Research & practice

Where research becomes educational practice.

Selected work told through the problem, my role, the process, measurable outcomes, evidence, and what each project taught me.

01Learning Sciences for Innovators 02African Leadership University 03Modernising Digital Skills Programmes 04Usability Testing for Learner-Centred EdTech

01 · CMU-Africa · Learning engineering

Learning Sciences for Innovators

Translating learning-science research into practical experiences for innovators working across Africa.

Problem

Innovation programmes need learning experiences that are evidence-based, usable, and responsive to participants working across different countries, sectors, and product contexts.

My role

As a Learning Engineer with Carnegie Mellon University Africa, I help design, evaluate, and continuously improve the learning experiences that support innovators across Africa.

Process

Translate learning-science research into practical design decisions
Develop and quality-assure learning experiences
Evaluate usability and the learner experience
Collaborate with educators, researchers, developers, and innovation hubs
Use feedback and learning analytics to guide improvement

Outcomes

Since 2024, I have contributed to 21 learning experiences supporting programmes delivered through 11 innovation hubs in 12 African countries and reaching more than 500 innovation fellows.

Evidence

Learning-experience reviews, quality-assurance records, learner feedback, usability findings, learning analytics, and programme reach across the innovation-hub network.

Lesson learned

Research becomes valuable in practice when teams can connect it to concrete learner needs, design decisions, and evidence they can act on.

02 · ALU · Undergraduate learning

African Leadership University

Strengthening undergraduate learning through curriculum review, instructional design, accessibility, and quality assurance.

Problem

Engaging undergraduate learning depends on strong alignment between learning outcomes, activities, assessments, accessibility, and the realities of online participation.

My role

As an Adjunct Learning Experience Designer with the Learning Engineering and Digital Innovation team, I review and improve research-informed undergraduate learning experiences.

Process

Review curricula and audit course experiences
Align outcomes, learning activities, and assessments
Consult on instructional design decisions
Strengthen accessibility and learner engagement
Facilitate Human-Centred Design learning experiences

Outcomes

Helped translate research-informed teaching practices into clearer, more engaging online learning experiences and stronger quality-assurance decisions.

Evidence

Course audits, curriculum reviews, alignment findings, revised learning activities, accessibility recommendations, and consultation with teaching teams.

Lesson learned

Quality learning design is not a final review step; it is an ongoing conversation between educational intent, learner evidence, and course implementation.

03 · ICDL Africa · Digital learning

Modernising Digital Skills Programmes

Leading the design and modernisation of digital-skills learning delivered across Africa and the Middle East.

Problem

Fast-changing digital topics need courses that remain understandable, credible, locally relevant, and efficient to adapt across different markets.

My role

At ICDL Africa, I led instructional design and content-development work across Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Blockchain, Cloud Computing, Information & Collaboration Essentials, and Digital Literacy.

Process

Map digital skills to measurable learning outcomes
Modernise course structures and learning activities
Develop and quality-assure digital content
Improve localisation and production workflows
Coordinate learning design across a multi-programme portfolio

Outcomes

Contributed to the launch of 21 programmes, increased learner engagement by 25%, and helped reduce course-localisation timelines by 30%.

Evidence

Programme launches, learner-engagement data, localisation timelines, course assets, quality reviews, and repeatable content-development workflows.

Lesson learned

Scalable digital learning still depends on careful choices about examples, language, pacing, accessibility, and what learners already know.

04 · HCI · Professional learning

Usability Testing for Learner-Centred EdTech

A professional development programme helping educators and EdTech practitioners evaluate products from the learner's point of view.

Problem

Educational technologies can be technically functional while still creating confusion, cognitive overload, accessibility barriers, or exclusion for learners.

My role

I designed the programme and translated learner-centred HCI methods into an approachable professional learning experience for educators and EdTech practitioners.

Process

Introduce think-aloud protocols and research planning
Address participant recruitment and accessibility
Guide qualitative analysis of usability evidence
Connect findings to responsible design decisions
Explore responsible AI support for usability research

Outcomes

Created a practical pathway for education teams to plan, conduct, interpret, and act on learner-centred usability evaluations.

Evidence

Course modules, study-planning tools, observation frameworks, analysis activities, accessibility guidance, and practice-based evaluation tasks.

Lesson learned

Usability research is most useful when it explains learner behaviour and helps teams make specific, responsible improvements—not when it ends with a list of interface issues.