User:Twinamasiko
1) Background of Unit - enrollment figures, staffing, courses offered, experience in e-learning. Team members to this project.
The Faculty of Science houses eight (8) departments; Biochemistry, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Sports Science and Zoology. Science is the backbone of Technology and Development in any country. Making courses that are easy to understand, will also contribute to the Government's objective of increasing enrollment in Science based programmes. The Members of staff in the Geology department have already using an eLearning platform; GeoCLASS in collaboration with the Universitat i Bergen (University of Bergen).
The Department of Physics has implemented the Moodle eLearning Platform, Makerere University eLearning Environment (MUELE) platform with all the courses created on the platform and a few constantly updated
Undergraduate Semester One Courses Course Code Course Name MUELE Status Update Status Remark PHY1102 Classical Mechanics Created None PHY1103 Properties of Matter Created None PHY2102 Classical Mechanics II Created None PHY2103 Solid State Physics I Created None PHY2105 Electromagnetism Created Fully PHY2106 Astronomy and Astrophysics Created Partially PHY2107 Elements of Environmental Physics Created None PHY2108 Introduction to Computer Science Created None PHY3101 Physics Practicals Created Partially PHY3102 Geophysics II Created None PHY3103 Solid State Physics I Created None PHY3106 Statistical Mechanics Created Fully PHY3107 Quantum Mechanics II Created None PHY3108 Electronics and Instrumentation Created None PHY3109 Agricultural Physics Created None
Undergraduate Semester Two Courses PHY1205 Electricity and Magnetism Created Fully PHY1206: Heat and Thermodynamics Created None PHY2202 Geophysics Created None PHY2203 Fluid Physics Created None PHY2206 Waves and Optics Created Fully PHY2207 Quantum Mechanics I Created PHY2208 Electronics Created Fully PHY2209 Acoustics Created None PHY3201 Physics Project Created Fully PHY3203 Materials Science Created None PHY3204 Solar Energy Created None PHY3205 Microwaves and Fibre Optics Created Partially PHY3206 Nuclear Physics Created None PHY3208 Computer Applications Created None
2) Proposed course(s) for content development including those that may already have course(s) running. The rationale of such choice including readiness to develop and maintaining such course(s) on the e-platform.
The following Courses in the Department of Physics have been delivered using the blended (partly chalk and talk with Content on MUELE) mode of delivery:
PHY1205: Electricity and Magnetism PHY2105: Electromagnetism PHY2206: Waves and Optics PHY3106: Statistical Mechanics
The two courses PHY1205: Electricity and Magnetism and PHY2206: Waves and Optics were implemented fully under the blended mode during the Semester Two, 2010
The two courses above; PHY1205: Electricity and Magnetism and PHY2206: Waves and Optics would be appropriate for content development so that they can be implemented for the coming semester.
3) Current methodology of knowledge transfer and the challenges relating to students participation in such arrangement.
The knowledge transfer currently used in the Department of Physics is the Chalk and Talk, PowerPoint presentation, and Demonstrations during the Laboratory sessions.
Challenges:
All lectures in the Physics Department are One Hour periods, this leaves little time to make announcements, attempt solutions to exercises, assignments and tests.
Some courses in the Physics Department have been regularly updated by the respective lecturers on Makerere University eLearning Environment (MUELE). This has increased the efficiency in the delivery of such courses.
4) Accessibility of such platforms like MUELE, MOODLE in the unit and willingness of staff in joining when e-learning was introduced.
Makerere University eLearning Environment (MUELE) uses the Moodle eLearning Platform that is easy to use and customize. All staff members of the Physics Department have full internet access in their offices.
The students have access to a fully connected Computer Lab in the Physics Department which has over fifty (50) computers.
The students also are exposed to two Computer courses; PHY2108: Introduction to Computer and PHY3208: Computer Applications. Other students have a Computer Science Subject component that gives them the background to use computers effectively.
There is willingness in the department which is demonstrated by the participation of three members in the eLearning training in MUELE including the Head of Department, that was organized by the eLearning Unit. In collaboration with the eLearning Unit, a two-day training was organized in February, 2010; this introduced six members of staff in Physics to MUELE, but implementation was not effective due to the short period the members were exposed to.
All members of the Physics Department are computer literate, this will ease the training implementation process.
5) Training needs for the success of the e-content project and any other needs that will make the project more effective.
Training in the use of multi-media resources, use of open source ware and pedagogical issues.
6) General expectations of the units in as far as the smooth running of the project is concerned.
Refresher courses, information dissemination workshops in order to compare notes.
7) Conclusion
Delivery of courses on MUELE will improve on the delivery of knowledge and reduce on the environmental degradation since less printing paper will be used.
