Managing ICT transformation in University Education in Uganda: Justification,Problem and Way forward

The twentieth century saw much technological				higher education. The innovation diffusion theory is
advancement in many social spheres ranging from				essentially a bottom-up approach based on
the discovery of the radio, the aeroplane, the				individual responses that can be used as a starting
atomic bomb and the apex was the going to the				point to depict technological transformation in
moon. All these technological advancements had				higher education. Initially, there is a take-off stage
adverse impacts on the life style of the				during which an innovation is introduced into a
communities around the world. However, most				social system. An entrepreneurial group called the
importantly, is the invention of the Internet and				innovators often then adopts it. During the next
the intranet which historic achievement has				phase of maturation the "early adopters", who
greatly impacted on the academic life of many				are change agents or opinion leaders among the
universities around the world. The period of the				social system, will enter the process thereby
1990s ushered in a new world order; the				legitimizing the innovation and opening the potential
beginnings of the idea of globalisation and its				for adoption to all members of the system. The
immediate impacts on higher education				final saturation stage in an innovation's adoption is
developments. Globalisation represents the				characterized by widespread adoption. The
international system that is shaping most societies				innovation saturates the social system and growth
today including university programs. It is a process				tapers off. This process can be plotted as an
that is “super charging” the interaction and				S-shaped growth curve.
integration of cultures, politics, business and				We have seen that technology cannot be
intellectual elements around the world.				separated from development of the university
This paper examines the effects of globalization in				because it is transient with globalisation and its
terms of technological transformations on the				intentions. Hence, there is need to overcome any
development of universities. The pursuit of				resistance from staff and management that
technological transformation in higher education				hinder technology to take root especially where
has become widespread in Sub-Saharan Africa				the computer and internet age is resisted in most
with the extensive pervasiveness of global				main stream teaching, planning and record keeping.
networks like the Internet and Intranet as				In order to cause a vibrant attempt to allowing
institutions struggle to prepare students for				the ICT age and e-learning to take root, there
effective participation in the emerging global				are several policy directions that should be taken
knowledge economy. Technologically based				first hand and these are:
education is further seen as a way to address				1. To promote top-down and bottom-up
the increase in the world demand for tertiary				strategies that promote ICT development and
education. The one new university per week is				utilization in universities through innovation diffusion.
required to keep pace with world population				The level of resources made available to promote
growth but the resources necessary are not				ICT usage would not have been possible without
available. For instance, since the time of the				senior management and staff support. When
overwhelmingly increased student enrolments in				typical political problems like irrational resistance to
many public universities in Uganda from the 1990s				change are encountered, senior management is
and onwards, existing resources and infrastructure				able to step in and direct matters. Middle
have not increased commensurate to the same				management and staff, that is, heads of
increase in the student capacity. Lecture theatres				academic and administrative departments and
and libraries are flooding and infrastructure and				lecturers, play an important role in controlling
instructional materials and staff are all constrained				resources and running the support.
with the alarmingly increased student populations.				2. The diffusion can be sustained through the use
Higher education must develop more				of a distributed implementation structure. A
cost-effective methods so that public resources				Centre for e-Learning, for example, should be
can be increased and effectively utilized. A lecture				established to provide central support and to
theatre in a public university that sits over 300				coordinate the progress of the technological
students attending an economics class will not be				promotion project in the universities. Even learning
effective if more public address systems are not				should strictly adapt to these technologies where
installed to enable each and every learner benefit				teaching methodologies should acquire ICT
from the lecture.				strategies and course work should be conducted
Likewise, if a university lacks internet facility to				using ICT facility.
serve its ever increasing student population then it				3. Universities should take time to ensure staff
would be quite hard to ensure quality learning and				ownership of technologies even the most rigid
research. By using technology for teaching,				type and conservative staff should see the
universities can serve the public more				benefits of e-learning and ICT in higher education
cost-effectively and in particular can prepare				development. Ensuring ownership by academic
students better for a technologically based				staff is essential in the diffusion of e-Learning
society. In view of the growing globalisation and				strategies that promote effective teaching and
transnational exchanges in many fields. In these				learning.
circumstances politicians, policy-makers, and				4. In order to ensure ownership of e-learning in
citizens should make demands upon education				universities by academic staff, it is important for
systems to reform. Open learning and distance				educators and educational policies to drive the
education are at the forefront of educational				technological transformation. Staff development
responses to the changes that are taking place				can be used as an important strategy to advance
locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.				the transformation of higher education.
				5. The implementation of educational technology
Information technological transformation in				into the curriculum requires the introduction of a
universities, however, has major systemic				very robust technology infrastructure. Every staff
implications and needs to be carefully managed.				should have a Pentium computer, printer or
As soon as an organization takes the first				access to a printer, access to the Internet and
tentative steps from data to information, its				e-mail with power failures and network shutdowns
decision processes, management structure, and				minimal. The library should also create a
even the way it gets its work done begin to be				technology rich learning environment.
transformed. Attempts to introduce any				In conclusion, creating an enduring vision and a
significant reform will impact on all of its				strategic implementation framework for the
sub-systems. The advent of information				effective implementation of technological
technology in any big university will wholly impact				innovations seems critical. However, it requires
tremendously on the internal and external				institutional leadership in order to promote
operations of that university. It implies that with				technology use in university education. The most
information technological advancement, universities				important function of institutional leadership may
have to prepare themselves to welcome such				be to create a shared vision that includes
crucial developments. It systematically relates to				widespread input and support from the faculty
the fact that university management has to train				and administration, articulates a clear educational
or hire manpower to operate the technology; and				purpose, has validity for stakeholders, and reflects
the same universities should change the teaching				the broader mission of the institution. If African
approaches to cope with the demands of the				universities cannot take advantage of the
new information technology.				information revolution and surf this great wave of
Using technology to extend the campus on a				technological change, they may be crushed by it.
global basis will affect all aspects of a university or				Catching this wave will require visionary leadership
college, but particularly administrative systems.				in most universities on the continent.
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Managing ICT transformation in University Education in Uganda: Justification,Problem and Way forward