Response #1 - UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA , Dr. Francis Tembo

University specifics

1. When does your next term or semester begin? Is this the first term of the new school year?

Our second semester begins on 15th August 2004

 

2. How many students do you admit to your program?

School of Mines 30 - 40 students

School of Agric 60 - 80 students

 

3. How many students does a professor generally have in one class?

10 - 20 students in a class

 

4. What is the duration of a class session (in minutes or hours)?

50 minutes

 

5. What is the approximate male to female ratio and age range in the program?

School of Mines 1 female to 10 male

School of Agric a bit better ( Will get the exact ratio)

 

6. How many faculty teach in the department?

8 for both Geology and Soil Science

 

7. Do any of the faculty have research interests that are similar to the subject of agrogeology? If so, what is their current research or teaching focus?

Yes. Application of carbonate rocks, phosphate rocks and gypsum to improve soil productivity

 

8. Is there currently a course offered on industrial minerals?

Yes

 

9. Which program(s) would make use of the learning materials on agrogeology?

Geology and Agriculture

 

10. What is the duration of the program (in years)?

5 Years

 

11. Which course would incorporate an agrogeology unit as part of its course content?

Industrial Minerals and rocks

Soil Fertility

 

12. Is the class a first, second, third or fourth year class?

Fourth and Fifth Year Classes

 

13. Is it possible that the department would offer a separate agrogeology class?

It is possible but this would take some time as it should be approved by the University Senate

 

14. The students in your department have a general level of knowledge in which of the following subject areas: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Soil Science, Geology, Plant Physiology?

All of the above

 

15. If possible, please attach or send a schedule of courses for the students taking this program of study.

Later

 

Language

1. What language(s) are most used by the staff at your institution?

English

 

2. Are there staff/students who would be able to assist with translation both oral and written?

Yes

 

Resources

1. Which geology and soil science textbooks do the students in the program make use of?

Please be specific as some of these courses are offered over the whole programme period

 

2. Do students share access to a department copy, borrow the textbook from the library, get photocopies or do they have their own copy of the book?

Usually they have an own copy, but they can also borrow from the Library or Department

 

3. Do instructors use overhead projectors, video presentations, or power point presentations in the classes?

Yes

 

4. Do professors ever organize field trips to agrogeological sites for their students?

Yes

 

5. Do students get photocopied hand-outs on a regular basis, semi-regular basis or rarely? Is it costly for the university to make many photocopies?

Yes, but it is quite costly

 

6. Do the students have regular access to the library resources?

Yes

 

ICT Access

1. Please describe your department's access to computers, number and type of computers, printers, main programs used, etc.

Departments have computer Laboratories where students learn computer based courses

 

2. How would you describe your access to the Internet? (Are your computers connected at the university? Is the connection fairly reliable? Are you able to be on-line for as long as you want or is your time limited?)

Fairly unreliable as there are frequent internet disconnections. However this can be improved with access to private ISPs

 

3. What is the main use for computers at your institution (word processing and administration, email communication, research, making presentations, etc.)?

All of the above

 

4. Do you use CD ROMs?

Yes

 

5. How often do students have access to computers? For what purpose - research, email, word processing?

Very often for all of the above

 

6. If possible, can you tell us the RAM of the slowest computer you have and the clock speed on the computer processor?

32 MB RAM, 133MHz

 

Survey completed by:

 

Dr Francis Tembo

 

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Response #2 � UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM, Dept. of Geology, MKD Mutakyahwa

University specifics

1. When does your next term or semester begin? Is this the first term of the new school year?

Semester I begins in October and ends in February

Semester II begins March and ends in June

INDUSTRIAL & FIELD TRAINING July - August (time variable from year and from course to course)

 

2. How many students do you admit to your program?

We have maximum of say 240 Students taking into account we admit a max. of 60 students each year and we have 4 year programme.

 

3. How many students does a professor generally have in one class?

 

4. What is the duration of a class session (in minutes or hours)?

1hr to 2 hours depending on whether it is a lecture or including practical.

