GPF Kenya Partners with Oracle Academy to Conduct the Annual Transforming Education Computing Bootcamp

Maureen Kemunto

April 5, 2023

Ms. Lorna Juma, Oracle Academy Program Manager addressing educators at Transforming Education Computing Bootcamp

The modernization of education and the incorporation of technology plays a crucial role in the impact of knowledge acquired by learners. Such should be the case with educators, more so at the tertiary level, who need to be ahead of the latest developments in the education sector and technology-based organizations to ease, simplify, and digitalize teaching and learning processes.

The dream of incorporating IT in STEM education and higher learning institutions resulted in the signing of an MoU between Oracle Academy and Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Kenya, which has, over 6 years, promoted ICT integration in teaching and learning and has seen more than 300 lecturers trained on Cloud Computing Program and both Bytes – Hands On Lab – Intermediate/Advanced: Oracle Analytics Cloud and Bytes – Hands On Lab – Intermediate: Linux Web Services – Oracle Cloud Compute VM – Install Apache and PHP. The collaboration has also resulted in the training of 100 Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in

Africa (CEMASTEA), our partner organization staff, on both Java Fundamentals and Database Foundations, and more than 100 high school teachers on said courses.

Over the years, educators in Kenya and around the world have demonstrated a desire to accept and impress modern technologies and innovations in their roles of instructing aspiring scientists, engineers, ICT developers, and other students enrolled in programs of a similar nature.

However, research has revealed that there are only a small number of institutions or professionals who can provide the most recent expertise, knowledge, and creative solutions to the world’s newest challenges. This is why GPF Kenya, in partnership with Oracle, hosted the Transforming Education Computing Bootcamp for Kenyan tertiary educators at Zetech University on March 24, 2023.

The program drew more than 50 educators who participated in person and 93 more who attended remotely from various universities.

Mr. Billy Otieno, Solutions Engineer, Technology, Data & Analytics, Oracle taking the participants through the Workshop Presentation

In addition to offering training courses for tertiary educators, GPF Kenya has been actively advocating for peacebuilding and conflict resolution projects across the globe. Mr. Daniel Juma Omondi, the Executive Director of GPF Kenya, highlighted how the organization promotes peacebuilding through education and that it works closely with educators and stakeholders in the sector to transform education.

Danny Gooris, Director of Oracle Academy EMEA, who participated virtually, expressed his appreciation to the organizers for making the event possible. He elaborated more on the Oracle Academy cloud computing program, placing more emphasis on its significance. “Cloud programing should be taught to students because it is becoming increasingly vital in today’s technologically savvy culture. Cloud computing allows individuals and companies to store and access data and applications via the internet rather than local servers or personal computers,” he added.

Students who are interested in pursuing careers in computer science, software engineering, or other technology-related industries need to have a strong grasp of cloud programing. They will be better prepared to design, develop, and implement cloud-based services and apps that cater to the requirements of today’s businesses and consumers by honing these skills.

Dr. Ing. Wilfred G. Gikaru, Dean of Zetech University’s School of ICT, Media, and Engineering, expressed his excitement about attending the event as an educator and how everyone might benefit from understanding machine learning and data analytics concepts.

In order to keep up with the changing demands of students and to improve their teaching methods, educators in the modern digital era need to become more proficient in data analytics and machine learning.

“This workshop was designed to give educators a comprehensive understanding of data analytics and machine learning concepts, as well as hands-on experience using Oracle Analytics to analyze and interpret education-related data,” explained Ms. Lorna Juma, Oracle Academy Program Manager.

Oracle Academy computing bootcamps have had an impact on educators over the years by equipping them with the most up-to-date technologies and best practices. The annual educator’s bootcamps benefit educators by providing a platform for Oracle Academy member instructors to stay current with the latest technology. “Each year, we collaborate with our institutional members, as we did this year with Zetech University, to organize this year’s Knowledge Builder event,” added Lorna.

Oracle Academy conducts training needs assessments and creates a report based on the results. Samuel Kinuthia Kariuki, Head of Professional Certifications at Zetech University, described how crucial data analytics is influencing the education sector and the effects of machine learning in education. These illustrations aid students in comprehending the usefulness of machine learning in solving problems in the real world. Mr. Kinuthia added, “Using data analytics, educators can design learning paths that are specific to each student’s abilities, interests, and learning preferences.

The workshop was facilitated by Oracle’s certified professionals led by Mr. Billy Otieno, Solutions Engineer, Technology, Data & Analytics, Oracle; Mr. Desmond Muriu Maina, OCI Domain Specialist (Compute Services) Oracle, EMEA; Mr. Benjamin Tua, Senior Technical Consultant (Data Science & Analytics) Oracle; and Mr. Sammy Ongaya, Senior Technical Consultant (Data Science & Analytics) Oracle.

Grace Leah Okundi, a lecturer at the Technical University of Kenya, was thrilled with the bootcamp’s outcome and expressed gratitude for Oracle Academy’s efforts, saying that the tools provided had made machine learning and data analytics simple to understand.