Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, through the centre for E-learning in collaboration with The Commonwealth of Learning (COL), has successfully conducted the second phase workshop on developing Blended Learning Courses.

Chief facilitator, Mr. Johann Fauche an ELearning Solutions Architect at JF Multimedia, based in Pretoria South Africa, said that Technology enabled learning is the key to be used to equip our students with knowledge they need in continuously changing the job market environment. Mr Johann was sent by the Commonwealth of Learning to facilitate the workshop.

The Vice-chancellor Prof. Stephen Agong’, who was flanged by his two deputies during the official opening of the workshop thanked COL for their support, as he also encouraged members to think about the unknown jobs of tomorrow while training students. “If we cannot focus on the unknown jobs for the future now, and train our students towards them today, then we are likely to miss the mark. Let us use technology to prepare for the future.” Said Prof. Agong’.

During the workshop, over 30 university staff majorly from Academics were trained on how to create blended courses, how to use social media with moodle, how to use and interpret the gunning fog index, create multimedia lecture videos, Bloon Taxonomy in developing learning outcomes, also had a practical session on Fox Index of readability, how to use zoom among others.

Through this collaboration with COL, JOOUST has attracted another project to develop online short courses that would attract students globally. “This would increase by a large extent our university’s global visibility which is very good to us” highlighted the Project Principal Investigator Dr. Sylvance Abeka. Dr. Abeka confirmed that the project would be funded by the Commonwealth of Learning. With this, JOOUST is now opening up to share intellectual resources with the members of the Commonwealth of Learners and COL has pledged full support that includes sending more resources and facilitators for the success of the project.

The 5-day workshop was held at the Kisumu campus from 17^th to 21^st of June 2019, is a continuation of the first phase workshop which was held on the 29^th to 31^st of January 2019.