ELearning A Peace Building Initiative

Abstract

ELearning has created a chance for a large yet busy group of working learners to go back to class from the comfort of their ‘homes’ and ‘offices’ (De Beer & Mason, 2009). By adopting this mode of learning, Maseno is fulfilling the global demand for lifelong learning (UN, 2013). ELearning in Maseno University has attracted international students from Iraq, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia, Rwanda, Nigeria and Belgium: a fact that has brought an international feel to the university. Moreover the university has three face to face campuses (approximately 150km apart), manned by the same pool of lecturers. The eCampus serves as a central point of communication for lecturers and learners across all the three universities. The university capitalizes on the affordances of a virtual learning environment through the eCampus to build an interactive and collaborative learning environment for students to interact with faculty and peers to share, support, encourage and learn from each other (Donnelly and Fitzmaurice, 2004; De Beer & Mason, 2009). The LMS has the advantage of not only closing physical space and bringing everyone closer through the new ICTs but also keeps a record of activities and interactions. The wide range of interaction modes that ELearning students have creates a medium of communication and an avenue for peace building and conflict resolution given the fact that eLearning transcends across political, religious, racial, social and geographical borders. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of eLearning as an avenue for peace building and conflict resolution. The specific objectives of the study were to investigate the impact of eLearning communication tools as agents of behavior change; empowerment tools; and an alternative infrastructure towards peace building and conflict resolution. The study used a critical case study design. Data was collected from 180 postgraduate eLearning students sampled from a population of 516 students using a questionnaire and a documentary analysis guide of the archived communication tools available in the learning management system while analysis was done using descriptive statistics (Mainly percentages) and content analysis based on thematic areas of communication. Results indicated that students discuss socio-economic and political issues outside their learning time. For such discussions, 100% of the students use social media, 80% email, 60% private messaging system, 40% social discussion forum in the LMS. It further noted that 70% of the learners interacted at close range for the first time with people from a different race, religion and country on joining the eLearning programme. The results from further analysis of learners’ social presence showed that they all started by observing netiquette as a rule at eCampus but later adopted them for use in all online communication; met new online communication tools during the course. The study concluded that eLearning is perceived by learners as a safe platform for conflict resolution and an attitude change agent among ELearning Students.