Title:
Teaching Assistant ProfessorEducation:
PhD in Communication Media at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, USA
MA in Adult Education Communication Technology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Associate in Special Education at Kenya Institute of Special education, Kenya
Certificate: Photography and Digital Imaging Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Certificate in Africa Language Pedagogy (The National African Language Resource Center [NARLC], Indiana University, Bloomington, USA)
Teaching and Research Interests:
Dr. Birya teaches Swahili, Media in Africa, and Terrorism in Africa. His research ingenuities and activities range from special education to communication media. Besides advancing research in media and its social, political, cultural, and economic impact on the African people, Dr. Birya studies pedagogy for teaching the Swahili language. Some research works awaiting publication focused on social media use by the clergy and their congregation in the Coastal Region of Kenya during COVID-19 and the effectiveness of YouTube video instruction in Swahili. Other completed research explored the growth and development of Sub-Saharan African children from low socioeconomic backgrounds and the educational, social, and economic needs affecting Kenyan children with disabilities.
Current Research:
Dr. Birya is studying the cultural influence of "Kanga" within the Swahili and the Coastal people of Kenya and the challenges of recruiting students into the African Language program at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
Publications:
2022, “The Question Surrounding Pedagogical Technology Instruction: Content Analysis of YouTube Videos for Teaching Swahili as a Foreign Language.” (Accepted)
2022, “Performance of Visually Impaired Learners: Narok Integrated Program for the Visually Impaired in Kenya.” (link)
2019, “A Randomized Control Trial of Phototherapy and 20% Albumin Versus Phototherapy and Saline in Kilifi, Kenya.” (link)
2016, “Adaptation and Latent Structure of the Swahili Version of Beck Depression Inventory II in a Low Literacy Population in the Context of HIV” (link)
2015, “Family Quality of Life: Influence of Social Support, Gender, and Parental Marital Status (link)