Building capacity for E-learning for nurse training in Zambia and Ghana: Appropriate computer technologies?

Zambia and Ghana share similar health workforce challenges, including acute shortages of trained nurses and tutors in remote and rural areas, hindering achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDG). E-learning technologies present a potential solution, with shared teaching and learning resources contributing to reduced tutor workloads; more evidence-based, student-centred education; and potential for increased student intakes. E-learning for nurse training has been successfully implemented in other African countries but not yet in Zambia or Ghana. There are many challenges and this paper describes a 10-month THET-funded Multilink project to address these. A mini-conference and field visits, in Zambia, enabled consultation on e-learning needs and 3 ICT Champions were trained to support an e-learning system developed by project partners, incorporating complementary ICT knowledge systems (one of them internet-free); a Dropbox file-share; Skype for synchronous clinical supervision (CS) of mental health nurses; 2 email networks on Maternal and Child Health (MCH) and Mental Health (MH); portable DVD players for piloting of health-related films; and a range of hard and software to support e-learning. Lessons learned from attempts to embed these technologies, and their appropriateness for the contexts concerned, are discussed.