On the 25th of May 2025, educators across Uganda convened for another impactful ProDev Hour hosted by UPSTU, featuring Curriculum Specialist Mathias Mulumba from the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC). The session, titled “Preparing Learning Activities from Learning Outcomes,” guided participants through practical, learner-centered approaches to crafting meaningful and competency-driven science lessons.
Mulumba emphasized a crucial shift in pedagogy: moving from mere content delivery to intentional, outcomes-based planning. At the heart of his presentation were questions that every teacher should ask: What do my learners already know? What do they want to know? And what should they engage in to gain the desired knowledge, skills, and values?
Participants explored sample activities rooted in real-world experiences rubbing hands to understand friction, reacting quicklime with water to investigate thermal energy, and using litmus paper to determine pH changes. These weren’t just science experiments; they were vehicles for developing critical thinking, safety awareness, problem-solving, and environmental consciousness.
Mulumba introduced the Three-Thumb Rule of Teaching and Learning, which encourages educators to:
- Use concrete, representational, and abstract experiences;
- Design engaging and relevant tasks that lead to observable outcomes;
- Reflect on the purpose behind each activity to make learning meaningful.
The session also revisited Kolb’s experiential learning cycle, aligning it with classroom practice. Teachers were challenged to plan lessons that start with hands-on experiences, move into reflection, and culminate in application and innovation.
One standout moment was the prompt: “Tourists in Fort Portal in May 2025 what knowledge would you apply to support them?” This activity reminded attendees that science education isn’t just about labs and textbooks it’s about real-life problem solving.
By the end of the hour, teachers left empowered, reminded that developing lesson activities from outcomes isn’t a burden it’s a chance to transform learners into skilled, curious, and value-driven citizens.
ProDev Hour continues every Thursday, 8–9 PM, on Zoom. Join the conversation, and be part of shaping education for development.