Kyambogo University Digital Repository (KYUSpace)
KYUSpace preserves research output from the Kyambogo University community
Communities in KYUSpace
Select a community to browse its collections.
Recent Submissions
E-Learning
(Springer, 2025-02-28) Mugizi, Wilson; Nagasha, Judith Irene
In this chapter, we elucidate the state of E-learning and the way forward in higher education in Africa. We look at E-learning as an emerging discipline, the progress achieved in education through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and specifically the Internet, the multiple definitions that have emerged during the past few decades, and the advance in the uptake in African institutions of higher education to suggest a way forward. Since this chapter is an exploration of the state of the field, it is a critical review. The chapter familiarizes stakeholders in education with current knowledge and trends in E-learning in higher education in Africa. This offers an understanding of the progress, the steps taken to implement E-learning, and the way forward. The pertinent question that emerges is the following: Why evaluate E-learning in African higher education? The answer to this question is a simple one. Basically, since the education landscape worldwide has changed following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) which made E-learning a requirement, and is no longer a peculiar way providing education by specific institutions and departments, mainly those offering distance education, stakeholders in higher education in Africa have to take steps to fully integrate E-learning in teaching and learning. This chapter provides insights for the implementation of E-learning in higher institutions of education in Africa. But, in order to do this effectively, we deem it very important to show how E-learning has conceptualized the continent.
Assistive Technologies for Inclusion of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) Students and Academic Staff: A Call to Action for Library and Information Science Professionals in Uganda
(Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries, 2025-03-11) Namuleme, Robinah Kalemeera; Ssebuggwawo, Denis; Ilako, Caroline
Assistive technology (AT) is “any product whose primary purpose is to maintain or improve an individual’s functioning and independence and thereby promote their well-being. For people with disabilities, AT has the potential to improve functioning, reduce activity limitations, promote social inclusion, and increase participation in education. University libraries are mandated to provide assistive technologies, adequate space, resources, and services suitable to support and meet teaching, learning, and research needs for all users, including persons with disabilities. However, it was hitherto unknown how university libraries in Uganda facilitate accessibility to library facilities services to meet the unique needs of deaf or hard-of-hearing students and academic staff. The current paper aimed to generate rich insights into the digital inclusion needs of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) students and academic staff, and to explore how university libraries in Ugandan higher education institutions facilitate the accessibility, adoption, and application of assistive technologies for teaching, learning, and research. Employing a mixed-methods design, the study utilized two semi-structured questionnaires and two interview guides to gather data from DHH students, academic staff, and librarians at four public universities in Uganda. The recruitment of DHH participants was conducted using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Ethical clearance was granted by the Aids Support Organisation (TASO) Research Ethics Committee on July 27, 2023 (Ethics reference number: TASO-2023-237). Quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS ver. 21), while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis, with selected verbatim quotations used to corroborate the quantitative findings.
This paper has unearthed digital inclusion needs of DHH Students and Academic Staff, including access to high-speed internet, sufficient bandwidth, university websites with captions, software that translates a signer’s words into text, captioning software, video editing software, multimedia mobile phone applications, LCD Projectors, personal computers, mobile phones, assistive technology technical support, digital and assistive technology training, and sign language interpretation which must be met for them to taking advantage of library resources as services that are available to all other users. In addition, the paper has revealed that Libraries are inaccessible because DHH Students and Academic Staff cannot afford the hardware, software, and peripheral equipment and data required to access technology-supported resources, systems, content, and services; the majority of Libraries did not conduct staff capacity building on basic knowledge of assistive technologies, digital and assistive technology training. Furthermore, the libraries did not train DHH students and academic staff in accessing databases, using Google Suite, and Mendeley, Endnote, and Zotero to manage citations and references. Libraries also did not identify and evaluate the Digital literacy training needs and lacked a clear strategy for meeting the digital literacy needs of DHH academic staff and students. Together these hindered the DHH Students and Academic Staff from effectively adopting and applying these technologies for teaching, learning, and research. Overall, the finding revealed a great mismatch between the existing library-related assistive technology services and resources and the digital inclusion needs of students and staff with hearing impairments. Given the important role of academic libraries in promoting digital inclusion, especially for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) academic staff and students, the paper recommends that University Libraries prioritize the development of a digital inclusion policy to guide the design and implementation of initiatives that improve access to library resources and services for DHH individuals.
