ST.

LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY

ST. LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY

SLAUELE (SLAU E-LEARNING)

Blended Learning

Blended learning, or technology enhanced learning, is increasingly becoming an expectation for

higher education students. Blended learning allows for the enhancement of face-to-face
interaction between tutors and students, using internet or computer based tools. Therefore,
blended learning exists on a continuum between 100% face-to-face & 100% online for delivery
of instruction, student engagement, and access to course materials.

Completely F2F Completely Online

Blended

By adopting this blended learning in St. Lawrence University Uganda we will have a combining
online delivery of educational content with the best features of classroom interaction and live
instruction to personalize learning, allow thoughtful reflection, and differentiate instruction from
student-to-student across a diverse group of learners. University administrators will have better
time use, decrease of educational costs, more effective learning and learning management from
the user’s side stimulate the changes in transmission of knowledge and learning, as it also has
been recognized in Makerere University and many more local private universities.
In Rwanda (KIE) we had training on the appropriate methods and tools which can be used in
teaching and using the affordable content management systems, the likes of Canvas and moodle
platform whereby University of Rwanda is using moodle rather than Canvas.

Having been a beneficially learner from Training in Kigali (KIE), I have sought to develop a
framework of action which is consonant with my responsibilities for online course development
and learning conferred by the institutional strategic plan and instructed by the Academic
Registrar for St. Lawrence University. I have diligently combed and digested the relevant
literature, roamed the exhibit halls of numerous symposia and technology showcases seeking out
the latest ideas on using ICT for teaching and learning and imbibing the best practices for its
deployment from the experts and those that have gone the path before our institution. In my final
analysis, I hold that:

 Multi-channel learning is highly effective

 There must be a framework for action consistent with the needs and strategies of the
academy
 Using multimedia technologies for teaching aids retention and enhances learning
 Developing quality learning objects consistently requires a process that must integrate
technology, people and practices
 eLearning is both cost effective and efficient
 The Internet is a cost effective delivery platform for eLearning

This is how development in the field of learning supported by ICT Look like in Blended
Learning Course Creation
Online learning is different in many respects from the traditional face-to-face learning we are all
used to, primarily in the way we get our information and how we interact with instructors and
classmates. Many people say they learn more online, and their retention is better too

According to the training we had in Rwanda I would like St. Lawrence to migrate from
traditional teaching to blended learning or Virtual Learning Environment (VLE ) because it is
cost effective and affordable.

Virtual Learning Environment in St. Lawrence University Plan:

Much of it has changed nowadays. Access to the Internet is easily available through the
proliferation of Internet-equipped school libraries, home PC Internet subscription, and Internet
cafes. Teachers have discovered that students prefer multimedia-supported lectures and web-
based activities. Teaching styles have blossomed into a mixture of traditional and distance
education teaching techniques. Today, learning focuses on faculty-facilitated and student-
centered activities. The teacher is now merely a facilitator of knowledge and a guide to the
students who have the freedom to explore different avenues of information to supplement their
learning.

eLearning includes the exploration and use of diverse ICT strategies and tools to expand teaching
and learning possibilities in ways that lead to improved student learning outcomes. Successful
eLearning implementation occurs only when eLearning is an integral part of a school's vision for
learning.
21st century learning demands new pedagogical and technological approaches to using ICT for
learning. It is the responsibility of teachers and school leaders to prepare students for the
demands of an ever-changing world, through facilitating learning in a technology-rich
environment, where students and teachers don't just learn about technology, they use it to achieve
powerful learning and teaching and improve student learning outcomes. eLearning Planning is
central to the School Strategic Plan and will support all schools to continue to improve their use
of ICT for learning and teaching.

ELearning comes from using information communications technology (ICT) to broaden

educational opportunity and help students develop the skills they need to thrive in the 21st
century. An emerging body of evidence suggests that eLearning can deliver substantial positive
effects:

Students are more engaged and able to develop 21st century skills.

Teachers have a more positive attitude toward their work and are able to provide more
personalized learning.

Family interaction and parental involvement may increase.

Communities benefit from bridging the digital divide. Economically disadvantaged students and
children with disabilities benefit particularly.

Economic progress can result from direct job creation in the technology industry as well as from
developing a better educated workforce.

Recent problems experienced by the university in relation to room assignments and conflicts will
be solved.

Curriculum and Materials

The development of eLearning serves as a new tool or strategy in teaching specified subjects of
Information Technology major in Programming. Thus, it will still follow the existing curriculum
of the program. Syllabus utilized by the university in teaching these subjects will be used and
will serve as basis in the eLearning content.

