Emerging Issues in the Utilization of Synchronous ICT in the Delivery of Distance Education at Public Universities in Uganda

This paper reports on the utilization of synchronous information and communication technologies (ICT) in the delivery of distance education at the two largest public universities in Uganda. This was an exploratory descriptive survey that aimed at establishing the emerging issues in the utilization. Applying Peter’s theory of industrialization of distance education and Moore’s theory of transactional distance as interpretive frameworks, the findings illuminate variations in ICT usage for communication among the learners, and with their instructors. This nascent use of ICT was mainly supported by telephones as well as text-based chat and projectors, but on a smaller scale. It was concluded that learners and instructors should be given training in basic utilization of the available and accessible synchronous ICT. Besides, more studies on the changing patterns of distance education in Ugandan universities and comparative studies with other African universities concerning their distance education trajectories were needed.