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Coupled human and natural system dynamics as key to the sustainability of Lake victoria’s ecosystem services
(Ecology and Society ,Vol. 19, No. 4, 2014, 2014) Andrea S. Downing, Egbert H. van Nes, John S. Balirwa, Joost Beuving, P.O.J. Bwathondi, Lauren J. Chapman, Ilse J. M. Cornelissen, Iain G. Cowx, Kees P. C. Goudswaard, Robert E. Hecky, Jan H. Janse, Annette B. G. Janssen, Les Kaufman, Mary A. Kishe-Machumu, Jeppe Kolding, Willem Ligtvoet, Dismas Mbabazi, Modesta Medard, Oliva C. Mkumbo, Enock Mlaponi, Antony T. Munyaho, Leopold A. J. Nagelkerke, Richard Ogutu-Ohwayo, William O. Ojwang, Happy K. Peter, Daniel E. Schindler, Ole Seehausen, Diana Sharpe, Greg M. Silsbe, Lewis Sitoki, Rhoda Tumwebaze, Denis Tweddle, Karen E. van de Wolfshaar, Han van Dijk, Ellen van Donk, Jacco C. van Rijssel, Paul A. M. van Zwieten, Jan Wanink, F. Witte, Wolf M. Mooij
East Africa’s Lake Victoria provides resources and services to millions of people on the lake’s shores and abroad. In particular, the lake’s fisheries are an important source of protein, employment, and international economic connections for the whole region. Nonetheless, stock dynamics are poorly understood and currently unpredictable. Furthermore, fishery dynamics are intricately connected to other supporting services of the lake as well as to lakeshore societies and economies. Much research has been carried out piecemeal on different aspects of Lake Victoria’s system, e.g., societies, biodiversity, fisheries, and eutrophication. However, to disentangle drivers and dynamics of change in this complex system, we need to put these pieces together and analyze the system as a whole. We did so by first building a qualitative model of the lake’s social-ecological system. We then investigated the model system through a qualitative loop analysis, and finally examined effects of changes on the system state and structure.
The model and its contextual analysis allowed us to investigate system-wide chain reactions resulting from disturbances. Importantly, we built a tool that can be used to analyze the cascading effects of management options and establish the requirements for their success. We found that high connectedness of the system at the exploitation level, through fisheries having multiple target stocks, can increase the stocks’ vulnerability to exploitation but reduce society’s vulnerability to variability in individual stocks. We describe how there are multiple pathways to any change in the system, which makes it difficult to identify the root cause of changes but also broadens the management toolkit. Also, we illustrate how nutrient enrichment is not a self-regulating process, and that explicit management is necessary to halt or reverse eutrophication. This model is simple and usable to assess system-wide effects of management policies, and can serve as a paving stone for future quantitative analyses of system dynamics at local scales
Micro-credentials in higher education institutions: an exploratory study of its place in Tanzania
(IJEDICT , 2019) Ghasia, Mohamed ; Machumu Haruni and Smet, Egbert
Micro-credentials represent an alternative approach to career and professional development whereby an individual’s skills, achievements, and accomplishments get to be recognized. They offer the possibility to enhance skills, to manage career pathways as well as adding practicality in the academic content. Moreover, micro-credentials are the cost-effective professional development strategies that significantly minimize employees training cost and time. Also, micro-credentials in higher education institutions (HEIs), refers to the integration of digital badges within universities curricular and community engagement activities to inspire connected and lifelong learning for the professional development of students, educators and communities in formal learning settings. This paper explores ways in which micro-credentials can be offered in the Tanzanian Universities. Specifically, we explore educators’ perception, readiness and implementation strategies. The qualitative methods such as in-depth interviews with thirty-one lecturers, fifty-four students and twelve educational technologists were deployed. The four Tanzanian universities were purposively chosen whereas theoretical sampling was used to identify respondents. Data were analysed within NVIVO software in accordance with the Strauss and Corbin Grounded Theory. The results suggest that university lecturers and students are optimistic that micro-credentials stimulate lifelong and connected learning as well as expand the scope of the universities’ mandate. However, to leverage from these potentials, multi-level interventions are needed. We recommend the creation of micro-credentials ecosystem, formulation of strategies and policies, deployment of necessary infrastructure as well as building relevant skill-base. Implications, contributions and limitations of the study are discussed in line with the findings. Finally, the paper contributes to the literature on the implementation of micro-credentials in higher education (HE).
E-records guidance tools in records sharing at Tanzania public service college
(Journal of the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (ESARBICA JOURNAL), 2022) Chang’a, Chiku; Mwilongo, Kardo
This study aimed to assess the e-records guidance tools for record sharing at the Tanzania Public Service College in Tanzania. A credible methodology is presented, followed by a discussion about the phenomena underpinning the study. The study engaged a quantitative research design to collect, process and analyses data. The quantitative research design was used to collect basic descriptive statistical data on demographic characteristics, awareness of e-records guidance tools, usefulness of e-records guidance tools in sharing records and the factors affecting the application of e-records guidance tools in sharing e-records. The findings established that the majority (>50%) of the respondents were well informed of e-records guidance tools and agreed on the fact that guidance tools’ user-friendliness, trace procedures and user awareness positively affected access to and use of e-records guidance tools. However, the institutional developed procedures and regulations were applied to a high degree in the handling and sharing of e-records; although attention has to be critically recommended to the Tanzania National Archives on developing comprehensive e-records guidance tools to ensure effective e-records sharing practices
Students’ motivational factors and engagement strategies in constructivist: based blended learning environments
(Africa in Focus, 2018) Machumu, Haruni, Zhu Chang and Almasi,Mustapha
Student motivation to learn is an essential component for the design, development and implementation of technology-mediated learning environments. Engagement learning strategies have been devised to assist students as they learn in a constructivist-based blended learning environment (CBLE). This study investigates the relationship between students’ motivational factors and their engagement learning strategies in a CBLE in Tanzanian Universities. Specifically, the study examines a) student motivational factors to learn, b) gender differences in motivational factors, and c) relates motivational factors with students’ engagement learning strategies.
The study is built on theoretical foundations of engagement learning and constructivist-based blended learning. We used a self-report student motivational factors and engagement learning strategies survey (SMFELSs) to obtain data from 1010 undergraduate students from three universities. The results indicate that students are positively motivated to learn in CBLE. Our results also reveal that there is a statistically significant correlation between motivational factors and students’ engagement learning strategies.
The results, on the one hand, enhance our understanding of students’ motivational factors to learn in a CBLE, and on the other hand expand knowledge on which student engagement learning strategies should be adopted and implemented in the context of challenging learning environments. Furthermore, the results are important for instructional designers, university teachers and curriculum developers. Our study further helps to improve the design of blended learning courses, constructivist learning environment and learning activities concerning students’ motivational factors and engagement learning strategies
Impacts of parental involvement in school activities on academic achievement of primary school children
(International Journal of Education and Research, 2015) Kimaro, Anathe R & Machumu, Haruni
The study explores the extent of parental involvement in school activities and its relationship with schooling process among primary school children. Parental involvement questionnaire and children academic questionnaire with two rating
scales each were administered to 288 children and 125 teachers from six primary schools. The study found a positive significant relationship between parental involvement in school activities and children’s academic standing (r =.766, p<.01)
and the provision of key school items related to schooling outcomes (r =.733, p<.01) respectively. Parents-teacher conferences and parent-teacher face-to-face contacts were perceived to be desirable modes of communications that impacts children’s school academic achievement.