A pedagogical framework combining SAM, ADDIE and Universal Design for Learning — built for African educators creating world-class online courses.
The Fay Institute Framework was developed by Faith Mundia after a pilot study with 11 teachers, revealing that most educators are deeply knowledgeable in their subject areas but lack structured approaches to packaging and delivering that knowledge digitally. Teachers had the expertise — what they needed was a clear, repeatable instructional design process adapted for the African educational context.
The framework synthesises three proven instructional design models — SAM (Successive Approximation Model), ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) and UDL (Universal Design for Learning) — into a single, accessible workflow that any educator can follow, regardless of their technical background.
The pilot study conducted by Faith Mundia revealed a consistent pattern: African educators are deeply capable and knowledgeable, but existing instructional design frameworks were designed for Western institutional contexts. The Fay Institute Framework was built from the ground up to address the realities of the African classroom — varied connectivity, mixed digital literacy, multilingual learners and a rich tradition of oral pedagogy — while meeting international quality standards.
An agile approach to course design that favours rapid prototyping and iterative improvement over rigid sequential processes. SAM lets educators build, test and refine quickly — reducing the intimidation of starting from scratch.
The gold standard in instructional design, providing a structured backbone for each phase of course development. ADDIE ensures that courses are designed with clear learning outcomes and evaluated rigorously.
A framework for designing courses that are accessible and effective for all learners — regardless of learning style, disability, language or bandwidth. UDL ensures no learner is left behind by design.
Understand who your learners are — their prior knowledge, goals, digital access, language context and learning environment. The framework provides guided questions to help educators surface assumptions and design for real learners, not hypothetical ones.
Define clear, measurable learning outcomes aligned to Bloom's Taxonomy. What will learners be able to do, know or feel differently after completing your course? Outcomes drive every subsequent design decision.
Structure your knowledge into a logical, engaging sequence. The framework guides educators through chunking content into modules, lessons and micro-learning units — ensuring cognitive load is managed and learners build understanding progressively.
Build a first draft quickly. Inspired by SAM, the framework encourages educators to produce a minimum viable course module, gather feedback from a small group of learners, and iterate. Perfection is the enemy of progress.
Apply UDL principles to review every asset: Do videos have captions? Is content available at low bandwidth? Are assessments flexible in format? Does the course work across devices? Accessibility is not a checkbox — it is a design philosophy.
After launch, use learner analytics, completion rates, quiz performance and direct feedback to evaluate effectiveness. The framework closes the loop with a structured evaluation process aligned to the ADDIE model, feeding insights back into the next iteration.
The framework acknowledges that African educators teach in diverse contexts — from urban universities to rural community classes. It adapts to bandwidth constraints, multilingual learners and varied digital access.
While rooted in African educational realities, courses built with the framework are designed to meet Cambridge IGCSE, UNESCO ISCED and WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards — enabling global reach.
Educators are positioned as experts, not just content delivery vehicles. The framework amplifies educator voice, supports subject-matter depth and builds professional identity as a course creator.
No course is ever final. The framework builds a culture of continuous improvement, using learner data and feedback to refine courses over time — the same way great teachers constantly evolve their practice.
The framework encourages peer review among educators, creating communities of practice where teachers learn from each other's course design decisions and challenges.
FayEDU's AI tools are built to support — not replace — the educator's expertise. The framework defines where AI accelerates creation (outlines, quiz generation, layout) and where human judgement is essential (learning design, assessment criteria, cultural relevance).
FayEDU's Course Studio walks you through the Fay Institute Framework step by step — with AI assistance and built-in quality checks at every phase.