Employers' Desired Employability Skills in Pre-Service Teacher Graduates: A Case Study of Kyambogo University, Uganda
(Journal of Research Innovation and Implications in Education, 2025) Kakooza, Abdulaziz; Kaahwa, Maria Goretti; Owino, Philip
The study explored the key employability skills sought by employers of graduate teachers in Uganda, examining how these competencies can be integrated more effectively into pre-service teacher training programs. Guided by an interpretivist philosophical orientation, this qualitative single-case study was conducted at Kyambogo University. Purposive sampling included 2 heads of department, 8 lecturers, 22 final-year pre-service teacher trainees, and 8 head teachers from both public and private secondary schools. Data collection encompassed key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Thematic analysis was used to derive key themes. Trustworthiness was reinforced through peer debriefing, triangulation, and member checking. Findings revealed that employers consistently emphasized a set of ten core employability skills communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, leadership, emotional intelligence, adaptability, problem-solving, time management, and self-sufficiency. These competencies were deemed vital for newly hired teachers to manage dynamic classroom environments, innovate within resource constraints, and contribute effectively to school communities. The study recommended that pre-service teacher training programmes should systematically embed these employability skills and assess them through practical experiences and mentorship. Stakeholders, including policymakers and educational leaders, must also offer institutional support such as professional development and structured collaborative opportunities to foster ongoing skill enhancement.
Functional and sensory properties of iron and folic acid fortifed NABE‑3 bean and silver fish composite instant four
(Discover Food, 2025-03-23) Ssepuuya, Geofrey; Hooper, Sharon; Nakyinsige, Khadijah; Maseruka, Eria Gyagenda; Musabi, Dianah; Rukundo, Peter; Kebirungi, Harriet; Weatherspoon, Lorraine; Jackson‑Malete, Jose
Despite the need for Iron and Folic acid (IFA) during critical stages of child development and gestation, there is observed persistence in deficiencies despite several interventions. This situation motivated a food-based approach using IFAfortified NARO Bean-3 (NABE-3 bean) and silverfish. IFA fortified composite flours with NABE-3 (BF): silver fish flour (SFF) proportions as 100% BF, 90% BF: 10% SFF, 80% BF: 20% SFF, and 70% BF: 30% SFF were developed. Functional, pasting, and sensory properties were assessed using standard methods. Increasing silverfish proportions in the composite flours was associated with decreased water absorption properties of the composite flours indicating reduced reconstitution abilities; reduced final viscosity but increased bulk density implying a high density of nutrients at lower viscosity and volume; and increased peak time indicating increased cooking energy requirements. The compressibility and Hausner ratios of the flours were high and not significantly different, indicating low flowability of the bean flour and its composites with silver fish. Increasing silverfish proportions reduced sensory score from liked moderately to indifferent on a 9-point hedonic scale due to colour darkening, and increased intensity of fishy aroma and flavour. The 90% BF: 10% SFF and 80% BF: 20% SFF composites were more acceptable than the 70% BF: 30% SFF. However, all the composites were more acceptable than the control 100% BF: 0% SFF. Incorporation of silver fish into NABE bean flour generally leads to increased sensory acceptability and nutrient density but reduced functionality.
Large-scale climate drivers of drought-to-flood events in Sub-Saharan Africa: Insight from CMIP6 large-ensembles
(EGU General Assembly, 2025-03-14) Dieppois, Bastien; Ekolu, Job ; Rubinato, Matteo ; Onyutha, Charles ; Okia, Clement ; Musinguzi, Denis ; Bogere, Robert ; Mombo, Felister ; Binego, Liliane ; Fried, Jana ; De Wiel, Marco Van
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is increasingly experiencing unprecedented drought-to-flood events, posing critical challenges to water and food security. These rapid or seasonal transitions between extreme hydroclimatic conditions underline the urgency of advancing climate adaptation strategies and enhancing risk management frameworks in the region. However, the role of large-scale climate variability, such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Atlantic Multidecadal Variability (AMV), and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), in influencing decadal trends in these events across SSA remains inadequately understood.
This study aims to address this gap by evaluating how well eight single-model initial-condition large ensembles (SMILEs) from the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) simulate the spatiotemporal patterns of drought-to-flood events in SSA. ERA5-Land data is used as the observational reference. We also investigate potential seasonal links between the probability of drought-to-flood events and large-scale modes of climate variability.
Drought-to-flood events are defined as the sequential occurrence of a flood following a drought. To capture these events, we employ a variable threshold approach for identifying droughts, while floods are characterized using absolute thresholds (50th to 90th percentiles). To assess potential differences between meteorological and hydrological definitions of drought and flood, we compare results derived from precipitation, soil moisture, and runoff datasets.