Click here - E-Learning Portal - The University of Zululand

University of Zululand
Department of Library and Information Science
Tel: 035 902 6169 Private Bag 1001
Cell: 082 936 2370
KWA-DLANGEZWA
Web: www.lis.uzulu.ac.za 3886
E-mail nevans@pan.uzulu.ac.za
Internal Box25
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
To: Senate
From: E-learning Task Team
Regarding: Request for the the adoption of the E-learning Implementation
Strategy and Plan for the University of Zululand
To whom it may concern,
In 2006 Wageningen University and Research Center launched a NUFFIC-funded
project which became known as the Wageningen University - Zululand University
(WUZULU) project with the aim of “Enhancing the quality and relevance of education
and research in the social and natural sciences at the University of Zululand” (Definite
Schedule WUR-visit, 2006). One of the themes that the project aimed at promoting
was the role of ICT and e-learning. The call for proposals led to the establishment an
e-learning group who developed the first draft proposal for a structured e-learning
initiative at the University of Zululand. However mainly due to lack of funding for staff,
the proposal never got off the ground. In 2008 an e-learning task team was
established with the aim of reviving the project.
Subsequently after a revised proposal was accepted by the WUZULU project the task
team set about conducting a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
(SWOT) analysis (SWOT, 2008), which indicated that although limited e-learning
facilities and resources have existed for around a decade at the University of
Zululand, the use thereof remains relatively isolated and largely unsupported. Buy in
by the majority of lecturers at the University has been slow, and drives launched to
promote and train staff to use these resources have failed in the past. Stumbling
blocks encountered included low computer literacy rates among lecturers although
most have a networked computer with access to the Internet. Students’ enthusiasm
to use ICT and a low PC to student ratio (1:22 or 600:13000) leads to congested
facilities which are one of the threats that inhibit the campus wide role out of e-
learning. However planning for an additional two hundred (200) workstations and
good management of existing facilities together with the upgrading of Internet
bandwidth could ease the present digital divide.
The e-learning task team reported back to management (Registrar and the Vice-
Rector of Academic Affairs) in the form of a Road Show, in October 2008. Both

agreed that e-learning should be integrated within curricula as a matter of urgency
and encouraged the task team to plan the way forward. This led to the first draft of
the e-learning task team’s implementation strategy and plan, which recommended a
phased approach to the implementation of e-learning. This included firstly a
requirements analysis for lecturers, students and any other stakeholders of e-learning
to determine the expectations and requirements of an e-learning system together with
their training needs and then secondly creating organizational change to facilitate,
support and role out e-learning on campus.
The e-learning implementation strategy and plan has been presented to all four
faculty boards who have adopted it. An e-learning centre is in the process of being
set up (See letter to Prof Sibiya attached), however new faciclities to house dedicated
e-learning workstations for students needs to be planned and budgeted for by
management asap (200 seats – according to ICT department hardware can be
sourced from replacing computers in the HP labs and loading them with open
sources software like Ubuntu).
We therefore request Senate’s adoption of the stategy and plan as outlined in the
document that follows and the support in implementing the recommendations made.
The If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours truly,
Neil Evans
Chair of E-learning Task Team