From Platform Proficiency to Digital Pedagogy: Digital Competences at Uganda Christian University

Abstract

The study examined the digital competences that enhance the capacity of technology-adapting educators to deliver online learning effectively in private universities in Uganda, with specific emphasis on the TPACK framework. Guided by a constructivist paradigm, the study adopted an exploratory qualitative case study design. Participants comprised 15 technology-adapting educators, three technical staff members, and two focus group discussions. Purposive sampling was used. Data were generated through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis and were analysed thematically. Findings revealed that educators possessed developing digital competences characterised primarily by functional use of the learning management system Moodle, videoconferencing, and basic digital communication platforms. However, their competences varied in depth, with stronger evidence of technological knowledge than of pedagogical application. Through the TPACK lens, educators were able to select and use digital tools to support lesson design, learner engagement, classroom management, assessment, and feedback, while also enabling them to organise and communicate subject-specific concepts. The findings further indicated that online learning depends not merely on educators’ ability to use digital technologies but on their capacity to integrate technology with appropriate pedagogical approaches and subject content. The study concludes that digital competence among educators is multidimensional and is strengthened through meaningful interaction among technology, pedagogy, and subject content. It recommends professional development programmes that move beyond basic technological skills towards sustainable development of TPACK, leading to pedagogically and contextually appropriate technology choices for online learning in higher education contexts.