Conference Papers

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    The Need for Professionalization and Employability of Quality Assurance Practitioners at Higher Education Institutions
    (East African Higher Education Quality Assurance Network (EAQAN), 2022) Telemu Kassile
    By nature of their tasks quality assurance practitioners are among the leaders of institutions. The contribution and enhancement of leaders in quality assurance are crucial to improving mutual trust. Keep in mind that a leader always deals with people with their individual characteristics and capabilities, problems and individual perceptions. We cannot divorce people from leadership and leaders have a responsibility to serve. Leaders play a key role of coordinating, planning, leading, and controlling in order quality assurance and other standards are maintained in the institutions. This paper discusses findings of the three research questions that aimed to come up with the following information basics of QA professionals towards quality assurance, attributes of QA professionals in quality assurance and ethical aspects of quality assurance professionals should have. Generally, officers in quality assurance requires a shared and supporting approach – it requires cooperation, the ability to manage quality, a well-structured organization and the support of all stakeholders in higher education. Leaders in quality assurance should always set the example. You cannot require learning institutions to maintain quality if you don’t. Most importantly, quality assurance is about protecting and promoting the interests of the customer and the community at large. The outcome of quality assurance to the institutions is to have; employability, relevance, reputable products and services. The study was very connected to the theme of the conference “Promoting sustainable development through QA of Higher education” this cannot be effectively achieved, if Universities have no professional quality assurance practitioners to lead the accomplishment of universities’ goals.
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    The Role of Quality Assurance in Enhancing Online Education at Higher Learning Institutions
    (Association of African Universities, 2023) Julius Tweve
    Quality management at higher education in online education helps to build trust between learners and educators, enabling them to develop successful partnerships for learning success. Quality assurance programs help institutions to monitor course material development, track student progress over time, evaluate instructional effectiveness, promote better systems of communication with instructors and peers, as well as improve the overall quality of the educational environment. The importance of quality management in online education cannot be underestimated in order to address challenges might occur in the process of teaching and learning. It ensures that educational materials are reliable and up-to-date, and it helps to ensure the satisfaction of students by providing effective tools for their learning experience. As such, quality management is essential for creating a strong foundation on which effective online education can thrive and flourish. Learning outcomes for students studying online are equivalent to face-to-face cohorts for the same qualification level and are assessed with rigour. The quality assurance web indicates that the expected institutions have a role to make sure the graduates meet all requirements of the stakeholders. This paper poses a conceptual, findings and analytical aspects in order to provoke conversation among institutional leaders and regulators on how to embrace online learning. Online learning should not be considered as a financial panacea among institutions, they need to invest a lot in the ICT facilities, human resources and infrastructure in order to meet basic requirements of blended and online education.
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    Ethical Aspects in e-Learning to Consider through Quality Assurance at Higher Education
    (East African Higher Education Quality Assurance Network (EAQAN), 2023) Julius Tweve
    The development of ICT has made several changes in the society. Higher Education Institutions are the engines of shaping the society; however, the awareness of the ethical dimension of use of ICTs in academic settings is vital. Higher Education institutions have a role to adhere, research on ethical dimensions of ICTs particularly in this digital era. Quality assurance as a tool to enhance quality education has a role to play in nurturing emerging technologies in teaching and learning. All actors in the digital age should promote the common good, protect privacy, intellectual property and personal data. Adherence to ethical practices through quality assurance in higher education all over the world is vital in order to enhance educational services delivery. The advancement of ICTs has caused several ethical impacts to both institutions and quality assurance practitioners. The paper reviewed literatures on the need for the adherence to ethical practices through Quality Assurance in e-learning. The paper is divided into the following sub sections; introduction and overview, theoretical perspectives the focus on authentic e-learning theory, common ethical aspects violated in e-learning, common practices of academic dishonesty in e-learning, conclusion and recommendations. Authors are in the opinion that adherence to ethical aspects in e-learning through Quality Assurance among stakeholders of higher education is paramount in order to improve education provision.
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    Ethical practices among information professionals in the digital society: global perspectives and Tanzania’s practices
    (Tanzania Library Association (TLA), 2023-01) Julius Tweve
    Adherence to ethical practices among professionals all over the world is vital in order to enhance service delivery. In information professionals in Tanzania are working in different places by following guidelines and other procedures as per organization policy or acts. The aim of this paper is establishing the need for information professionals to adhere to ethical practices in information delivery. The advancement of ICTs has caused several impacts to both information providers and users. The paper reviewed different literature and documented important information on the need for the adherence to ethical practices among information professionals in the digital age. The main reference of the review is based on worldwide sources, however specific research papers done in Tanzania in relation to this topic under study were mainly referred to. The paper is divided into the following sub-sections: introduction, the need for ethical adherence, features of adherence to ethical practices, importance of adherence to ethical practices, mechanisms to enforce adherence to ethical practices and conclusion. The author is in the opinion that information professionals (librarians, records managers and other information officers) in Tanzania need to be equipped with basics of ethics and conduct in order to improve day to day operations.
