Distance Education

This report summarizes key results of the evaluation of a distance learning course in the Standard Days Method. This course responds to a growing demand for low-cost options to training for family planning service providers. This option was considered as a potentially useful alternative to traditional class-room training, which can be both costly and time-consuming. [adapted from abstract]

The peculiarities of the scattered small states of the Caribbean region call for a model of training practitioners that is effective, relevant and sustainable. Distance education (DE) as an approach offers advantages that meet some of the challenges inherent in training family physicians for the region. This paper examines some of these challenges and shows where DE is being used to structure delivery of the programme. In particular, the need for context-specific training, managing time strictures and the cost issues of training are discussed. [from abstract]

This video clip is 6 minutes and 58 seconds and provides information on the training and retention of health workers in Cape Verde. The majority of the training is done abroad due to poor medical educational facilities in country, and the video communicates the policies and programs Cape Verde has used to ensure trained doctors return to the country as well as how they ensure deployment of doctors to rural areas.

This paper discusses a collaborative effort between two universities in Sri Lanka and Canada to create a distance education program to train nurses in Sri Lanka.

The aim of this study was to establish whether a web-based package on the diagnosis of respiratory disease would be as effective and as acceptable to final year medical students as tutor-led methods of teaching the same material. [from abstract]

There is a growing conviction among policy-makers that the availability of adequate numbers of well-trained and motivated human resources is a key determinant of health system’s capacity to achieve their health, responsiveness and fairness-improving goals. The objective of this study was to estimate the cost, effectiveness and incremental cost effectiveness ratios of various distance-education strategies for the health sector in Swaziland; and recommend the most cost-effective option. [abstract]

The experience of the Training in Health and Environmental Health in the Caribbean Community project has demonstrated that distance education techniques is an effective medium through which participants in more than eleven countries can be brought together to be educated on topics that are significant to both the region and to individual countries. This paper examines the means through which individuals are educated and meaningful communication among them facilitated. The discussion evaluates the experiences of participants in relation to the technology; designing of pre and post activities; selection and preparation of presenters; the setting and ground rules established; and the interactive process utilized for the project.

As part of the East, Central and Southern African College of Nursing’s 7th Scientific Conference, this presentation describes a distance education project in Kenya that was designed to upgrade the compentencies of enrolled nurses to registered level. It outlines the rationale behind the upgrade, why distance education was selected, the implementation of the program, challenges, achievements and future plans.

Electronic learning: a guide for nurse educators has been written by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Education Forum in response to growing interest in new learning technologies, both from individual nursing educators and as a result of education policy initiatives. The guidance sets out what we mean by e-learning, the skills that you as nursing educators, and your learners, will need for electronic learning, and the range of learning technology opportunities. [from introduction]

Training in communication skills for health professionals is important, but there are substantial barriers to individual in-person training for practicing clinicians. This study evaluated the feasibility and desirability of online training and sought suggestions for future courses. The conclusion is that online training in communication skills for pediatric mental health visits is feasible, desirable and associated with increased confidence in key skills. Positive feedback from clinicians suggests that a comparison of on-line versus in-person training is warranted. [adapted from abstract]

These guidelines…propose a set of questions that a prospective learner or purchaser of distance education can use for selecting suitable distance learning programmes. [adapted from introduction]

One of the goals of reproductive and child health program is to ensure high level performance among health workers and adequate efficiency of health system ensured by an effective system of accountability. In this context ANM/FHW who forms the huge work force in the country has to regularly participate in inservice training for upgradation of their knowledge and skills. Distance education technology can provide an effective strategy to enhance their learning and skills and extend educational opportunity mainly in the area of continuing education.

This publication is for training managers, trainers of health providers, decision-makers, and those who fund and support training actvities. It examines distance learning as an effective training approach for reproductive health providers in developing countries. In addition to describing the components of distance learning, this publication will provide illustrative examples for training health workers, outline steps for starting a distance learning program and suggest additional resources. It will help readers plan and implement effective distance learning. [author’s description]

Health workers attending overseas universities may be less likely to return home. One response is to improve course provision and professional updating opportunities in-country. Leeds Metropolitan University, with funding from the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission under their distance learning initiative, runs a tailor-made MSc Public Health (Environmental Health and Health Promotion) in Zambia, for nurse tutors, clinical officers and environmental health workers. Using locally relevant curricula, with community-based, student centred, problem-solving approaches, retention may be improved. This paper will discuss how the course is delivered in Zambia, how the partnership developed such as to enable effective delivery of the course, and how sustainable learning can be achieved in a developing country in partnership with a UK University. [from abstract]

Infectious diseases kill more than 10 million people worldwide every year. It is therefore vital that doctors receive a good education in this field. Online learning is one way in which doctors can learn new knowledge and skills. We conducted this study to determine whether the infectious diseases interactive online learning packages enabled primary care professionals to increase their knowledge and skills in the area of infectious diseases. [from abstract]

Countries need high-quality human resources if they are to achieve more efficient, equitable sustainable health services. Teacher training, basic training and continuing education for health professionals, and upgrading of knowledge and skills (including health care management as well as clinical and public health skills) are a key strategic investment. In many countries, the need for skilled human resources is particularly acute because populations and health workers are dispersed and isolated. In such circumstances, the provision of effective high-quality continuing education through open learning may help to stem the migration of health workers to urban centres or abroad.

In this paper, a case study of the development of the University Department of Rural Health, Tasmania (UDRH) is presented to demonstrate how an open learning approach is used as a strategy to address a particular rural health issue – the problem of sustaining a rural health workforce. The aim is to provide an open learning approach to rural health education, training and research to achieve the goal of better health outcomes for rural and remote Tasmanians. [from introduction]

This presentation was part of the ECSACON Conference. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of traditional teaching versus distance education for nurses and midwives.

This article evaluates a malaria in-service training for community health nurses working at a village level. The program included a computer-based training package, the first of its kind for health professionals in Gambia. [adapted from abstract]

This paper provides a brief overview of some programs and issues related to the use of technology and distance education to train community health workers in frontier areas. Issues include the use of consistent definitions, the appropriate technology format for the learner and access to that technology, cultural competency /proficiency of faculty, support for faculty and students, and the assurance of quality. [from executive summary]

This paper seeks to explore the possibilities of distance education for the training of health workers in small states. It reviews two programmes conducted by regional organizations in the context of the limitations of small island states. Theoretical and operational issues connected to the design of the training programmes are also discussed. [from abstract]

The Ministry of Health Manpower Development Centre in Uganda has been carrying out training of health workers as part of their continuing education using both distance education and conventional methods since 1989. It was important, therefore, to develop a comprehensive documentation of the distance learning programmes in order to show the effectiveness and potential of distance education in upgrading medical personnel as compared to other approaches. [from author]