Tsinghua University Innovating Education and Entrepreneurship (IEDE) March 4th-29th, 2024 Innovating Higher Education in Africa Education Group Project Program director: Prof. Kris Singh Team Members Samaneh Lahuti Core Member Beijing Normal University Educational technology samanehlahuti74@hotmail.com Attendance: 9/10 Nguyen Huynh Kieu Giang Adeola R. Olaleye Core Member Core Member Shanghai University University of Social Sciences and Humanities Language, Culture and World Civilisations English linguistics arolaleye@outlook.com kieugiangef@gmail.com Attendance: 10/10 Attendance: 10/10 Murad Aliyev Leader Beijing Normal University Educational technology aliyev.murad4320@gmail.com Attendance: 9/10 Amini Byamungu Katchoou Lonzozou Core Member Zhejiang University of Science and Technology Applied Statistics jephamini@gmail.com Attendance: 10/10 Core Member Zhejiang University of Science and Technology Applied Statistics lonzozoukatchoou@gmail.com Attendance: 10/10 Wilson Chipangura Core Member Nanjing University of Post and Telecommunications Master of Business Administration heavmany@gmail.com Attendance: 10/10 2 Contents • Background for African Higher Education • Challenges in Online Higher Education • Solutions for Innovating Online Higher Education in Africa • Benefits of designing online education platforms • Building global partnerships among Africa, East and West • Conclusion IEDE 2024 – Project Presentation 3 Background Enrollment Disparity: • Gross enrollment ratio of Sub-Saharan Africa at 9%, significantly lower than the global average of 40%. • Urgent need to increase tertiary enrollment in SSA due to its large population. Infrastructure Challenges: • Public universities in Africa face infrastructure deficits due to overwhelming student enrollment. • Lack of differentiated institutions and diversified programs to cater to diverse educational needs. Quality Concerns: • Limited presence of African universities in global rankings highlights quality disparities. • Brain drain exacerbated by inadequate research environments, leading to talent and resource loss. Low Research Output: • Research output of African countries remains low, representing only 1.3% of global R&D. 4 Objectives of the project Multimedia Content Community building Adaptive Learning Tailor platform to diverse African regions; Enable usergenerated content for relevance; Foster collaboration and support among users. Bridge gap between centralized systems and local needs. Ensure dynamic platform reflecting varied perspectives. Create a connected educational community. Address diverse learning preferences effectively. Utilize analytics for personalized recommendations. Enhance user experience through data insights. Implement user feedback loops for continuous improvement. Ensure platform responsiveness to user needs. Regional focus Contoso grand opening event 5 Benefits of Current Educational applications Rapid authoring tools are used for over 80% of corporate e-learning, and Udemy boasts a community of 20,000 experts and 12 million students. College students’ opinion about online courses Online Learning statistics in 2024 6 Challenges for accessing online higher education in Africa 01 02 03 Upcoming information development • Lectures in recorded videos risk becoming outdated. • Rapid changes in the world necessitate frequent updates. • Outdated information may lead to mistakes in practical application. Lack of Global and Local cases • Limited representation of global and local cases. • Overreliance on examples from America and Europe. • Neglect of diverse cultural perspectives and contexts. Access to the Internet according to Internet World Statistics, 2011 Language barrier • English dominance presents a barrier for non-native speakers. • Many students struggle to fully comprehend English lectures. • Language proficiency should not hinder access to education. 04 Dominance of boring traditional lectures 05 Limited interaction - lack of personal contact • Dissatisfaction with quality of video resources. • Lengthy, unengaging lectures contribute to high dropout rates. • Passive learning model fails to captivate learners. • Limited interaction with instructors. • Few avenues for seeking clarification or engaging in discussions. • Reliance on peer interaction may not adequately address learning needs. 7 Challenges in Personalized learning and MOOCs The challenges encountered in designing MOOCs (Sarri et al, 2020). The central components of personalized learning within and beyond the school (Hopkins 2010) Digital Divide: • Lack of meaningful interaction and support mechanisms. • Leads to lower engagement and completion rates. Quality assurance: • Ensuring the quality of MOOC content and assessments. • The lack of strict quality assurance mechanisms undermines trust and efficiency. Lack of Institutional recognition: • Recognition of MOOC certificates by traditional educational institutions. • Reduces student motivation. • Certifications may not matter to employers. 8 Challenges in Gamification in Adaptive Learning Environments in Africa Contoso grand opening event 9 Solutions for Innovating Online Higher Education in Africa Virtual assistant tools for facilitating interaction among lifelong learners 1.Virtual Learning Community: 1. Connects lifelong learners with diverse resources (texts, videos, podcasts). 2. Tailors techniques to different learning contexts for personalized experiences. 3. Utilizes advanced platform integrating cuttingedge technologies. 4. Employs algorithms to analyze learner interactions for continuous personal growth. 2.Real-Time Learning Analytics: 1. Assesses teachers' use of diverse metacognitive strategies. 2. Tracks usage patterns and effectiveness of strategies in classroom practice. 3. Creates visual reports and dashboards for selfreflection and informed decision-making. Contoso grand opening event 11 Design of proposed dashboard 01 Information Area: Describes learning tasks. 02 Classroom Management Score Chart: Visualizes engagement scores. 03 Engagement Score Chart: Prediction of engagement scores. 04 Teachers’ Cognitive Activation Area: Assesses self-confidence and creative self-regulation. Contoso grand opening event 12 Solutions Designing MOOCs for the diversity of learners • Upgrading content • Diversifying languages • Developing virtual interaction Developing micro-credentials • Building a robust micro-credentials through universityindustry partnerships Building global partnership • Building a robust and global partnerships among African higher education and Western-Eastern higher education through telecollaboration Contoso grand opening event 13 Conclusion Opportunities for Change Africa’s youthful demographic, with 70% under 30, offers a promising avenue for economic advancement through expanded higher education access. To seize this opportunity, investments should target infrastructure improvement, digital technology adoption, multidisciplinary university promotion, and global partnership fostering. Enhancing Online Learning It is imperative to update materials, provide multilingual accessibility, and employ engaging and personalized teaching techniques, thereby enhancing student engagement and success. The Promise of Gamified Education Collaboration among educational institutions and stakeholders is critical for scaling and sustaining gamified education initiatives, ensuring they cater to the evolving needs of African students Personalized Learning for Student Success Personalized learning, tailored to individual student needs, holds the potential to deliver effective learning outcomes. However, challenges such as assessment methods and accessibility must be addressed, especially in low-income nations, to fully realize its benefits. Future Directions To navigate these challenges and adapt to the evolving educational landscape, policymakers must prioritize innovative teaching methods, personalized learning, and collaboration. By fostering innovation, critical thinking, and collaboration, education can equip the next generation of leaders to effectively address global challenges. Thank you for watching