Browsing by Author "Muchungi, Kendi"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Leveraging intelligent decision support system to promote inclusive remote teaching and learning in institutions of higher education in East Africa: Prototype development
    (Elsevier, 2023) Muchungi, Kendi; Mukami, Victoria; Mongi, Hector; Fabian, Flora; Ombui, Edward; Kiguru, Mary; Tandika, Pambas; Moshi, Fabiola; Ombeni, Joram
    The need for an intelligent system to support the decision-making process on remote teaching and learning during pandemics was realized during Covid-19. It was learned that during the pandemic most higher learning institutions could not respond as rapidly as the situation manifests to protect academic activities from disruptions. The objective of this paper is to describe the proposed prototype of an intelligent decision support system (IDSS) to inform the current and future remote teaching and learning in East African Higher Education in response to pandemics such as COVID-19. The research adopted the design science research approach to analysis, design, and development of the prototype. The development was preceded by understanding the situation where Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Challenges (SWOCs) were analyzed. From the analysis, the requirements for the system were identified. Three stages were followed to develop the prototype. First, the development of a web interface or landing website, then designing the prototype framework with stakeholders' evaluation and actual development of the prototype. The SWOC analyses showed varying enabling environments within institutions in a country and between institutions in East Africa. Inadequate policy and legal and regulatory provisions for a rapid switch to remote teaching and learning during the pandemic were compounded by inadequate infrastructure, trained human resources, and organized rapid decision-making. Based on these findings, a prototype framework was then designed to support the decision-making on remote teaching and learning amid the pandemic in East Africa. The preliminary evaluation of the framework suggests that the system has great prospects to inform the decision-making process in the wake of pandemics thereby achieving the rapidity and efficiency of decisions. Further development and evaluation are ongoing.