Building capacity for e-learning for nurse training in Zambia and Ghana: appropriate computer technologies?
Jo Vallis, E. Ansotinge, K. Afari-Dekyi, Consider Mudenda, Ann Wales, Gertjan van Stam, Levison Chifwaila, James Antwi, Patience Moyo, Francis Fraser, Aaron Mason, Gayle Urquhart, Catherine T. Turner · 2012
Zambia and Ghana share similar health workforce challenges, including acute shortages of trained nurses and tutors in remote and rural areas, hindering achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDG). E-learning technologies present a potential solution, with shared teaching and learning resources contributing to reduced tutor workloads; more evidence-based, student-centred education; and potential for increased student intakes. E-learning for nurse training has been successfully implemented in other African countries but not yet in Zambia or Ghana. There are many challenges and this paper describes a 10-month THET-funded Multilink project to address these. A mini-conference and field visits, in Zambia, enabled consultation on e-learning needs and 3 ICT Champions were trained to support an e-learning system developed by project partners, incorporating complementary ICT knowledge systems (one of them internet-free); a Dropbox file-share; Skype for synchronous clinical supervision (CS) of mental health nurses; 2 email networks on Maternal and Child Health (MCH) and Mental Health (MH); portable DVD players for piloting of health-related films; and a range of hard and software to support e-learning. Lessons learned from attempts to embed these technologies, and their appropriateness for the contexts concerned, are discussed. (6 pages)