be used as a tool for facilitating the learning process. It is suggested that in order to improve e-learning content delivery and accessibility under limited resource settings, HEIs in developing countries should make an effective use of emerging mobile computing technologies which are relevant to their respective environments.

Covid-19 has turned things upside down: e-learning in Bukavu city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

“…Investment in electrical energy infrastructure (classrooms meeting standard norms) should be a priority for the public authorities (public institutions) and the heads of private institutions in the DRC. Our result is similar to what Mahenge and Sanga (2016) found in Tanzania about resource constraints and network bandwidth. These ICT barriers have harmed the materialisation of e-learning during the Covid-19 containment.…”

“…The integration of ICT into the education system has allowed skills development far beyond the speciality of teaching (Kennel, 2019) and has led students to move from content education to skills education (Romero, 2017;Mahenge & Sanga, 2016). Indeed, ICT instructors are forced to learn to manipulate computer tools without computer scientists.…”

“…While the hybrid model was far from unanimous (Depover, Karsenti & Komis, 2007;Linard, 1994;Mequanint & Lemma, 2014;Mirza & Al-Abdulkareem, 2011), the advent of Covid-19 has strengthened supporters of the e-learning mode as recommended by the UNESCO (Setiawan, 2020). However, e-learning requires prerequisites for its implementation, familiarisation, and possession of the necessary equipment to use ICT (Dahmani, 2004;Mahenge & Sanga, 2016) and learners' motivation (Karsenti, 2003). The lack of adequate ICT equipment has been and continues to be one of the barriers to online education in several developing countries.…”

Education sector policies and their role in the integration of workplace learning and higher education: A case of Tanzania’s higher technical and engineering education

“…The government of Tanzania has also invested extensively in various ways of using technology in the education sector, such as introducing a centralized network among the universities and colleges, centralized admission and enrollment systems, and many other software and hardware infrastructures have been put in place to support the operation of the education sector (Mahenge & Sanga, 2016;Tanzania Commission for Universities, 2010;Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT), 2008;United Republic of Tanzania, 2016b, 2017Vieira do Nascimento & Vald es-Conter a, 2018).…”

Demonstration of a Mobile Education Artifact in a Tanzania’s Higher Education Institution

“…ICT technology is among the key aids in teaching and learning processes being advocated in developing countries like Tanzania [1], [2]. Information and communication technologies (ICTs), in particular, have changed the way education is delivered, consumed, transmitted, and applied by both teachers and students [3], [4]. Electronic learning (e-learning), for instance, enables access to distant educational resources, which enhances innovation in teaching and learning in higher education sector [5].…”