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The Contribution of Moodle Platform in Reaching the Unreached People: A case of the Open Univeristy of Tanzania
Get PDFThis paper focuses on the role of Moodle platform on reaching the unreached people. The main objective of this paper was to evaluate the contribution of Moodle learning system on educating people living in different geographical location in and outside the county. Specifically, the paper establishes the perception of learners towards Moodle platform; establishes the benefits of Moodle platforms to learners and determines challenges facing Moodle platform learners’ and tutors. The study involved 14 postgraduate students enrolled in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) in the Open University of Tanzania (OUT). 2 Moodle technicians and 3 course instructors. The study adopted descriptive research design. The data was collected using questionnaires, interviews and direct observations. The findings revealed that enrolment and retention of students have increased and different categories of people are enrolled at the OUT as studies do not disturb their work. Despite the fore mentioned benefits, the challenges facing moodle platform include learners negative attitudes towards Moodle platform, little understanding of the Moodle platform by some lecturers; shortage of power or electricity block-out interfere the system; unavailability of the OUT web page or network connectivity; resistance in adopting the Moodle platform by staff members who do not want changes. From the findings, the study recommends that more training should be provided to faculty staff and students. Moreover, OUT should ensure stable connection to OUT-web and make sure the internet is available all the time
Challenges of ICT Integration among Distance Learners at the Open University of Tanzania: A case of Tanga Regional Centre
Get PDFThe study focused on the challenges of ICT integration among distance learners at the Open University of Tanzania: a case of Tanga regional centre. Two objectives guided the study: to determine barriers facing distance learners as they integrate ICT in their learning and establish effects of weak ICT integration in students' learning at OUT. The study was guided by qualitative research design. The study used 37 respondents. The findings reflected that lack of and inadequate skills and knowledge on using ICT, problem of power in rural places, high cost of internet services, negative belief that ICT device are luxurious items and the weak financial position to purchase the ICT devices like I Pad were identified as barriers in ICT integrations among the OUT students at OUT. The findings further showed that poor grades in examinations, shortage of the relevant study sources and the isolation were the effects of low ICT integration among these students at OUT. Recommendations to improve the ICT integration at OUT are attached
Lesson Preparation Experience on Learner-Centred Education among College Tutors in Tanzania
Get PDFThis study explored the practice and perceptions of social studies’ tutors in preparing lessons based on learner-centred teaching approach in teacher education colleges in Tanzania. It used a qualitative case study design. Four data collection methods including focus group discussion, semi-structured interviews, documentation, and reflective journals were used. Eleven tutors in social studies and college leaders were purposively selected from Government teachers’ education colleges to volunteer in the study. Critical discourse framework blended with electronic software was used to analyze data. The results revealed partial knowledge of tutors in learner-centred teaching that influenced their pedagogical and professional competences in teaching preparations. For example, tutors showed partial competences in dealing with large classes, negotiating cultural aspects, teaching in dual instructional language education system, and setting assessment for students’ learning. The study recommends for collective efforts among educational stakeholders to enhance the efficacy of college leadership, continuous professional development, instructional language policy, and teaching materials to implement new approaches for quality teaching and products. Further, the study recommends the need for a similar study that could investigate tutor’s practices on learner-centred teaching in classroom context
Effects of Copper on Haematological Parameters in the African Freshwater cichlid, Oreochromis Urolepis
No full textThe effect of copper on blood parameters in the African freshwater Cichlid Oreochromis urolepis were investigated. This was an experimental study conducted in the aquaria in the Department of Zoology and Wildlife Conservation, University of Dar Es Salaam. Exposure of Oreochromis urolepis to different concentration of copper for a period of up to 35 days, at average water temperature 25ºC, dissolved oxygen 5.4mg/l and pH 6.7, revealed a significant change in some heamatological parameters. For example, Red blood cell counts (RBC) in fish exposed at 100, 150 and 200µgCu/l increased significantly on day 7. Packed cell volume (PCV), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH), and Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) significantly changed with increasing copper concentration and exposure time. Plasma sodium ion concentration [Na+] was significantly altered on day 2, in all copper exposed fish. Chloride ions significantly decreased in higher exposures and increased, on day 35. No significant changes were observed in plasma Ca+2 in all exposed fish. Potassium ions significantly increased only in fish exposed to higher copper concentration. It is recommended that copper at lower concentrations of up to 50µg/l can be used in aquaculture for a short period without causing any significant heamatological changes in the cultured fish
Bibliometric Analysis of MBA Dissertations Submitted at the Open University of Tanzania Library from 2008-2011
No full textThis paper examined the citation pattern used by MBA students at the Open University of Tanzania. References from a sample of one hundred MBA dissertations from the period of 2008-2011 were examined. Specifically, the paper examined the type of sources cited, age of the cited sources, authorship pattern, geographical location, and language of cited materials .Each MBA dissertation was manually analysed and citations were extracted from the references. The data derived were analysed by using MS Excel and n 16.0. Findings reveal that MBA students preferred books to other types of resources with personal communication being the least cited source. It was also revealed that most of the cited materials were between 2000 and 2009 which means that they were current sources. Most of the cited sources emanated from the USA. Single authored sources were most cited and there was an average of fifty citations per dissertation. 99.5% of the cited sources were in English. The study recommends that, since the libraries are moving from manual to electronic libraries, library users should be encouraged to also go electronically. Therefore libraries should equip library users with information literacy skills so as to cope with the fast changing information technologies. Tanzanian authors should write learning materials in Kiswahili if we are to embark on using Kiswahili as a medium of instruction
