Profiling Participant Institutions: What are our experiences?

Workshop: Emerging opportunities in post-graduate public health education for health systems development 18-23 May 2015School of Public HealthUWC, Cape Town

Background

Workshop aims to explore an inter-related set of emerging opportunities for expanding access to post-graduate training in public health for people working in or managing health services/systems.

These opportunities include •distance-based delivery modes,• a rapidly expanding universe of e-learning, and •growing insights into workplace based learning.

Background

• Questionnaire developed with the specific purpose– To better understand needs, draw on knowledge and experiences of

the group and guide discussion during the workshop;– To build a series of case studies and a bank of materials for a resource

pack which will come out of the workshop;

• The questionnaire specifically attempts to elicit information on– post-graduate programmes, target groups and modes of delivery; – technological environment; and – materials/curricula developed.

Postgraduate programme

• An array of postgraduate programmes, short course - PhD• 12 institutions provide distance or blended programs

– IPH- Bengaluru, CHP- Wits, JPGSPH- BRAC, Makerere, UCT, AAU, Muhimbili, UP, UWC, UG-SPH, UR

• 4 institutions have future plans to start distance/blended programs– IDS-UDS, University of Nigeria, GLUK, PHFI,

Work-based learning interventions

Institutions running work-based learning interventions

11 IPH- Bengaluru, CHP-Wits , JPGSPH-BRAC, UCT, AAU, Muhimbili, GLUK , PHFI, UG, UWC, UR

Institutions planning to scale work-based learning interventions

6 IPH- Bengaluru, PHFI, UG, CHP-WITS, JPGSPH, AAU

Institution planning to start work-based learning in the future

1 University of Nigeria

Mechanism to support retention & throughput

• Face-to-face support by facilitators or convenors , writing retreats,

• Monitoring systems to identify and assist struggling students • Scheduling and pacing of content • Work-based intervention like talent development• Providing flexible/extended completion time • Provision of timely or extensive feedback on assignments (draft

and final); • Internships, placements in various work settings.

Mechanism for supporting retention

• Communication of expectiations• Introducing assignment deadlines, and sending regular

reminders • Communication about access and use of LMS • Nurturing the sense of a learning community through online

discussion groups, social media• Providing telephone, skype, email support to students

Use of emerging technologies

• Learning Management system 11 institutions used LMS

Moodle 4 institutions IHP- BengaluruJPGSPH-BRACMhuimbiliPHFI

SAKAI 3 institutions UCTUGUWC

Blackboard 1 institution UP

LMS? 3 UEM, CHP, UR

Use of emerging technologies

• Other technologies – Wordpress– Google drive – Google Groups– Mobile Phones – Telephone / SKYPE – Email (predominantly used by those without LMS)– Social media: Facebook, Twitter

Extent technology available to students

Technology Available

to none

Available

to some

students

some of

the time

Available tosome students most of the time

Available

to the

majority of

students

some of the

time

Available

to the

majority of

students

most of the

time

Don’t

know/unsu

re

Email 2 14

Internet 1 3 12

Online learning

systems

3 1 1 1 8 1

Mobile phones 1 14

Limits on the usefulness of the Internet as a platform for teaching

Barrier

Occasionally Regularly Very

Often

Not knowing how to use the Internet 11

Lack of access to a computer with Internet

connection

9 3 1

Slow connectivity 6 6 4

Cost of access 6 5 1

Unstable power supply 1 1

Writing/development of distance or online learning materials

• 12 institutions involved in the writing/development of distance or online learning materials– IHP- Bengaluru, CHP-WITS, JPGSPH-BRAC, Makerere, UCT,

AAU, Muhimbili, UG, UP, UWC, UEM, UR• 4 institutions reported not to have been involved in

writing/developing distance or online learning materials– IDS-UDS, University of Nigeria, GLUK, PHFI

Collaborative ventures with other institutions in developing materials

• 10 institutions indicated to be involved in collaborative ventures with other institutions in developing materials– University of Nigeria , CHP-WITS, JPGSPH, Makerere, UCT,

AAU, UG, UP, UWC, UEM, UR

Joint degrees • 5 institutions reported that the collaborations include joint

degrees– UG, UWC, UCT, UR, UP

Course approval and accreditation process

• Varied process across institutions to get courses approved and accredited.

• Overall pattern, – curriculum/proposal goes through many institutional layers, some

layers not existent in some contexts, and may or may not go beyond institutional level

– Department-faculty-college- postgraduate committee- senate committee-senate-national level institution

• Within the university (senate) • External: National educational body/external reviewers,

government cabinet

Open access materials

• 5 institutions have open access materials– UCT, PHFI, UP, UWC, UEM

• Open access – Free access – Free use

Thank you!