| dc.description.abstract | Background:
Utilization of e-learning tools is very vital in e-learning but more significantly in healthcare training. Effective and efficient use of e-learning tools has the potential to improve quality of health workers, increase access to health care training without creating unnecessary shortages at the workstations but more so increase the number of health workers. There is slow progress in the utilization of e-learning tools in healthcare training institutions, this is probably due to lack of sufficient evidence on their utilization in healthcare training.
Objective:
The aim of the study was to determine Utilization of e-learning tools among trainees enrolled at institute of hospice and palliative care in Africa.
Methods:
A descriptive cross sectional study was employed to assess various factors that affect utilization of e-learning tools among trainees enrolled at Institute of Hospice and palliative care in Africa (IHPCA). The study used both Qualitative and quantitative methods for data collection. A total of 63 trainees were enrolled for the study, one focus group discussion was held and 2 key informants were interviewed. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information from trainees and interview guides were used during FGD and key informant interviews. Quantitative Data were analyzed using statistical software package for social scientists (SPSS) and qualitative date analyzed manually. Result: Findings revealed that ICT skills affect utilization of e-learning tools. This was evident with trainee‟s ICT competence Microsoft and power point, which were statistically significant with p-values of 0.045 and 0.035 respectively to the utilization of e-learning tools. The most accessible e-learning tools to trainees were discussion forum, quizzes on Moodle platform, Whitespace communications, Google docs, Facebook but social networks were not fully integrated in e-learning as tools for creation and dissemination of knowledge. Although e-learning tools were accessible, trainees were still limited by lack of Internet services. Most trainees (80%) had to travel 2-6KM to access Internet services. Overall there was an association between accessibility to e-learning tools and utilization (p-value of 0.045. Regarding affordability, trainees who owned laptops were three times more likely to utilize e-learning tools (OR=3.12, P-Value =0.0035) than their colleagues without. Yet (50%) of the trainees did not own laptops. Therefore affordability influences utilization of e-learning tools.
Conclusions:
In conclusion ICT skills of trainees, Accessibility and affordability of e-learning tools influence utilization of e-learning tools hence should be given due attention.
Recommendation:
It is recommended that training institutions emphasize ICT skill enhancement among trainees at different education levels. Deliberate efforts should be made to integrate social network sites into e-learning because these tools are more readily accessible and affordable. | en_US |
