The University Council at its 136th Meeting held on 6th and 21st of October, 2015 approved the Policy on Open Distance and eLearning. The Policy aims at mainstreaming Open, Distance and eLearning (ODeL) into academic programmes of the University so as to increase access to flexible and quality technology supported learning. The Policy upgraded the Department of Open and Distance Learning into the Institute of Open, Distance and e-Learning (IODeL).
The IODeL is housed within the College of Education and External Studies (CEES). The Institute Director reports to: (a) the Principal, CEES for matters related to developing and teaching ODeL disciplinary courses and programmes; and (b) The Deputy Vice Chancellor in Charge of Academic Affairs in matters related to providing backstopping support services to all university academic units for the professional and smooth integration of e-learning, blended learning, distance education and online education within their academic offerings and research. Therefore, this report will feature these two reporting channels.
The Policy on ODeL upgraded the former Department of Open and Distance Learning into the Institute of Open, Distance and e-Learning. With this new status the Policy required mother units of existing distance education programmes that were being hosted, coordinated and managed by the former Department of Open and Distance Learning to revert to mother units. This would give faculty in the IODeL ample time to concentrate on teaching ODeL Disciplinary courses and programmes and provide university wide support for technology mediated teaching and learning integration. However, by the end of the year under review (2022), relegation of distance learning programmes to mother units was not yet complete. Bachelor of Agricultural and Rural Innovations External and Bachelor of Education External had been successfully transited to their mother units – CAES and CEES respectively. The Bachelor of Science External and Bachelor of Commerce External had not been transited due to budget related issues. In the year under review the Office of the DVC AA organized several meetings of stakeholders to resolve the matter. The matter however remained unresolved in 2022.
The unresolved matters made IODeL continue to host, manage and coordinate the Bachelor of Science External and Bachelor of Commerce External in the year under review. Meanwhile the IODeL held a meeting with the College of Natural Sciences on December 05, 2022 in Chemistry Board Room in effort to find solutions to challenges facing Bachelor of Science External students.
Faculty at IODeL continued to teach on Bachelor of Commerce External, Bachelor of Education External, Bachelor of Commerce External, Bachelor of Youth Development Work External and Master of Instructional Design and Technology.
In particular, the Master of Instructional Design and Technology was hosted, coordinated and managed by IODeL.
| No | Programme |
| 1. | Bachelor of Education External |
| 2 | Bachelor of Science External |
| 3. | Bachelor of Commerce External |
| 4. | Online Bachelor in Youth Development Work |
| 5. | Bachelor of Agricultural and Rural Innovations External |
| 6. | Master of Instructional Design and Technology |
| 7. | Master of Public Health Distance |
