Partnership for Enhanced and Blended Learning

The Partnership for Enhanced and Blended Learning (PEBL) is supported by DFID's SPHEIR programme and is designed to address the critical academic staff shortages many east African universities are currently facing. It will enable universities to share scarce teaching resources through quality assured, credit-bearing degree courses, delivered through blended learning.

By participating in PEBL, east African universities will be able to expand the range of courses offered to students enrolled on taught undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, and ease the teaching burden placed on their staff. Quality assured courses, taught by academics from other institutions in the region, will provide students with online teaching, combined with in-person tutoring and assessment, resulting in degree credits from their own university.

To ensure the courses offered through PEBL are high quality, the project will also grow the educational development capacity of our partner universities. It will do this by building a solid base of expertise amongst academic staff in the use of effective blended learning pedagogies.

In this way, PEBL will enhance regional collaboration, teaching quality and student outcomes, helping to ensure that students graduate from east African universities with the relevant skills and knowledge needed for the workplace in a dynamic and changing economic climate.

PEBL modules are shared via OER Africa

Expected duration: Four years from September 2017

More information

Lead partner: The Association of Commonwealth Universities (UK)

Partners:
Commission for University Education (Kenya)
Commonwealth of Learning (Canada)
Kenyatta University (Kenya)
Makerere University (Uganda)
Open University of Tanzania (Tanzania)
State University of Zanzibar (Tanzania)
Staff and Educational Development Association (UK)
Strathmore University (Kenya)
University of Edinburgh (UK)
University of Rwanda (Rwanda)

Participant universities:
Africa Nazarene University (Kenya)
Bugema University (Uganda)
INES Ruhengeri (Rwanda)
Kampala International University (Uganda)
Kenya Methodist University (Kenya)
Kibogora Polytechnic (Rwanda)
Kigali Independent University (ULK) (Rwanda)
Maseno University (Kenya)
Moi University (Kenya)
Mzumbe University Tanzania (Tanzania)
Riara University (Kenya)
St. John's University of Tanzania (Tanzania)
St. Paul's University (Kenya)
Scott Christian University (Kenya)
United States International University (Kenya)
University of Eastern Africa Baraton (Kenya)
University of Nairobi (Kenya)
University of Technlogy and Arts of Byumba (Rwanda)

PEBL in the news

• Strathmore deepens strategic partnerships in teaching and innovation - Strathmore University (6 March 2019)
• First PEBL students commence online study in Uganda - ACU news (28 January 2019)
• Partnership for Enhanced and Blended Learning - University of Edinburgh (15 October 2018)
• Makerere University: Taking the lead in the realization of vision 2040 - New Vision Uganda (26 August 2018)
• Bolstering Blended Learning in East Africa - University of Nairobi Website (16 May 2018)
• Blended learning network to overcome faculty shortages - University World News (15 December 2017)