eLearning Africa 2014 taking place on May 28-30, 2014 in Kampala, Uganda. 9th international conference on ICT for development, Education and Training
Boruett,N.K, Mengich, G.j Kangethe,S.
Transforming Health Worker Training at MasindeMuliro University Using a Blended Approach via Moodle
Proposal overview
Hybrid learning is probably the most significant development in e-learning – or indeed in teaching generally – in post-secondary education. It is for this reason that we chose to introduce e learning in this rural university in the aforementioned format.
We are not the only ones thinking is this direction, the University of Ottawa Canada for instance targets to convert 20% of it is courses to hybrid in the coming five years. The University of British Columbia in a program that goes by the name flexible learning initiative is more ambitious and targets to change radically the way it delivers its undergraduate teaching to go into blended learning (Bates, 2013).
For our case we choose to use Moodle and free and open Learning ManagementSystem. The selected students were Health Professional Educators (bachelors’ degree students). Third year students were selected. Content was created using EXE and Moodle authoring tools. Content was structured as it was outlined in the University curriculum.
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Why is this happening?
Purpose
The purpose of the initiative was a deliberate effort to improve the quality of teaching and learning that was often delivered via lecture, disjointed assignments and group work that was rarely discussed. Put differently we aimed at encouraging deep processing among the learners and possibly the lecturers.
We felt that if the content was posted on the Learning Management System (Moodle) and students assigned usernames and password. Then, they could be able to consume the content and the teacher would use the face to face component to clarify issues. The natures of our students are adults who attend the course during the weekends.
Given that most of them are health workers working in remote areas, it is possible to envisage a situation where they miss out on class as a result of emergency or other pressing matters. The technological wave is catching with us in Kenya. The reasons for the move mayvary a great deal but are often connected. We advance the following reasons:
• as instructors have increasingly used learning management systems to support their classroom teaching, there is a growing awareness among instructors that students can learn ‘some things’ just as well or better online as in class; thus instructors are more ready for a more systematic move towards hybrid learning
• The need for more flexibility for even young, full-time students, who usually have part-time jobs and hence often have difficulties making a class when it clashes with their work.
Lessons learned
Blended learning is possible even in Countries that are not resource rich. Kenya is one of the countries with limited resources. Learning management system- this time Moodle, can track student’s progress, standardize content, and promote constructivism via group work. At best it is not rocket science. Moodle is a versatile system. You can access it via phone, tablet, I pads with no challenge. It is ability to give prompt feedback is breath taking. You can post in resources that you have sourced from elsewhere. The biggest strength is on activity; students can chat, post discussion forms,and haveworkshops among other things. This is student centered learning at best. Sometimes in the traditional set up it is difficult to sustain group students learners tend to drift. How with an LMS, people get engaged and contribute to other discussion. Collectively a lot of knowledge, concepts, and experiences are shared. Age was not an hindrance, infact all participants worked independently a prove that learning takes place irrespective of age
Results
The students performed well as demonstrated by the formative and summative examination results. There was a lot good feedback - qualitative information ie it was “friendly”, i could learn at my own “pace”, my colleagues’ clarified “things that the teacher was not clear.
Practical outcomes
What did this initiative/project do?
The initiative proved that universities are receptive of new ideas. The senate allowed as to introduce a component of blended learning.
Why was the initiative/project undertaken?:
There is demand for the course and the students are located far from the campus average of 200km. The students are health providers and have own families. The course is expensive and offered via traditional approach over weekends.
What were the results of the initiative/project?:
The students performed well as demonstrated by the formative and summative examination results. There was a lot good feedback - qualitative information ie it was friendly, i could learn at my own pace, my colleagues clarified things that the teacher was not clear.
What impact did this initiative/project have?:
We were able to identify areas that could be facilitated via online and the face to face components
Online
• foundational knowledge (facts, principles, concepts, ideas, vocabulary, etc.)
• certain kinds of skills such as knowledge management, knowledge navigation, independent learning, creative writing
• some elements of clinical practice (e.g. correct procedures, video demonstrations of equipment being used, patient symptoms)
Face-to-face
• public speaking and facilitation skills
• consensus-building
• decision-making
• problem solving
• building a closer relationship with/’humanising’ the instructor
• body language cues from the instructor about what is really important to him/her in the course
Course evaluation
98% of the respondents were generally pleased with the Moodle Platform- they didn’t find it difficult to navigate
95%The liked the versatility of system assessing via smart phones, tablets, desktop- BYOD
100% stated that they liked mostly the discussion forums and online tests
When asked if they would the same system on the their own students- The response was an equivocal ‘yes’
There were 15% who experienced connectivity issues, but managed by moving with their devices to areas that had connectivity
References | Bibliography
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