The existing teaching materials used by the teachers’ concerned will be utilized however this will
be uploaded to the eLearning platform so as to ensue it as online courseware. Furthermore, web-
based materials suited for the subjects in the course will be made available for the students. And
the Instructors that will be handling eLearning subjects will be trained to use the Moodle
platform.

DELIVERY MODE AND STRATEGIES

Mode of Delivery

The mode of the delivery will be blended (face to face and online) hence incur an online
classroom setup using Moodle platform. As far as i see where technology is going SLAU has the
ability to get technology and the platform to use.

The Moodle Platform

Moodle has several features considered typical of an e-learning platform, plus some original
innovations like its filtering system. It is very similar to a learning management system. Moodle
can be used in many types of environments such as in education, training and development, and
business settings.

Some typical features of Moodle are:

Live class using Big Blue Button or Google Meet

Assignment submission

Discussion forum

Files download

Grading

Moodle instant messages

Online calendar

Online news and announcement (College and course level)

Online quiz

Wiki

Log file

We can also extend Moodle's modular construction by creating plugins for specific new
functionality. Its infrastructure supports many types of plug-ins:

Activities including word and math games

Resource types

Question types such as multiple choice, true and false, fill in the blank, etc.

Data field types for the database activity

Graphical themes

Authentication methods which can require username and password accessibility

Enrollment methods

Content filters

The Procedure

The enrolled students of the eLearning subjects must be informed and oriented by the teacher
with the Moodle platform and its processes on the first meeting. A Moodle account must be
created which will be used by the students as a unique identification in the platform. This
account can be created by the teacher or by the students themselves depending on the agreement
set by the two parties. Students account must be unique and controlled by the teacher while the
students must also secure their account for safety purposes. The login of the students to the
platform is not limited, they can access to the platform anytime provided that a login is made on
the defined schedule set by the university.

Upon login the students can view the profile page as well as the page where the instructor had set
up the online classroom. This is where the task and subject requirements can be viewed,
downloaded and uploaded by the students. Students can wrestle with and explore through and
with the help of activities, resources in a course. For example, open a forum discussion with a
provocative question, start a wiki where groups collaboratively build a solution and more.
However the downloading and uploading of files is controlled by the teacher of the subject.

Interaction and communication among the students are possible in many ways that are available.
Some examples include Forum where student can extend conversations over time, Messages for
private channels, Chat for synchronous conversations, and Comments for quick notices and
remarks. Exchange of feedback with assignment, comments to blog and posts are possible.

In the eLearning environment teacher can make files and folders available to the course
participants therefore collection of resources especially Databases and importing or linking
resources to and from external repositories or portfolios are possible.

Admission

The admission of students to the subjects with eLearning shall conform to the existing guidelines
stipulated in the university guidelines. Upon enrollment, the Department Heads of the all
departments or any assigned faculty shall include in the interview of the students’ applicant, the
consideration of internet connectivity of the applicant’s location. Internet connectivity in
student’s location does not limit to the place where the applicant resides. The availability of
internet café in the vicinity, the university internet café as well as the availability of wifi
connection (for laptops and mobiles) of SLAU will also be considered.

Schedule of Classes
The time and schedule allotted to the subjects in the conventional method within a semester will
remain the same in the eLearning application only that the classes will be online. Nevertheless, a
face to face meeting shall be considered and defined as follows:

Once a month: This meeting shall plainly be specified by the teacher as to what specific week of
the month should the meeting will happen.

Mid-term and Final examination: This meeting shall follow the approved schedule set by the
university. Months having the Mid-term and Final examination schedule will no longer have
another meeting within the month in relation to item number 1.

Class Attendance

Class attendance guidelines arranged by the university will be followed where students are
obliged to attend classes at the specified time and schedule per week. Conversely, attendance of
the students will be checked in a distant environment through the platform. Teachers of the
eLearning subjects can check the attendance of the students through a log file which is a built-in
feature of Moodle for this purpose.

With log file, teacher can review the log in time of the student within the scheduled date
following on the approved schedule given by the university. For the purpose of accomplishing
the required class interaction, the teacher can perform manual checking of attendance basing on
the log-in status (online) of the students at the specified schedule given by the university. As for
the teachers’ attendance during classes, the log file feature of the Moodle can be used to checked
whether the teacher has conducted an online class with the specified schedule.

