Title of Innovation: Busitema University Lightboard for e-learning

Year of implementation: 2018

Implemented by: Busitema University

Country/Countries where the Innovation is being implemented: Uganda

Problem being solved

Science and Engineering lectures often times involve drawings and equations and the current trend has been that chalkboards and whiteboards are used, however, the challenge is that the instructor or the lecturer gets disconnected from the learners when he turns his back to write the equations or drawings (Birdwell and Peshkin, 2015)

Due to the busy nature of the masses and the need for upgrading, the need for online learning or flipped lessons is projected to increase. The lightboard enables the instructor to solve equations while facing the learners and leading to increased perception and learning.

Description of innovation

The Lightboard is a glass board, which has light internally from LED strips along its edges. In order to record video lecturers for online learners, a video camera captures the presenter and his/her writing by viewing through the glass. The result is vivid, luminous writing floating in front of the presenter, who can now face toward the camera while drawing and interacting with the material on the board.

With the increase of the Internet speeds in Africa, It is highly possible to produce online live lectures at ago using state of the art lectures with the video camera. Previously, it was demonstrated by Dr. Rwahwire when Engineering Mechanics tutorials were recorded and filmed on the light board as shown in the links below:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0-G4OLwBQk

2. https://www.facebook.com/kekensamedia/videos/940324609460975/

Outcomes and Impact

The mass rollout of the lightboard in Africa's higher education system will be a new paradigm to the higher education sector.

Africa is a continent that needs its workers to be skilled as well as on the job and yet it is evident the majority of workers in Africa have no time for lifelong learning. The lightboard will enable live video lectures through streaming and the learners can be able to study online either through social media or from a web-portal.

Potential to be scaled and replicated

The innovation can be upscaled through funding of setting up the model e-learning lightboard studio at Busitema University which will be a resource center for other universities and schools.