KAWA has been engaged by Uganda Communications Commission to facilitate the establishment of student ICT clubs in 20 selected secondary schools and oversee their functionality for one year from date of launch. Learning process will be learner driven with at least one teacher being a guide, facilitator and mentor. They will have a well programed access to ICT facilities of their school for purposes of learning. Each club will identify an issue/problem and create a project to mitigate in an interdisciplinary approach. The learners will exhibit their output and learning experiences in their project to a targeted audience. Each club member will undergo formative evaluation.
UCC has also facilitated the partnership between Secondary Schools ICT clubs and University Computer Science and Technology faculties. Some of the Universities are Makerere University Business School ICT Centre, Ndejje University, UCU Mbale Branch, Busitema University, Muni University, Kumi University, Gulu University, Ibanda University and Kabale University among others.
Club Activities
Club activities may vary from one to another but at least certain key elements will feature in all:
The club members will draw a program for their periodic meetings, preferable once a week. Identify opportunities of service with intervention of ICT in their school. With the aid of ICT facilities, the learners commit themselves to undertake a learner driven and ICT supported project. A workplan will be set up by them. They will hold an exhibition of their completed project within a year from launch of the club. The students will be expected to use available ICT resources in their school for research, presentations, creating of data and so forth. There will be a major evaluation undertaken at least once per term. Findings of the evaluation will be made available to stake holders.
PROJECT AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The proposed main aim of the program is to build capacity in the participating learners to utilize ICT to leverage 21st century learning practices and make ICT more relevant in their lives and education by.
- Developing a sense of global citizenship.
- Being skilled in technology and able to use it responsibly.
- Being good communicators and confident.
- Enabling creativity and innovation
- Developing critical thinking and becoming problem solvers.
- Being able to use ICT as an integrated habit of studies in mainstream disciplines at school.
- Being able to purposefully network and collaborate
TIMELINE
The proposed key steps in setting up the clubs are the following:
- The program will start with engaging school administrators and at least one potential teacher to guide the club members.
- Sensitization of school staff on aims and objectives of the program and agree on what is expected out of the school.
- The school will identify and interest passionate learners who are also able to go the extra-mile.
- KAWA will sensitize the club members on aims and objective of the program as well as what is expected of them. Guidelines will also be shared with the clubs to help them execute their programs within prescribed objectives.
- A designed one-year program will be shared with the clubs.
- Each club will then be individually launched in an official ceremony.
Once the club is launched,
- Club members prepare their workplans and submit to school administration and KAWA.
- A needs assessment is conducted by the student and a suitable for problem solving is selected.
- Start of their learning projects
- Exhibition of learning outcomes (clubs not far from each other may choose to make a joint exhibition)
- Recognition of clubs on accomplishing a project.
- There will be at least two support and evaluation visits in a term.
