Prospects and challenges of Open-Distance learning for graduate program delivery in Makerere University

Abstract

Of recent, with the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, a number of changes in the teaching-learning process in the higher education institutions emerged, hence the increasing utilization of the virtual mode of interaction between teachers and students across the world (Coman et al., 2020). Globally, several universities have been forced to carry out their learning related activities exclusively online (Sobaih et al., 2020). This emanated from several guidelines from different governments restricting the spread of COVID-19 while ensuring the continuity of the educational process (Ali, 2020). It is also worth noting that there has been a remarkable shift in the primary purpose of distance and online education technologies from just providing access to instruction for those unable to participate in a traditional, place-based academic programme to supporting continuity of instruction, maintaining the activity of schools and universities, its audience, as well as the wider learning ecosystem (Barbara 2021, Dhawan 2020).