E-LEARNING AS A TOOL FOR TRANSFORMING TVET FROM IDEA TO ACTION IN DEVELOPING ECONOMIES IN KENYA

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1 Available online at /journals/ijema / E-LEARNING AS A TOOL FOR TRANSFORMING TVET FROM IDEA TO ACTION IN DEVELOPING ECONOMIES IN KENYA 1 Munyi Felister Wanyaga, 2 Dr. J Gikandi 1 Department of Information Communication Technology, Thika Technical Training Institute ferliem2011@gmail.com 2 Deputy Director, ARA Nairobi Campus, Mount Kenya University jwgikandi@mku.ac.ke ABSTRACT Deficiency in skills that are valued in global and local economies constrains economic growth, jobs, and income. Good, demand-driven TVET is potentially one of the most important tools for skilling young people, both in and out of school. However, TVET looks very different in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations as compared to the developing economies. The world has become technologically complex, demanding highly sophisticated and transferable work skills in an increasingly globalised world. This paper focuses on e- learning as a tool for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) delivery towards increasing access to TVET, lowering the cost of TVET courses and improving the quality of TVET education. This is based on data collected from both primary and secondary sources. Descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyze the data and to draw conclusions. The action plan evaluates the use of e-learning for transforming TVET from idea to action from the perspectives of the requirements of a knowledge economy, the increase of ICT in the workplace, the demand to increase access to vocational education and training, the lack of qualified teachers and the requirement to provide opportunities for continuing professional development, re-skilling and skills upgrading. Keywords: TVET, E-learning, Developing economies, Kenya 2016, International Journal of Science, Technology, Management & Education Research 1

2 Available online at /journals/ijema / Introduction Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is an education that prepares people for specific trades, crafts and careers at various levels from a trade, a craft, technician, or a professional position in engineering, accountancy, nursing, medicine, and other healing arts, architecture, pharmacy, law etc. Most vocations are usually based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation. Developing countries mostly apply traditional methods of curriculum delivery in Most TVET institutions. This entails the physical presence of a learner and the teacher is mostly the source of the content while the learner is only a recipient. The current dynamic education and work environment necessitates a shift from the norm. The role of ICT's in the growth and development of the developing economies cannot be underestimated. The education sector stands out to be one of the greatest beneficiaries of the information communication technologies. Many developing countries greatly rely on skilled labour to enhance their development agenda and as pointed out by many professionals, TVET is the master key to development. E-learning is Learning that is supported by use of electronic technology aided by computers (Wanyaga, M. F., Kamau, J. W., & Gikandi, 2015). E-learning has the ability to provide ways by which the widely-used concept of lifelong learning has an up and working meaning. Without it, the notion is little more than a noble aspiration. Without e-learning, concepts like equal access to education and education for all are condemned to the fate of a slogan: however right they may be, without the means to share the knowledge generated by formal and non-formal educators, they can never be more than an empty call to promote equity and justice. Technological advancements lead to flexibility in Education systems more so in the developed economies. Many countries have enhanced their development by fostering well organized and linked TVET systems. In June 2016, Kenya hosted the Commonwealth Association of Technical Universities and Polytechnics in Africa (CAPA) international conference at Pride Inn Paradise Hotel in Mombasa. The main theme of the conference was "Strategic involvement of TVET Institutions towards the realization of post 2015 sustainable development goals in Africa (SDG'S)". The Permanent Secretary of Education in Kenya asserted that skills development is key for any developing economy and this can only be realized through 2016, International Journal of Science, Technology, Management & Education Research 2

3 Available online at /journals/ijema / TVET. E- learning will play a very significant role in ensuring easy access to TVET courses even in areas where TVET institutions are scarce and inaccessible. Ado-Ekiti, (2016) notes that a paradigm shift from job seekers to employers of labour can be achieved through creation of an E-based virtual workshop for the delivery of industry-relevant TVET. The increased use of ICT's in workplace acts as a catapult for transforming the idea TVET from an idea to action through leveraging available technology to maximize the number of students registering for TVET courses since these courses can be accessed online and the trainer facilitates by uploading materials and tracking students progress online. In line with the Kenyan Vision 2030 medium term plan II on education and training, E-learning will also provide opportunities for continuing professional development and skills upgrading and especially for the people who are already in the industry and have no time to physically go back to class. Literature Review The advancements of Information and multimedia technology, and the use of internet as a new way of teaching, has a made a revolutionary changes in the traditional teaching process (Wang et al. 2007; Tao et al., 2006). Using electronic media such as computer videoconferencing, audio, internet, interactive TV and satellite as medium to conduct electronic learning (e-learning), has fuelled the opportunity to introduce a new learning environment and scenarios to potential benefiters (Hung and Cho, 2008). New institutional designs and infrastructures associated with a new didactic framework and learning strategies need to be established to provide learners with the required skills and competences for their future careers (Kelz, 2009). It is argued that the achieved outcomes from the traditional education and training programs are quite often far from ideal (Chen and Hsiang, 2007), and hence, institutions have to find a new way of training and learning and developing a new system to manage the flow of knowledge (Liu and Wang, 2009). Tham and Werner (2005) demonstrated that higher education sector must keep abreast with technological changes through providing ideal learning environment in order to respond to changing demand. Furthermore, to stay competitive in such a dynamic learning environment, many western educational institutions have devoted a huge amount of resources to develop their e-learning system (Ling and Moi, On the contrary, the e-learning system is still in its infancy phases within the African educational setting (Ali and Magalhaes, 2008). 2016, International Journal of Science, Technology, Management & Education Research 3

