Effective Education to Combat HIV/AIDS: Review of an HIV/AIDS Course at UNISWA

Abstract

PCF5 Sub-theme: Health // This paper presents an evaluation study of a course on HIV/AIDS. The paper acknowledges that there are many educational interventions on HIV/AIDS, yet HIV/AIDS is still a global concern due to its high prevalence in some countries like Swaziland. Higher education institutions such as the University of Swaziland, (UNISWA), have responded to the challenge of HIV/AIDS through a number of interventions. Curriculum reform to incorporate HIV/AIDS education is one example. The Faculty of Agriculture at the UNISWA offers an HIV/AIDS (AGR101) course to all first year students. Similarly, the Institute of Distance Education (IDE) at UNISWA plans to design content and delivery methods that it will use to offer an HIV/AIDS course. // This study researches best practice example from the agriculture course design and delivery team as well as from students taking the HIV/AIDS course. Data was collected from research carried out in March, 2008, based on a sample of students who took this course in the first semester of the academic year 2007-2008. The study, aimed at conducting an evaluation of the AGR101 course, is guided by the following summarized broad areas of the research questions: // 1. Is the content of the HIV/AIDS course adequate? Does it cover all the necessary information and to the appropriate depth? // 2. Are the teaching/learning methodologies used to teach the course appropriate and effective? // 3. What regulations should be put in place to deal with the offer of the course, its assessment, and how it should affect students’ progress in their programmes? // 4. Can the HIV/AIDS course be offered through distance education delivery mode? // To respond to the research questions, the paper begins by presenting a contextual background to the study. Thereafter the methodology used is presented, and this is followed by the data analysis and discussion section. Finally, conclusions are drawn from the key issues identified in the findings from the research study. // Paper ID 611