Development of an e-learning platform to improve learning delivery in a low-resourced clinical ultrasound training setting

Date
2017-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY : Background/Objective: Some clinical ultrasound training programmes provide suboptimal training that result in credentialing failure. To address this failing in our low-resourced setting, an e-learning platform was designed and constructed using a participatory action research approach where clinical ultrasound trainees, e-learning developers and researchers collaborated to improve the trainees’ access to learning delivery and enhancement, with the aim to eventually improve their low credentialing success rate. Methodology: The participatory action research approach involved a mixed methodology to collect, manage and analyse data for each of Susman and Evered’s cycle of enquiry steps, namely diagnosis, action planning, intervention, evaluation and reflection. The integration of instrumental and focal theories closed the practice-research gap by adding the necessary rigor to the study. Results: The diagnosis stage revealed that the poor credentialing performance was caused by learning delivery failure that reduced the trainees’ academic engagement. An e-learning platform was designed and constructed as an intervention to consolidate the current training capacity and provide trainees with new alternative access pathways to deliver learning more effectively (action planning). The e-learning platform was designed within a learner-centred, adult learning and motivational pedagogical paradigm. The evaluation of the e-learning platform intervention identified: context-specific resource savings, that all study participant groups accepted the new reality of incorporating e-learning as part of a blended learning approach and the learning access of trainees improved. Future research should focus on validating the usability of the draft e-learning platform and improvements of learning delivery and learning enhancement by initially making use of small peer groups followed by larger user-based groups (reflection). Conclusion: Collaboration led to real practical and social change by creating a custom designed e-learning platform that changed the way clinical ultrasound trainees learn within a low resourced context. Early inclusion of the trainees as study participants led to their early adoption of the ability of a newly designed e-learning platform to firstly improve their learning delivery, then restore their academic engagement and eventually their learning enhancement, which should reflect in improved credentialing success rates.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Agtergrond/Doelstelling: Sommige kliniese ultraklank opleidingsprogramme bied sub-optimale opleiding, wat gelei het tot laer voltooiingsuitkomste van sekere programme. ‘n e-leer platvorm was ontwerp en geskep om hierdie probleem op te los, binne die raamwerk van ‘n omgewing van beperkte hulpbronne. Die e-leer platvorm was geskep deur middel van ‘n deelnemende aksienavorsingsbenadering, waar die studente, die e-leer ontwikkelaars en navorsers nougeset saamgewerk het om leeraflewering en leervermoë van kliniese ultraklank studente te verbeter. Die uiteindelike doel was om die lae voltooiingsuitkomste van ons opleidingsprogram te verbeter. Metodes: Die deelnemende aksienavorsingsbenadering het gebruik gemaak van gemengde metodes om data in te samel, bestuur en te ontleed vir elke stap van die Susman en Evered siklus, naamlik, diagnose, aksie-beplanning, intervensie, evaluering en refleksie. Die integrasie van instrumentele en fokale teorieë het gesorg dat die praktyk-navorsingsgaping doeltreffend oorbrug kon word. Resultate: Die diagnose stap het gewys dat die waarneming van die swak voltooinguitkoms van ons program veroorsaak was deur ‘n blokkasie van die leeraflewering, wat gelei het tot laer akademiese betrokkenheid van die kliniese ultraklank studente. ‘n e-leer platvorm was ontwerp en geskep as intervensie om eerstens ons huidige opleidingskapasiteit te konsolideer. Blootstelling aan nuwe alternatiewe toeganklike paaie vir ons kliniese ultraklank studente het ten doel gehad om hul leeraflewering te verbeter (aksie beplanning). Die e-leer platvorm was binne ‘n leerdergesentreerde, volwasselering en ‘n motiverende pedagogiese paradigma ontwerp. Die evaluering van die e-leer platvorm intervensie het konteks spesifieke hulpbronbesparings geïdentifiseer. Sodoende het al die deelnemende groepe aanvaar dat e-leer deel vorm van ‘n gemengde leerbenadering en dat die leertoegang vir kliniese ultraklank studente verbeter het. Toekomstige navorsing kan fokus op die geldigheid van die bruikbaarheid, leeraflewering en leervermoë verbetering van die e-leer platvorm ontwerp, deur ‘n klein steekproef van opleiers te gebruik gevolg deur die evalueering van groter gebruiker-gebaseerde groepe (refleksie). Gevolgtrekking: Samewerking en die skep van ‘n nuwe e-leer platvorm wat die kliniese ultraklank student se manier van leer in ons lae hulpbronne-konteks verander het, het gelei tot werklike praktiese en sosiale veranderinge. Die vroeë insluiting van kliniese ultraklank studente as deelnemers aan die studie, het gelei tot hulle vinnige aanvaarding van die vermoë van die e-leer platvorm om hul leeraflewering eerstens te verbeter, gevolg deur die herstel van hul akademiese betrokkenheid wat uiteindelik gelei het tot hul leerverbetering wat behoort te reflekteer is in hul toekomstige verbeterde voltooiingsuitkoms suksessyfers.
Description
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2017.
Keywords
Ultrasonic imaging -- Study and teaching, E-learning design, Curriculum planning, Web-based instruction, UCTD
Citation