Digital Transformation Readiness and Online Learning Effectiveness in East African Higher Education: A Sociotechnical and Decolonial Qualitative Evidence Synthesis

This study examines the paradox of digital transformation in East African higher education, where institutional readiness frequently fails to translate into equitable online learning effectiveness. Utilising a qualitative evidence synthesis of 52 peer-reviewed studies and policy documents (2020–2024), the authors analysed the evidence through a combined sociotechnical system and decolonial theoretical framework. Findings reveal that while East African universities have achieved moderate progress in policy development and learning management system deployment, educational effectiveness remains constrained by infrastructural inequalities and persistent socio-economic disparities. The analysis demonstrates that digital readiness is a necessary but insufficient condition for effective online learning; outcomes are heavily mediated by institutional culture, pedagogical practices, and global platform dependency. The synthesis further suggests that dependence on externally developed educational technologies may influence institutional autonomy, data governance practices, and pedagogical choices within East African universities. These findings highlight the need for contextually responsive digital transformation strategies that balance technological innovation with educational equity, sustainability, and local knowledge systems. The study contributes a sociotechnical-decolonial framework for understanding how readiness conditions interact with institutional and structural realities to shape online learning effectiveness.