Abstract: This study examines how departmental Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) influence the implementation of blended instruction in Ugandan higher education. Since the pandemic forced everyone online, universities in Uganda have been trying to mix traditional classes with digital learning. However, the rollout has been uneven. Public universities such as Busitema and Muni are moving at a different pace than private universities such as Uganda Christian University (UCU) and Uganda Martyrs (UMU). Using a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, the research surveyed 240 faculty members across these four institutions and conducted 24 semi-structured interviews to understand the link between departmental collaboration and digital pedagogy. The data show a clear link (r = 0.68, p < 0.01) between active departmental PLCs and the extent to which blended learning is implemented. This is especially true when those communities focus heavily on designing courses together and promoting open, reflective dialogue among staff. Interestingly, while private universities benefit from superior technological infrastructure, faculty in public universities demonstrate stronger informal peer-mentoring networks. Despite these efforts, widespread challenges persist, including unstable internet connectivity, high data costs, and institutional workload policies that fail to recognize the time required for blended teaching. This study concludes that technology alone cannot sustain digital transformation; instead, successful blended learning relies on an Obuntu Bulamu framework for PLCs that prioritizes collective, relational, and community-led capacity building. Consequently, universities should formally integrate blended instruction into faculty workload models and establish structured, peer-led co-design teams within academic departments.

Abstract: This study explored students’ perceptions of digital games for learning chemistry at higher learning institutions (HLIs) in Dodoma, Tanzania. We used a descriptive research design to collect both qualitative and quantitative data from selected HLIs in Dodoma, Tanzania. The study results indicate that students hold positive attitudes toward digital games in chemistry learning, citing multimedia content, alignment with diverse learning styles, and self-paced learning, while simulation emerged as most games used, with physical chemistry identified as most topic learned through these tools. Moreover, the result shows that students’ behavioral intention to use digital games was driven by personal beliefs about usefulness, including feedback, autonomy, and simplification of complex concepts. Notably, students perceived digital games as individual learning tools than collaborative platforms, with subjective norms playing little role in their adoptions. The major challenges identified were limited awareness and access to existing digital games for chemistry learning, which hindered adoption and use. This study contributes to the existing body of literature on digital pedagogy by exploring perceptions on the use of digital games for learning among higher education students, area that has not been sufficiently investigated. The findings have important implications for improving the learning of STEM subjects, which are perceived as difficult due to their complexity and abstract concepts. The study further addresses the challenge of limited access instructional resources, which persist in many schools in Africa, Tanzania in particular. The research also contributes to the existing body of knowledge regarding the use of educational technology in the Tanzanian context, which can inform future educational practices and policies.

Abstract: Technology-mediated learning (TML) has become central to higher education globally, particularly as universities respond to massification, digitalisation, and post-COVID-19 disruptions. In Uganda, national ICT and education policies since 2003 have promoted the integration of digital technologies in universities; however, concerns persist regarding the extent to which these policies support pedagogically meaningful learning rather than technological access alone. This study adopted a narrative review design to synthesise policy and scholarly literature published between 2003 and 2025 on technology-mediated learning in Ugandan universities. Sources included national policy documents, peer-reviewed journal articles, and credible institutional reports. Literature was identified using Boolean search strategies across academic databases and official repositories. Thematic synthesis was guided by a socio-ecological framework and organised in a manner that progressed from global and Sub-Saharan African perspectives to national and Southwestern Uganda contexts. The review found that technology-mediated learning in Ugandan universities has largely been framed through technocratic policy orientations emphasising infrastructure, access, and continuity. While universities have widely adopted learning management systems and online platforms, implementation has often prioritised content delivery and administrative efficiency over pedagogical redesign. Significant policy–practice gaps persist, shaped by institutional capacity, academic staff preparedness, digital inequities, and limited pedagogy-explicit guidance, particularly evident during the COVID-19 period. The findings indicate that re-thinking technology-mediated learning in Ugandan universities requires shifting from technology-centred policies toward pedagogically grounded, context-responsive approaches. Coordinated action across policy, institutional, and teaching levels is essential to enhance learning mediation, equity, and sustainability in digital higher education.