Barriers to E-learning for Health Professionals and Students: Identifying Solutions

Dr Graham Walton, Research Fellow

Human Information Behaviour & Competences For Digital Libraries

Libraries in the Digital Age: 25th-29th May 2004, Dubrovnik and Island of Mljet, Croatia

Introduction

• E-learning and evidence• Various roles of learning

resources in e-learning• HeXL project• Illuminations from HeXL• Conclusion

What is e-learning?

E-learning is concerned with using digital technology to provide-learning content and support services. By making learning more accessible, and freeing learners at all levels to study in their own time and at their own pace, e-learning can enhance and add value to more traditional forms of learning. E-learning is not just about online courses. It can provide a wide range of services for both learners and tutors, including access to resources, information and advice. E-learning can cut down on administration, and help plan, record and track learning and development activities (NHS University, 2004)

E-learning and evidence

• ‘Learning and teaching strategies …will some need to be re-written and will need to give much greater attention to e-development and support. We need much more research on all of this’

Time Higher Education Supplement, 23rd April 2004, p. 16

Importance of evidence in e-learning

• Need to make informed decisions

• In Western cultures, move to link policy, research and practice (to ensure accountability and validity)

• Need answers to questions (is it cheaper, is it more effective, what’s it like for the student?)

Characterizing the evidence in e-learning

• Influence of ‘evidence-based medicine’ on ‘evidence based practice’

• Cultural impact of rigid hierarchies where experimentation/ randomised control trial is at top

• Need for qualitative approach

• Implications of the evaluators of e-learning also being the people who ‘do’ e-learning

(Oliver, M. and Conole, G. (2003) Evidence based practice and e-learning in higher education: can we and should we?)

Various roles of learning resources (and learning resources providers)

in e-learning

• Skills development• Resource provider• Study environment• Support• Intellectual property• Multi-disciplinary team member• Evaluator

HeXL project

• Funded by the NHS Tyne and Wear and Northumberland Strategic Health Authority

• Overall aim to identify barriers to effective e-learning in NHS and process to overcome barriers

• Look at e-learners at all levels and in various locations

• Project ran from May 2003 to May 2004

HeXL project: methodology

• Semi-systematic review of the literature on barriers to e-learning (161 references)

• Barriers grouped under 8 broad areas (organisational, economic, hardware, software, support, pedagogical, psychological, skills)

• Literature used to generate questionnaire for health e-learners

• Semi-structured interviews (based in questionnaire focus) with 13 key informants at national level

Total number of questionnaire respondents

• Medical 11 (7%)• Nursing and Midwifery 17 (12%)• Allied health professional 17 (12%)• Health care scientist 1 (1%)• Admin and clerical 27 (18%)• Ancillary 65 (44%)• Estates 0 (0%)• Paramedic 0 (0%)• Other 9 (6%)• Non responses 2 (%)• N 149

Workplace for questionnaire respondents

Organisational details

84%

5%4%4%2%1%

Acute trust

Mental health trust

HEI

Other

PCT

FEI

Study details of respondents

Study details

0102030405060708090

100

%

Effectiveness of e learning Key: 1 = Strongly Agree 2 = Agree 3 = Disagree 4 = Strongly Disagree (n 149)

E-learning is effective

0

20

40

60

80

1 2 3 4

%

Role of learning resources in skills development

• Survey: My e-learning would be improved if I had training on how to use IT effectively (16% strongly agreed, 62% agreed)

• Survey: My e-learning would be improved if I had training on being an effective e-learner  (19% strongly agreed, 62% agreed)

• Survey: I have had training on how to be an e-learner (60% disagreed, 18% strongly disagreed)

• Quote: ‘It’s the study skills that underpin the success of any e-learning’

Role of learning resources in resource provision

• Quote: ‘There is a need to make sure that the links and the pdf files are all updated and, the links are working’

• Quote: ‘One of the challenges is that you’ve got learning platform A, you’ve got learning platform B and potentially C is developing its own platform. That’s not helping the end user at all’

• Survey: My e-learning would be improved if my e-learning was mixed with other learning methods  (20% strongly agreed, 62% agreed)

Role of learning resources in support

• Quote: ‘We have something called ‘Fearless Friday’ so they can come in and have a supported practice test’

• Quote: ‘Residential and domiciliary staff tend to be older, they tend to be part time, they tend to be people who aren’t traditional computer users’

• Quote: ‘ If they don’t have skills, they’re not left on their own…we do have someone who can help’

• Quote: ‘ e-learning is improved when there is a named person who can help when I have problems with the software’

• Survey: Some people are resistant to using computers (14% strongly agreed, 64% agreed)

Role of learning resources in multi-disciplinary team

• Quote: ‘Often an IT department has its own strategy and that may not blend well with the training department’s strategy’

• Quote: ‘I think it is necessary for some people that I work with who do need face to face teaching, who do need pastoral support’’

• Quote: I think you’ve got to have both staff that are delivering it, staff who are supporting the-learning and committed students that are undertaking it’

Role of learning resources in evaluation

• Learning resources staff have long experience in ‘blended delivery’ and its impact

• e-learning management information systems have been part of decision making process in learning resources for many years

• Qualitative evaluations have high status in learning resources (e.g. impact studies)

• Learning resources are in close proximity to the e-learner

Conclusion

• HeXL gives some evidence on role of learning resources in e learning

• HeXL indicates that e-learning is seen positively as learning method by health workers

• Still many questions regarding learning resources where answers are needed

What are the the range of e sources used by an e learner?

To what extent is group e-learning valued as well as individual e-learning?

What will be the impact of e books and how will they be used?

How are e-learning skills best acquired and delivered?

URL for HeXL project

http://www.healthexl.co.uk/