4 Available online at /journals/ijema / The integration of ICT technologies in the current education systems has brought about a significant paradigm shift in the teaching and learning process which requires instructors to have adequate training in technology and also availability of adequate technical support (Rogers & Donna, 2003). The TVET institutions in developing countries are faced with an urgent need to develop their staff in order to help them be up to date with current technologies available for instruction delivery and also to have the requisite knowledge required to plan and deliver out of school learning content. The institutions should also come up with programs to train technicians in ICT technologies to ensure sustainability of the projects. According to Oketch H. A., Njihia J. M. & Wausi A. N. (2014), there is need for institutions to provide leadership in educational technology to produce holistic students ready to work in this digital era. TVET institutions in developing countries must pick up this challenge and foster competency based education delivery for the aspired development to be realized. According to Hall (2001), institutions that have implemented use of technology in learning are witnessing a number of benefits such as cost savings and increased flexibility in productivity. This is because there is reduced cost of infrastructure needed to accommodate learners within the school environment and with the many ICT technologies, now learners can be reached without necessarily being bound to the school compound. E-learning also makes learners more independent Institutions that have implemented ICT have also maintained a competitive edge against their counterparts (Goldstein and Ford, 2001.) According to Karmakar (2000), e-learning creates opportunities for organizations in the following ways: save time, cost, and effort; satisfy educational needs from remote areas; provide self-learning opportunities; have a positive impact on the learning process and provide a mechanism for collaborative learning. It is very evident that digital technologies have a great potential of enriching the education systems in developing countries and TVET can tap from this to enhance its delivery systems. The Need to Increase Access to Vocational Education and Training According to the World Bank s,(2007),1.3 billion 15 - to 30-year-old young people now live in the developing world, the largest youth population in the history of the world, in both absolute and relative numbers. Young people make up nearly half of the world s unemployed. A study by Silatech (2007) concludes that 100 million new jobs have to be created in the Middle East and North Africa by 2020, just to keep pace with new entrants into the region s labour markets. This calls for rapid measures to be 2016, International Journal of Science, Technology, Management & Education Research 4

5 Available online at /journals/ijema / undertaken in Vocation Education and training to equip the youths with the necessary skills needed for entrepreneurship. Access to TVET can be accelerated by use of technology. E-learning provides the best platform under which vocational training can be made ubiquitous in developing countries. Anita, C. (2014) notes that the Kenyan government plans to expand and regulate TVET programmes by increasing and sustaining a gross enrolment ratio (GER) of 20 per cent by 2023, and by monitoring the mounting of training programmes, as provided for under TVET Act However, efforts to integrate technical vocational education and training in the formal academic and professional learning still faces challenges as the curriculum is not designed with an allowance for such training and especially for primary education. This therefore calls for prompt measures to include vocational training in the primary education through programmes which can be conducted by use of ICT's. Need for re-skilling and upgrading The move to reform the Kenyan education system from to by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MOEST) through the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development will call for a complete overhaul of most technical institutions in ways in which training is done. The competence based curriculum requires a different training dimension to produce all rounded individuals for the workforce required for a rapidly developing economy. Conclusions Despite the benefits of E-learning in increasing access to education, improving the quality of education and lowering the cost of education, TVET Institutions in Kenya are yet to adopt E-learning fully. References [1] Ali, G.,& Magalhaes, R., (2008). Barriers to implementing e-learning: a Kuwaiti case study. International Journal of Training and Development. 12(1), [2] Anita, C.(2014,May 25). TVET gains official support in new policy. The Daily Nation. Retrieved from ejvlklz/index.html 2016, International Journal of Science, Technology, Management & Education Research 5

6 Available online at /journals/ijema / [3] Hung, H., & Cho, V. (2008). Continued usage of e-learning communication tools: a study from the learners perspective in Hong Kong. International Journal of Training and Development, 12, [4] Karmakar, C. K. (2000). Recommendations for Bangladesh towards e-learning readiness. Department of computer science, Shah Jalal University of science and technology. [5] Oketch H. A., Njihia J. M. & Wausi A. N. (2014). E-Learning Readiness Assessment Model in Kenyas Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study of University of Nairobi. International Journal of Scientific Knowledge Computing and Information Technology. Vol. 5, No.6 pg [6] Ado-Ekiti,. (2016). A paradigm shift from job seekers to employers of labour.paper presented at the CAPA international conference at Prideinn Paradise Hotel Mombasa,Kenya [7] Ong, C.S., Lai, J.Y. & Wang, Y. S. (2004). Factors Affecting Engineers Acceptance of Asynchronous E- learning Systems in High-Tech Companies. Information and Management, 41 (6), , p.01. [8] Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations. New York. [9] Silatech [10] Wan, Z., Wang, Y., and Haggerty, N. (2008). Why people benefit from e-learning differently: The effects of psychological processes on e-learning outcomes. Information &Management. 45(8), pp [11] Wanyaga, M. F., Kamau, J. W., & Gikandi, J. ICT Infrastructural Factors That Influence the Adoption of E- Learning in Public Secondary Schools in Kenya. [12] World bank,(2007) World development report 2016, International Journal of Science, Technology, Management & Education Research 6