dr. R.N. Kizito MA (Rita)

Rita Ndagire Kizito

ORCID Number: 0000-0001-8697-2377

24-08-2023

Introduction

My research statement is drawn from my experience as a Science teacher, Learning Scientist [1], Curriculum Developer and programme evaluator who has spent some time working in the STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) Education field, primarily in African Higher Education. I have over 42 years’ experience in learning activity design, curriculum development, and evaluation in Higher Education, mostly informed by the Learning Sciences and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.

My research interests lie in improving adult education provision in higher, open and distance learning, online and/or hybrid learning, vocational training and community learning environments. The target is for both young and mature adults as we need the experiences and wisdom of the mature to foster and nurture the innovation and creativity of the youth to improve education

[1] Learning sciences is an interdisciplinary field that explores and examines teaching and learning. Learning scientists study learning in a variety of settings – not only the more formal learning of school classrooms, but also the more informal learning that takes place at home, on the job, and among peers. The goal of the learning sciences is to better understand the cognitive and social processes that result in the most effective learning, and to use this knowledge to redesign classrooms and other learning environments so that people learn more deeply and more effectively (Sawyer, 2008).

My research and views about teaching are aimed at gaining a better understanding of learning activity design, with a focus on how technologies can be used to facilitate meaning-making contexts encountered in adult science and engineering teaching. With over two decades of dedication to the realm of Higher Education, I have continually sought to blend the tenets of Learning Sciences and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning to foster effective adult educational practices. An example is the research below which argued for adoption of Connectivism as a learning theory.

Kizito, Rita Ndagire. "Connectivism in learning activity design: Implications for pedagogically-based technology adoption in African higher education contexts." International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning 17, no. 2 (2016): 19-39. https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1066244ar

Because I come from an under-resourced community, I have a keen interest in the utilization of mobile technologies in teaching and learning, especially in Mathematics teaching. My research work is guided by the assumption that meaning-making is a result of interactions (and/or dialogue) with others but could be better mediated through the use of different forms of technologies. This perspective is imbued in this article:

Kizito, Rita Ndagire. "Pretesting mathematical concepts with the mobile phone: implications for curriculum design." International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning 13, no. 1 (2012): 38-55. https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/irrodl/1900-v1-n1-irrodl05116/1067292ar/abstract/

So far, key findings from the research projects I have conducted indicate that context is key to learning activity design. The research also reveals that evaluation at course and programme level is key to improvement- hence my interest in evaluation research. Below are some project reports related to evaluation:

Mashiyi, N & Kizito, R. (2015). An Appraisal of the Decentralized Professional Development Model Adopted by a South African Higher Education Institution Alternation Special Edition No 16 (2015) Comparative Perspectives on Higher Education Systemic Change, Curriculum Reform, Quality Promotion and Professional Development; 44-68 Available at: http://alternation.ukzn.ac.za/Files/docs/22%20SpEd16/03%20Mashiyi%20F.pdf

Kizito, Rita. "Structuring an activity theory-based framework for evaluating a science extended curriculum programme. “South African Journal of Higher Education 29, no. 1 (2015): 211-237. https://journals.co.za/content/high/29/1/EJC172789

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+31534896594

r.n.kizito@utwente.nl