Yaaka to revolutionize Uganda’s education through web and mobile learning

Ugandan students can now attend online classes or access academic materials in all subjects taught in preprimary, primary school, secondary school and higher institutions of learning, thanks to a new website and app, www.yaaka.cc . Students and teachers just need to register to access or offer learning materials.

Emma Laura Kisa, the Operations Manager at Ultimate Multimedia Consult (UMC), the company that developed www.yaaka.cc says it is a digital media platform for students and trainers in pre and primary school, secondary, tertiary and university to learn/train, mentor and share in academics, social and extracurricular activities of their interest, and to especially share and access digital academic materials in text, audio or audio-visual/video; as well as hold or attend classes on internet connected computers or on their mobile digital gadgets.

Yaaka was unveiled on Wednesday March 25^th 2015 at UMC offices, Kampala. Mrs. Kisa says www.yaaka.cc will improve learning and enable easy access to relevant academic materials and online classes for Ugandans.

“Yaaka is built with simple to use but robust technologies, with Uganda syllabus and organised content for Ugandans and by Ugandans,” says Jane Ndibarekera Bukenya, the Content Manager of Yaaka.

The Managing Director of UMC, Businge Gerald says they are making custom tablets for students to access www.yaaka.cc offline.

“By end of June 2015, we shall have on the market the Yaaka tablets currently in final development phase. The yaaka tabs containing all our learning materials will be available at a minimal fee of between 400,000UGX and 950,000UGX ($140- $320). Within the next two years, we plan to have completed a Yaaka platform and tablets for every African country,” Businge says.

Ndibarekera says that many Ugandans will find great use of Yaaka tablets (website/app) with free online notes and classes (as well as paid ones) for primary and secondary school learners in Boarding. She says that only yaaka and other educational apps will be accessed on the tablets.

As countries strive to achieve education related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and indeed other MDGs (as improved knowledge is necessary to achieve all), it has been noted that there is a need for expanded human learning.

“Traditional methods of education and training cannot address the scope and scale of the task. Technology has already revolutionised other areas of human life and the world must now harness it to learning and teaching,” the UN said in a recent report calling for more integration of technology into education and learning.

“We are glad to have ably answered this call. Through www.yaaka.cc, teachers and education institutions can avail class notes, books, quizzes, assignments and award performance; while teachers and students study/teach, interact in groups, forums, or as friends, and rate academic materials. We shall in the near future extend www.yaaka.cc to all African countries so that the power of internet and digital tools has real meaning when students and teachers can share learning content relevant to them,” Businge says.

Businge adds that while they have built Yaaka as a globally competitive digital learning platform, social network for learning and a market place of academic materials following Uganda’s syllabus across all levels of education, they still need the public expert input and review as well as views as users to make the learning platform better.

“We are counting on your support to grow Yaaka into a leading digital learning platform, social network for learning, with relevant content and limitless income earning opportunities for teachers”, Businge says.

Unveiling Yaaka Digital Learning Network: Making Uganda’s education & curriculum a click away