Why even rural colleges must take up e-learning

Education is meant to equip young people with skills, knowledge, and attitudes that will enable them to become productive members of society. However, when a system that is meant to do that has shortcomings, problems wait ahead.

The Technical, Industrial, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training (TIVET) initiative is geared to provide practical skills and know-how, especially in technical fields.

TIVET encompasses technical training institutions, micro and small enterprise (MSE) training, and demonstration centres, youth polytechnics, and national youth service skills development centres.

TIVET programmes are offered in youth polytechnics, technical training institutes (TTIs), institutes of technology, and national polytechnics. They are also offered in several colleges spread across government ministries and in private institutions.

The trouble is that most TIVET institutions in Kenya are unable to cope with demand for training. The number of graduates from secondary schools keep rising while the capacities of TIVET institutions remain low.

How, then, to satisfy this rise in demand?

A way out is to encourage e-learning in these institutions. This would counter the problem of teacher shortage because e-learning makes it possible for a single teacher to serve more students.

The importance of TIVET institutions cannot be overemphasised. Their existence must be supported because the studies they offer go well with the government’s Vision 2030 initiative, which proposes intensified application of science, technology, and innovation (STI).

This, it is acknowledged, requires provision of resources for scientific research, enhancement of technical capabilities of the workforce, and the raising of the quality of education in TIVET.

If these objectives are to be achieved, e-learning cannot be ignored. It will boost the work of educational institutions based on the conviction that the use of technology will ensure better education.

Although connectivity and access are key challenges to the implementation of e-learning in most African countries, many governments, schools, and individuals have made available ICT facilities, services, and knowledge for teachers to use.

Unfortunately in Kenya, teachers are still only comfortable with the traditional way of teaching. Many are yet to apply ICT for lesson preparation and delivery.

The challenge is to find a way to motivate teachers to fully participate in e-learning as a method of delivery. There is also the need to deal with the factors that discourage teachers in TIVET institutions from implementing e-learning.

One of these could be the fact that most TIVET institutions have no access to ICT infrastructure. They also lack electricity to run ICT equipment. This is made worse by the fact that there is no policy on TIVET implementation plans in relation to ICT.

If TIVET is to help in the preparation of human capital for Vision 2030, there is a need to address a number of issues in relation to e-learning.

Training of teachers as the key implementers of e-learning should be given priority. This is because no effective training can take place when teachers are incompetent. Their training should go hand in hand with renewed sensitisation on the need for e-learning as a mode of delivery.

Teacher education curriculum must therefore be in line with ICT so as to motivate the educators to be ICT compliant. This also calls for the need to involve education managers so that they embrace the e-learning approach.

This could promote innovation in education.

The subsequent effort should be to revise the TIVET training curriculum to include e-learning.

The promise of ICT in TIVET is the potential for increased access, improved quality, and efficiency.

There is therefore a need to improve TIVET systems by harmonising the ICT policy so that there is uniformity in the institutions.

The government could establish model e-learning TIVET institutions in every district so that other institutions in the area can learn from them. District youth polytechnics could be used as model centres.

Also, TIVET institutions should establish e-learning centres where trainees can access information based on modules. Students could learn part of the course at the centres and only visit the institutions for tutorials, practicals, and examinations.

Since e-learning is an expensive venture, institutions could start with pilot centres.

Dr Maithya is a senior lecturer and head of the Instructor Training Department at Kenya Technical Teachers College

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