Pollutants Removal Efficiency of two Mangroves Species (Avicennia marina and Rhizophora mucronata) in Treating Domestic Sewage
No full textBucket experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of domestic sewage loading and inundation time on pollutants removal efficiency for cells planted with Avicennia marina and Rhizophora mucronata mangroves species. Domestic sewage from the University of Dar es Salaam primary facultative waste stabilization pond was loaded onto buckets planted with the two mangroves species and unplanted buckets (bare sediment) used as control units. Sea water was used to dilute the sewage to make desired sewage strength of 0, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. Inundation times of 1 week, 24 hours and 12 hours were used in these experiments. Based on the obtained results, units planted with mangroves showed optimal removal of phosphates, total phosphorous and ammonium-nitrogen at sewage loading of 100% when inundated for 1 week. There was a significant reduction in concentration of phosphorous, total phosphorous and ammonium-nitrogen observed in planted units. However, there was insignificant difference in nutrients removal between the two mangrove species. While Avicennia marina units removed phosphorous, total phosphorous and ammonium-nitrogen by 94.49%, 93.25% and 94.76% respectively, removal efficiency of the same pollutants by Rhizophora mucronata units were 94.00%, 92.82% and 94.05%, respectively. Generally, the removal percentage of phosphorous, total phosphorous and ammonium-nitrogen were significantly higher in 1 week inundation time than in both 24 hours and 12 hours inundation time. Based on the performance of mangrove on nutrient removal, it was concluded that the two mangrove species could be used as phytoremediators of domestic wastewater in mangroves constructed wetlands in coastal areas
Marker-assisted Screening of Cotton Cultivars for Bacterial Blight Resistance Gene
No full textBacterial blight or leaf blight is a common disease of cotton in almost all cotton growing countries, including Tanzania. Bacterial blight is caused by infection of plants with the bacteria (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. malvacearum) and the use of resistant cultivars is the most effective long-term strategy to manage the disease. The strategy starts with identification of resistant individuals, which can be identified either phenotypically by inoculation or by use of molecular markers linked to genes that confer resistance. The B12 gene is known to confer a high level of resistance to all Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. malvacearum races found in USA and Africa. Four Brazilian and three local cultivars were screened for the presence of SSR (CIR246) and SNP NG0207155 markers linked to B12. The SNP marker showed the greatest frequency of resistance-linked alleles in the cultivar UK08 (85.71%) followed by UK91 (75%),UKM08 and Ipê (25%), Araça(8.33%),Aroeira (7.1%) and the least in Cedro (0%). Comparable results were recorded for SSR marker where the cultivar UK08 presented relatively higher frequency of resistance alleles (85.71%) of samples tested followed by UK91 (68.75%), UKM08 (25%), Ipê, Aroeira and Araça (8%) and the last was Cedro (0%). The results suggest the potential utility of Tanzanian germplasm in breeding for resistance to Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. malvacearum race 18 and the need to purify the same germplasm by marker assisted selectio
Effects of Computer-Assisted Instruction and Concept Mapping on the Academic Achievement of Students with Hearing Impairment in Ecology in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
Get PDFThe Role of Open and Distance Learning in Promoting Women Participation in Higher Education: A case Study of the Open University of Tanzania
Get PDFWomen education has remained a global discourse. This paper aimed at assessing the role of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in promoting women participation in higher education a case study of the Open University of Tanzania (OUT). Specifically, the study aimed at addressing the following objectives: assessing the trend of female students’ enrolments and graduation at OUT; determining reasons or pulling factors for women involvement in studying at OUT and examining challenges facing women participation in higher education at OUT. The study employed a mixed research approach where by qualitative and quantitative approaches were used, with quantitative approach being dominant. The study also used descriptive survey design, whereby a random sample of 100 female students was involved. Data for this study were collected through documentary and questionnaires techniques. Furthermore, simple descriptive statistical analysis was used to analyze quantitative data, whereas qualitative data were subjected to content analysis. The research findings revealed that male students’ enrolment and graduation exceed that of female students. However, the trend of female students’ enrolment and graduation in postgraduate, undergraduate and non-degree programmes have kept increasing overtime. Moreover, the study disclosed a number of pulling factors for women’s involvement in studying at OUT. These pulling factors were created by pushing factors from conventional educational. The challenges that female students face included among others, family and social responsibilities, technologies, inadequate support from the employer and family members as well as financial constrains
“I Love You Ooh Moodle” or “How I Hate You”?
Get PDFThe study is an appraisal of employment of language learners at the Open University of Tanzania (OUT) as they register their affirmation or dissidence of MOODLE learning platform. The data were gathered from 78 students via linguistic attitudinal likert scale and a blended questionnaire of closed-in and open-ended items. The main assumption is that speakers of a given language use language to register their endearment or dissidence towards a particular phenomenon be it material or otherwise. At a more practical level, Moodle platform is a new educational innovation at OUT for efficient distance teaching and learning. There is thus a need for appraising its acceptability or the contrary thereof by its users if improvement or efficiency is to be attained. This study seeks to contribute towards that end but from the angle of linguistic analysis of the affective concerns of the learners as they engage in learning using Moodle Platform. The study was guided by Norrick’s (1978) expressive speech act theory and as recently applied as a formal-cognitive approach by Guiraud et al. (2011)