ODEL champions Digital Transformation Pedagogy Workshop

Faculty members gather at the Daystar University Nairobi Campus Council Room for the ODEL Digital Pedagogy Workshop which was held on July 8th 2026.

By Timothy Oiro

[Nairobi: July 8, 2026] The Directorate of Online, Distance and Electronic Learning (ODEL) hosted a high-level digital pedagogy workshop at the Daystar University Nairobi Campus Council Room. Themed “Re-imagining Digital Technologies in the Era of Emerging and Disruptive Technology,” the event aimed to inspire and equip faculty members to navigate the rapidly changing digital landscape.

The workshop was graced by Daystar University Vice Chancellor Prof. Laban Ayiro, DVC (Academic, Research and Student Affairs) Prof. Samuel Muriithi, ODEL Director Dr. Lydia Radoli, and ODEL Deputy Director Dr. Martin Munyao.

Key international and regional guests included Prof. Mpine Makoe, the Executive Dean, College of Education at UNISA, who joined virtually from South Africa, Ms. Riana Prins, the Head of Assessment & LMS at the Institute of Marketing and Management Graduate School, South Africa, and Dr. Micah Matiangi, the ODEL Director at Amref International University.

New emerging technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI), are fundamentally shifting how higher learning institutions operate, transforming the roles of lecturers, administrators, and students alike. Traditional teaching methods are quickly evolving into interactive live simulations, smart boards, AI-driven automated grading systems, immersive Virtual Reality (VR), gamification engines, and Generative AI tutors.

Through targeted conferences, workshops, and training, Daystar University is on the verge of becoming a leading institutional powerhouse in AI across Kenya. The workshop specifically focused on strengthening faculty competence in digital pedagogy and outcome-based online and blended course design.

Setting the context for the meeting, ODEL Director Dr. Lydia Radoli acknowledged that Daystar University is at the forefront of the AI revolution, spearheaded by the ODEL directorate. She challenged educators to be active drivers of this change rather than passive observers.

“Daystar University has started the momentum toward AI, and ODEL is at the forefront. As educators, we should not just adapt to technology, but leverage it to drive student enrollment,” Dr. Radoli asserted.

The objectives of the workshop were to:

• Strengthen faculty competence in digital pedagogy.
• Promote meaningful integration of AI and educational technologies while strictly maintaining academic integrity.
• Build a community of faculty innovators to champion quality digital learning across all schools and programmes.
• Launch a 10-module Faculty Training Programme on AI pedagogy and online course design (commencing early July, featuring synchronous sessions, asynchronous coursework, and certification upon completion).
• Develop a faith-anchored, values-centred digital transformation emphasizing the Integration of Faith in Learning and Life (IFLL) model of virtue quotient, emotional quotient and intellectual quotient (VQ +EQ +IQ).

The DVC-ARSA, Prof. Samuel Muriithi, demystified the concept of digital pedagogy for the modern era, defining traditional pedagogy as the process of how tutors curate, prepare, and deliver content, manage classrooms, and administer assessments. Digital pedagogy, he explained, is the strategic integration of digital tools to enhance this process.

“The topic is timely in our modern age, shifting from passive information transfer to active, inclusive, and learner-centred ecosystems,” stated Prof. Muriithi.

He concluded by urging educators to embrace digital pedagogy to transform students' lives, using tools like AI to develop real-world solutions to problems.

The Vice Chancellor Prof. Laban Ayiro emphasized that technology has shifted from the background to the core of education.

“Technology is no longer a peripheral infrastructure, but a part of how knowledge is created, shared, assessed, and transferred,” stated Prof. Ayiro.

Prof. Ayiro asserted that digital transformation at Daystar University must be firmly anchored in the integration of faith through four pillars:

1. Christ-centred learning formation.

2. Excellence in design and delivery.

3. Servant leadership, expressed through accessibility and learner care.

4. Innovation, governed by virtue, integrity, and quality assessment.

He noted that the ultimate goal of the workshop was to build pedagogical capacity through global best practices and to inspire faculty with current, practical competence. He emphasized that Daystar's digital future must remain globally rigorous while strengthening and not flatten the university's Christian identity.

Prof. Mpine Makoe (UNISA) intimated that for Africa to realize its full potential, institutions must champion social justice in open and distance learning by enabling free access to educational content and encouraging resource-sharing among stakeholders.

Prof. Makoe characterized modern digital education as self-paced, adaptive, lower in cost, and enriched by interactive multimedia and AI-driven engagement. To successfully navigate these disruptive technologies, she noted that African universities must urgently focus on basic infrastructure, faculty capacity building, and integrating digital skills directly into the curriculum.

The ODEL Director of Amref International University, Dr. Micah Matiangi, brought a specialized focus to the discussion with his presentation, “Leveraging Disruptive Technology in Health Science Education.”

Dr. Matiangi demonstrated how tools like AI-moderated forums and rubric-assisted peer reviews enhance student engagement. He also highlighted how hybrid classrooms benefit from advanced tools like virtual patients, AI-driven point-of-care ultrasound training, and simulation centres utilizing high-fidelity mannequins and virtual reality.

Dr. Matiangi highlighted the challenges facing the adoption of disruptive technologies, including:

• The persistent digital divide.
• The high cost of disruptive tools and infrastructure.
• Limited digital skills among some faculty members.
• The reality that technology is evolving much faster than regulatory frameworks.

The workshop truly demonstrated Daystar University’s rigor and vigor in becoming the leading university in digital education technology anchored on Christian virtues.