The schools ICT clubs pilot program which was started earlier this year by the Uganda Communications Commission saw the establishment of student clubs in 20 selected secondary schools. KAWA Uganda was outsourced by UCC to guide, launch and oversee their functionality for one year from date of launch.
The first ICT Clubs bulletin was produced and published by KAWA last month, highlighting the success stories by students in the 20 schools where the ICT clubs are being piloted. A soft copy of the magazine is attached here in PDF format:
School ICT Clubs Bulletin Vol 1 (309 downloads )
. This particular bulletin covers the launch activities, projects being done by Schools, the best ways of using the Samsung Galaxy tablets offered by Opportunity to the schools, the skype session and the results of the Club Patrons workshop which was held at Makerere University Business School.
The KAWA team handed to each club about 100 TShirts branded in UCC logos, and a pair of Samsung Galaxy tablets donated by UCC for implementing club activities. Below are some of the photos from the field visits by KAWA.
NB: More photos with proper captions will be published in the second edition / volume of the ICT Clubs in Uganda bulletin.
UCC’s Proposed Learning Objectives for ICT Clubs
Through RCDF, UCC has supported the establishment of computer labs in schools over the years. Through the ICT clubs, it is hoped that the computer labs in schools will not only be used for teaching computer studies, but also be used to spur innovation while also involving students in thier maintenance.
Key objectives outlined are:
- Building in the students the skills of using ICT more effectively and responsibly.
- Building communication skills and confidence in the learners Enabling creativity and innovation
- Developing critical thinking and problem-solving mentality
- Being able to integrate ICT in mainstream disciplines, other clubs and schools’ activities for learning purposes.
- Engaging learners in programs and activities that develop a sense of global citizenship
- Being able to purposefully network, collaborate and work as a team.
- Becoming peer learners that guide and support fellow students in learning and effective use of ICT in education.
- Empowering learners to address real issues affecting their communities and finding solutions to them through innovative learning projects.
- Developing a sense of ownership of and taking part in maintenance of equipment of their respective ICT departments.
The ICT Clubs Curriculum
UCC drafted a curriculum to guide the club learning activities. Below is an outline of the proposed areas of focus:
1. Student ICT help desk (First Term)
- Troubleshooting software problems
- Fixing basic hardware issues
- Student and teacher technical support
- Installation of application software and operating systems e.g. Windows, Linux etc.
- Introduction and installation of Open office software
- Different Storage media
- Burning of data/Music/Videos on CDs or DVDs
2. The Networking andInternet Basics (First Term)
- Basic Concepts of Computer Networks
- Identifying the use of various network equipment i.e. RJ45 cables, switches, routers, etc.
- Connecting a computer to the internet
- Connecting to a computer network
- Fixing internet connectivity issues
- Identifying the IP address of a computer
- Basic use of command prompt e.g. pinging of different IP addresses
- Trouble shooting a computer to identify LAN/Internet faults and how to solve them
3. Internet Servicesand Applications (Second Term)
- Information Search on the Internet
- Analysis of Information Sources
- Internet Services including use of email services
- Streaming Technology on the Internet
- E-learning and Introduction to MOOCs
- Online Entertainment
- Impact of ICT on the Society
- Use of social media(Skype, Twitter, Facebook, etc..)
4. Using Web Authoring Tools (Second Term)
- Constructing Simple Web Pages
- Constructing Lists and Tables
- Manipulating Frames
- Embedding Multimedia Elements
- Using Style Sheets
- Creating Fill-out Forms
- Manipulating Browser Windows
- Creating Special Effects
- Publishing a Web Site
- Exercises and Discussion of HW
5. Other ClubActivities (Third Term)
- School computer science magazine
- Communication and Presentation skills
- Introduction to software development
- Basic programming in either C, C++, Java, Python etc.
- Basics of Android and IOS
- Digital Editing
- Avatar and animation creation
- Design brochures and invoices
- Technology bulletin board and school news editing
- Digital story making
- Blogging
- Note: Students should be informed of educational websites offering free online courses that can improve their ICT skills. Such websites include; http://mooc.org/ and https://www.edx.org/
Download the curriculum in PDF format:
UCC ICT Clubs Curriculum (507 downloads )
