Students

To design for students use, I needed to be well versed with the chararactaristics of the students I was designing an application for. and  "Just as people differ in many respects, so do ways in which they learn. Some of these differences are evident in the kinds of experiences each person requires to learn and, if competence in a skill is to be acquired, in the amount of time and practice each person needs to acquire it. It is essential, therefore, early in the planning process to give attention to the characteristics, abilities, and experiences of the learners" (Morrison, Ross, Kemp & Kalman, 2007 pg 54). Morison et, al. further advise that when designing an instructional plan; decide early in the initial design stages which characteristics of your learners or trainees are most useful to identify to help with the design decisions. This design looks at learner characteristics of distance education programs of Kyambogo University in two ways general and specific. **General learner characteristics** During the First World War (WW1 & 2) distance education was specific to males serving in the military. The first Ugandans to under go distance education were only males who went to fight alongside the Bristish army. Today most distance education programs are open to both males and females. Distance teacher education in Kyambogo is open to both males and females with at least a diploma in education or any other field but with two teaching subjects in secondary school. Both females and males enroll for the program as gender equality and policies such as education for all gained momentum. Most students in distance teacher education program at Kyambogo University are adults and married but there is a good number of students who also enroll while still young and single. The number of young students enrolling in distance education is increasing due to the high unemployment in Uganda of certificate and diploma holders thus students tend to upgrade so as to compete for graduate teaching jobs and take on school administrative positions.
 * Students Characteristics **

The students come from different ethnic backgrounds all over the country and from the four other East African countries. The salary scales and promotions associated with qualification have also moved experienced teachers from their comfort zones to get back to lecture rooms not as teachers but this time round as learners. The higher the qualification (degree, masters etc) the higher the salary scale compared to a certificate holder or diploma encouraging teachers to upgrade their qualification for the attainment of a higher pay.

Furthermore, a School administration and management position in Uganda is no longer due to experience only, but a combination of both experience and qualification. This has made many under in service teachers to join distance education programme so as to attain the necessary qualifications to head schools. However because some teachers graduated long ago they are not always up to date with new content outside their teaching subjects and often take too long to conceptualize new learning material.

**Specific Learner characteristics** Adult learners are the core of most distance education programs including Kyambogo University. Morrison et,al. notes that homogeneity of learner populations has reduced due the increasing number of adults who have become learners enrolling in distance education. Most distance education students join the distance education program with a lot of motivation and zeal which reduces as the program progresses leading to high drop outs.

The students are time conscious they expect the class to start on time and results in assessment to be given in time as some of them use results to account to their sponsors, husbands and wives for funding. They like to cooperate in groups and socialize together in small group activities to catch up with new material and prefer an atmosphere for interaction during breaks as they have a short concentration span.

Morrison et, al. suggests to look at school grade, level and subjects studied, letter of grades and special or advanced courses completed among others in analysis of leaner characteristics.

Technologies available to LearnersMost distance education students are adults with an income to afford personal computers especially laptop. The duty free policy on importation of computers in Uganda has increased affordability of personal computers by most people even in the country side. However, those with computers at home have a challenge of internet access especially to download heavy attachments and accessing interactive websites. The most popular internet access tool at home is the 3G modem which given its subscriptions and purchase of data bundles sometimes proves expensive to teachers. Students have access to internet at their respective schools where they teach which means that most students of distance education have ample access to internet from school computer labs. Besides computers and internet access, students have mobile phones, TV sets, Radios among other technologies.

<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">ReferencesMorrison,G.R., Ross,S.M., & Kemp,J.E. (2007). Extract from Chapter 1. Designing effective instruction (5th ed.). (p 10 -20). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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