 

5. What is the approximate male to female ratio and age range in the program?

6:1 and they range from 21 to 27 years in age

 

6. How many faculty teach in the department?

We teach students almost from all faculties who opt to take Geology as extra or compulsory.

 

7. Do any of the faculty have research interests that are similar to the subject of agrogeology? If so, what is their current research or teaching focus?

Faculty of Agricultural and Soil Science at Sokoine
University of Agricultural - the effect of vermiculite on soil fertility (have no details)

 

8. Is there currently a course offered on industrial minerals?

YES, we offer Industrial Minerals (Non Metallics) with genesis

 

9. Which program(s) would make use of the learning materials on agrogeology ?

Industrial Minerals with Genesis; Soil and Geomorphology

 

10. What is the duration of the program (in years)?

Each course is taught in one semester

 

11. What course would incorporate an agrogeology unit as part of its course content?

Industrial Minerals; and Soils and geomorphology

 

12. Is the class a first, second, third or fourth year class?

Industrial minerals with Genesis taught in 4th year
Soil and geomorphology taught in 2nd Year

 

13. Is it possible that the department would offer a separate agrogeology class?

NO. Agrogeology component will be intergrated in the preexisting courses mentioned above. It needs a lot of procedures to introduce a new course in the degree program.

 

14. The students in your department have a general level of knowledge in which of the following subject areas: Biology,Chemistry, Physics, Soil Science,Geology, Plant Physiology?

YES. we offer B.SC in Geology and B.Sc. with Geology etc

 

15. If possible, please attach or send a schedule of courses for the students taking this program of study.

I can not avail you with this information as I am away from my working station- CHECK on our UDSM website- check under degree courses offered.

 

Language

1. What language(s) are most used by the staff at your institution?

ENGLISH

 

2. Are there staff/students who would be able to assist with translation both oral and written?

YES

 

Resources

1. Which geology and soil science textbooks do the students in the program make use of?

Geomorphology from the earth by Karl W Butzer and other books ...Landscape development....

 

2. Do students share access to a department copy, borrow the textbook from the library, get photocopies or do they have their own copy of the book?

YES. They do not have their own text books.

 

3. Do instructors use overhead projectors, video presentations, or power point presentations in the classes?

YES

 

4. Do professors ever organize field trips to agrogeological sites for their students?

NO

 

5. Do students get photocopied hand-outs on a regular basis, semi-regular basis or rarely? Is it costly for the university to make many photocopies?

In the department every professor is required to put his lecture notes on intranet for students, but handouts are given as well.

YES it is costly

 

6. Do the students have regular access to the library resources?

YES

 

ICT Access

1. Please describe your department's access to computers, number and type of computers, printers , main programs used,etc.

25 pcs and two printers, normal IBM compatible PCs with word processor programms with WORD for Windows and XP-windows and drawing programmes

 

2. How would you describe your access to the Internet ? (Are your computers connected at the university? Is the connection fairly reliable? Are you able to be on-line for as long as you want or is your time limited?)

Computers are connected at the University and it is fairly Reliable. No time limitation to be on-line.

 

3. What is the main use for computers at your institution (word processing and administration, email communication, research, making presentations, etc.)?

YES as explained in brackets.

 

4. Do you use CD ROMs?

YES

 

5. How often do students have access to computers? For what purpose - research, email, word processing?

They have access to computers all the time for reading lecture notes from instructors, research, e-mail etc

 

6. If possible, can you tell us the RAM of the slowest computer you have and the clock speed on the computer processor?

slowest 2MB , 160MHZ ?? others are 40MG

 

Where I could not get exact answer you may compare my answers with those of Prof. Mruma. If you have not received the BANK particulars from Prof. Mruma. I will send them to you soon in few days. It is because I away from my station. Regards

 

Survey completed by:

Prof. MKD MUTAKYAHWA, (date 03.07.2004)

Rocks for Crops is a partnership initiative in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and Canada co-ordinated by the Rocks for Crops team from the departments of Land Resource Sciences and Rural Extension Studies in the Ontario Agricultural College at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, and supported by Commonwealth of Learning.