“Eye-opener” online teaching webinar transforms teaching in 13 African countries

Over 90 educators from 13 African countries got a big helping hand in their transition to online teaching this past Thursday, 2 April 2020. The Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa ), based in Nairobi, Kenya, and Knowledge E (KnE),based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, teamed up to provide a free webinar: Transitioning to Online Teaching in Higher Education: What to Avoid & HOW to Avoid It. The webinar was designed to help higher education professors rapidly adjust to the new remote-learning environment demanded by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Knowledge E’s eLearning expert, Caryn Anderson, delivered a 45 minute session jam-packed with ideas, techniques, and examples that participants called “insightful”, “well thought out”, and “practical”. She discussed methods for designing and assessing asynchronous conversations and student peer teaching/mentoring to keep students engaged and improve their performance. Her discussion of the concept of “grazing vs. meals” (more frequent, regular, and brief interactions vs. single, big presentations) was indicated by many to be an especially practical concept. Over half the participants completed a survey after the webinar, where:

• 95% said they gained one or more new ideas or insights.
• 95% identified one or more practical things they planned to implement in the next week.
• 98% mentioned one more useful things they intended to share with their colleagues.

“The whole webinar was an eye-opener about the possible opportunities. … The tips will go a long way in helping me to mount my first comprehensive class.” – Ossir Oteng’ Senior  lecturer at South Eastern University, Kenya.

This free webinar was the first of a series of webinars and customized, in-depth MasterClasses planned by TCC Africa and KnE as part of their new partnership. Both organizations are dedicated to building the professional capacities of researchers and scholars.

KnE was established in 2012, with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The KnE Learning division provides training and consulting to researchers, scholarly editors, librarians, university leaders, and national governments seeking to ensure their citizens are prepared to compete and thrive in the global knowledge economy. Recently, KnE has been developing partnerships in Africa and South and Southeast Asia.

Established in 2006, TCC Africa is the first African-based training centre to teach effective communication skills to scientists. TCC’s mission is to contribute to the increase in profile, locally, and internationally, of African science, and its impact on the life of Africans, by improving skills in technical communication in all forms, at academia and other relevant forums, in Africa. TCC trains, supports and empowers researchers through capacity in improving their research output and visibility.

Through their new partnership, TCC Africa and KnE plan to leverage their unique and combined strengths to support individuals, institutions and governments to build research and knowledge capacity throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Contact Joy Owango at TCC Africa  (joy.owango@tcc-africa.org) if you are interested in arranging a customized Transitioning to Online Teaching in Higher Education MasterClass for faculty at your institution.

The higher education world has undergone a seismic change as coronavirus commands institutions to embrace remote teaching. The Training Center in Communication (TCC) Africa and Knowledge E are proud to support professors, students and national leaders in transforming this crisis into growth, evolution, and long-term success.

CONTACTS:

Joy Owango,Training Centre in Communication: joy.owango@tcc-africa.org;info@tcc-africa.org

+254 733792316

Samantha Miles, Knowledge E: learning@knowledgee.com; +971 4 422 7043