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    Prerequisites Among Tanzanian Libraries Towards Embracing Emerging Digital Technologies
    (Tanzania Library Association, 2023-01) Evans F. Wema
    This paper sheds light on current digital trends globally and the position at which libraries in Tanzania should be placed. The paper provides an overview on the ongoing digital transformations worldwide, as well as the position at which libraries have placed themselves. The paper provides an overview on ways by which digital revolution have transformed technology integration into library services, revolutions in LIS education, codes of ethics in libraries and information institutions in the era of digital transformation as well as the position of libraries in the era of cyberspace and information security. The paper provides an overview of the role of libraries in the provision of data and open access information, innovation and networking, new information environment, redesigning library operations to provide sustainable services as well as embracing and coping up with new digital aspects on smart and mobile technologies, virtual library services and marketing of library services using digital technologies. The paper summarizes the discussion by highlighting impending challenges and possible solutions that are important in enhancing library services in the current digital world towards meeting the SDGs.
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    University Students’ Motives and Challenges in Utilising Institutional Repository Resources
    (DUP (Dar es Salaam University Press), 2023-07-01) Masawe, Suzan; Muneja, Paul Samwel; Msonge, Vincent
    One of the core functions of an academic institution is to generate knowledge, disseminate to the intended audiences and preserve it for future use. Academic institutions are now establishing Institutional Repositories (IRs) to collect produced resources to facilitate accessibility, dissemination, utilisation and management of intellectual materials that are produced within an institution. The purpose of this study was to assess postgraduate students’ motives for utilising IR resources and also the challenges they encounter when utilising IR resources at the University of Dar es Salaam. This study was conducted using a descriptive study design whereby it used both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. The population of this study comprised postgraduate students, librarians and ICT personnel from the University of Dar es Salaam. A sample of 102 respondents was drawn conveniently and purposively for this study. Data were collected through questionnaire, interview, as well as a review of documentary sources. Quantitative data were analysed through a Version 16 Statistics Package for Social Science (SPSS) and qualitative data were analysed using content analysis. The findings indicate that access to full-text documents, the relevance of IR resources and easy searching of the materials in the repository system motivate the utilisation of IR resources. However, several challenges impede the utilisation of these resources including unreliable internet access, inaccessibility of full-text and lack of guiding policy have been revealed as the major challenges toward utilisation of IRs resources. The study recommends training postgraduate students on the general use of IRs. Also, the University management should develop an IR policy that will guide the utilisation IR resources.
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    Access to Library Information Resources by University Students during COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa: A Systematic Literature Review
    (DUP (Dar es Salaam University Press), 2023-07-01) Shikali, Joyce; Muneja, Paul Samwel; Mohamed, Kassim
    The study examined access to library information resources by university students during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Specifically, the study sought to identify the measures adopted by academic libraries to ensure the smooth delivery of library information resources to patrons, particularly students, identify technological tools that were employed by libraries to facilitate access to library information resources. Not only that but also, the study investigated the challenges faced by students in accessing library information resources. A systematic literature review approach following PRISMA guidelines was employed to investigate the findings of the relevant literature on the subject. The keyword search strategy was employed to search for relevant literature from four scholarly databases Scopus, Emerald, Research4life and Google Scholar. The relevant 23 studies were included fulfilling the set inclusion criteria. The presentation of the findings was arranged in a tabular form to provide a summary of each article to facilitate easy analysis and synthesis of results. The findings of this study revealed that the majority of the reviewed studies indicate that, during the COVID-19 pandemic many academic libraries in Africa adopted different approaches to facilitate access to library information resources by university students including expanding access to electronic resources off- campus, virtual reference services, circulation and lending services. To support access to different library services and information resources academic libraries in Africa used various digital technological tools like social media, library websites, email and video conferencing. Moreover, the study revealed that limited access to internet services and ICT devices, inadequate electronic library collection and inadequate digital and information literacy were the major challenges faced by many university students in accessing library resources during the pandemic. This study recommends investment in ICT infrastructures and expanding electronic resource collections which are vital resources in the digital era.