This network originated from a program that has been going on since 2017 within three East Africa Universities (Makerere University, University of Dar-es-Salaam and University of Nairobi), in collaboration with Aalto University in Finland. The program involves multi-disciplinary students working on real life challenges, provided by industry partners, using problem-based learning (PBL) approaches. Beyond the three universities, the network hopes to attract other individuals, universities and partners in Africa and beyond, who would be interested in collaborating to grow and enhance PBL in higher education institutions.
Promoting Problem Based Learning at Higher Education institutions in Africa
The Opportunity
There is a great opportunity in strengthening the capabilities of University students to connect more with industry, relate with the practical and real-life societal challenges and hence become better solution providers and innovators of the future. The very structure and nature of PBL makes students and faculty more user centered and better connected to society.
There are many challenges in the society in Africa that can be solved by University students if the collective intellectual power of the learners and facilitators is coordinated and systematically channeled to creating solutions.
The Goal
The main goal of this network is to strengthen the capacity of individuals and institutions of higher learning to execute and advance PBL while making the best of the methodologies for the betterment of society.
The Approach
PBL Africa network encourages PBL approaches with the following ingredients:
Students should get grounded in Design Thinking and User centered design
The learning should be structured to create an atmosphere that allows for the development of other desirable skills and attributes such as effective communication, collaboration and creativity.
Challenges should be real, with actual industry partners who own the problem and provide professional guidance to the process of solution creation
Students are co-owners of the process of the solution creation – solution and approach are not pre-defined
With support from mentors, the students should actively reflect and reason to construct their own learning.
Through development and sharing of relevant material, organizing conferences, seminars and workshops, initiating PBL projects in participating countries, recognizing outcomes of PBL initiatives, sharing of best practices and building capacity among other activities, the PBL Africa network hopes to be a catalyst for innovation in Higher Education institutions in Africa
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