Grading System

The approved grading system being followed by the university will mainly be considered

Academic Subjects Shop work/Laboratory

1. Class Standing – 60% 1. Class Standing - 40%

a. Quizzes a. Quizzes
 b. Oral b.Entrepreneural

participation activities

c. Projects c. Project

d. Assignments d. Recitation

2. Term Examination – 40% 2. Term Exam - 60%

TOTAL 100%

But this one can be revised and follow the making guide of the University. The oral participation
and recitation will be done during the face to face meeting every month. As well as projects and
other requirements that could not be possibly submitted online will be submitted in the face to
face meeting.

Budgetary Requirements

Particulars Cost Total Cost

Supplies and Materials Only needed Moodle

Community
Moodle Platform

for existing materials to be converted to online Available

courseware
-
Documentation
-Reading
Manuals and workbooks Materials

-Provided
Additional online course materials for the subjects -
by Teacher

CD’s for teacher

IT105 & IT105L Computer Organization Available

IT202 Operating System

IT204 & IT204L Systems Analysis and Designs

IT205 & IT205L Software Engineering

Trainings for eLearning Teachers ( Teachers) -

Custom Moodle Installation for Online courses and

examinations Yes
(we will help you install Moodle on your server
along with teachers & students enrolment )
Additional Software for Plug-ins -Needed

Moodle module development

(Once Moodle is installed, we will help you create -yes
online courses using Moodle’s authoring
environment)
Platform backups and firewalls -Needed

Total : 1461$
A Web-based E-Library System for SLAU

A library is a collection of sources, resources, services and the structure in which it is housed.
Libraries have always been a community’s portal to information, knowledge and leisure. It is a
community’s gateway to information from many sources either nationally or internationally
beyond the shelves of the users.

The existence of a library in any academic institution is an invaluable asset that is as important
as the institution itself. Libraries offer the users the opportunity to have access to academic
materials like journals, magazine, books, videos and others that boost the knowledge scope of the
users in their different areas of research or discipline.

The volume of materials being dealt with in the libraries are so much that an individual may not
have the financial capacity to acquire them – this is very true with the level of the students of the
institutions and the high cost of electronic sources online. The advancement in Information
Technology, most especially the existence of internet has brought about the globalization of
resources and makes sharing of resources possible irrespective of the geographical locations.
This has removed the access restriction to various resources online to a great extent. Even though
it is not all existing useful library materials that may be available on the internet it still provides a
seemingly large access to vast volume of resources for academic use.
This suggests that a blended approach of combining the traditional system of library with that of
the electronic library will expand the volume of academic resources that will be made available
to library users.

OBJECTIVES OF E-LIBRARY SYSTEM IN A SCHOOL SYSTEM

The main goal of digitalization in academic library is to promote library use through effective
services. Local and international recognition and respect are partly determined by quick
accessibility to published works. Some highly productive scholars globally have been found to
be more information rich than their counterparts. This implies that information adds significantly
to the existing knowledge of the users. The information resources and services available in
institutional information systems (library, archives, records offices, and documentation centers)
are digitalized and create databases capable of supporting research activities. The shift from print
to electronic information means that both academic staff and students in a school system must
use these resources for better quality, efficient, and effective research more than ever.

Objectives of e-libraries in school system are:


 To speed up the systematic development of the means to collect, store, and organize
information and knowledge in digital form, and of digital library collections.
 To promote the economical and efficient delivery of information to all parts of society
 To strengthen communications and collaboration between and among the research,
business, government and educational communities.
 To contribute to the lifelong learning opportunities of all people.
The Organogram of a web based Digital Library

Source Acquisition Staff/Students Viewing

Searching
(Uploading) by the Registrations by the Sources
‘Admin’ ‘Admin’

Borrowing
Books

Returning Books

Database
 The e-library system, an electronic and a web-based system will be able to address the
problems of the traditional library system by offering features like round the clock availability,
removal of physical bounding, multiple accesses, easy information retrieval, provision of
unlimited storage space, networking of operations and low cost of maintenance.

This e-library system is recommended for all tertiary institutions for library services
efficiency and effective. The experimental case study used in this work does, in no way, affect
the adoption of the system by similar institutions with standard academic libraries.

Proposed Quotation of Web Based Digital Library

Web Based Services Requirement Proposed Cost

Online Hosting/ Local server cPanel subscribe D-Space and 4670$
Hosting Koha/ Internet on board at
SLAU
Online books External Hard Drive, 25,000 250,000
copies
Hosting Companies For at Least 2 to % years
Total 3750$