What ODeL is About

The Directorate of Open Distance and Electronic Learning, ODeL, makes learning possible from any part of the world. With its high-tech Learning Management System (LMS), students can access high quality teaching and learning.

Daystar University’s Open Distance and eLearning (ODEL) has developed a global learning community. Learning communities are a relatively new phenomenon in education since the 1990s. Wikipedia describes the learning community as, “a group of people who share common emotions, values or beliefs are actively engaged in learning together from each other, and by habituation.” The emphasis of this definition is ‘sharing’ and ‘learning together. Such learning communities have become the template for a cohort-based, interdisciplinary approach to higher education. Effective learning does not usually take place in isolation; rather, it happens in groups where every class member is responsible for the other members’ learning. What is the practicability of establishing learning communities in online learning?

At Daystar University ODEL, we support a diverse learning community via various platforms. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 in Kenya, learning was momentarily stopped in several institutions of higher learning. Teachers and learners were forces to work in isolation. However, in ODEL, teaching and learning smoothly transitioned online using the already existing Learning Management System (LMS). DU managed to remotely support most of the instruction and learning to its diverse learning community that is spread across the globe.

Through the use of versatile instructional technologies, we have been able to build and sustain a learning community that continues to bring learning to our students’ living room, home office, bedroom, etc. With ODEL support, our student community undertaking degrees through remote learning can pursue their careers and dreams. Through online learning, ODEL has been able to provide guided learning using synchronous and asynchronous methods.

Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, DU ODEL will continue to bring short-course programs, in-service programs, and specialized skill training to organizations in the East African region. We intend to bring learning to the work environment to empower workers with a transformative world-class education that DU is known for. Besides, just as ODEL is known by its rephrase word: “powered by intellect, driven by values” ODEL seeks to only sharpen the intellectual person, but also to impact them with values that see the humanity in others. One thing that the pandemic taught us is to see past hard work and success and see the fragility of the human being.

We, therefore, welcome you to explore DU ODEL programs and tap into extensive, rich, and diverse learning community that will transform your learning experience. Welcome!