Post on 10-Apr-2018
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Are Mobile Phones Better Learning Tools than Computers?
Peter Kisare OtienoAfrican Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF)
M4D Kampala Uganda 9-10 November 2010
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Global Cellular Subscriptions
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Mobile Overview
5.3 billion mobile subscriptions (November 2010)
Access to mobile networks available to 90% of the world population
73% of total mobile subscriptions are in developing countries
68% penetration rate in developing countries Asia & Pacific region is drivinggrowth
200 000 SMS sent every second!
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Subscriptions by Development
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Training @ AMREF
1950s -1960s
AMREF is
founded core
activities FlyingDoctors
Services
delivering health
care to remote
areas
1960s -1970s
Introduction of
Radio
programmeson National
Radio for
health workers
1980s -1990s
Introduction of
Print-based
distanceeducation
2000 & beyond
Introduction of
technology
supportedlearning including
telemedicine,
eLearning and
mLearning
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mLearning @ AMREF Case Studies
ART KNOWLEDGE HUB
Improving access to information and care of
people on ART therapy by health workers.
Techniques used unlimited internet access to
the ART knowledge hub ePortal service byDistrict HIV&AIDS mentors, SMS and calling
service to Uliza HIV telephone hotline
Learning Outcomes
Increase in knowledge for experts
worldwide consequently delivery of betterhealth care
A reading culture has been adopted by
mentors
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AMREF VIRTUAL SCHOOL
Education and awareness: SMS alerts for school
administration, collating student data on student
numbers from remote areas, telephone tutorials
Capacity building: Sending supplementary
information to nurses
Learning outcomes
Reading culture adopted by tutors
Schools are more willing to send studentdata as the phones have an easy to use
interface
Students are more willing to engage tutors
Students have learnt how to use innovative
ways to access information
mLearning @ AMREF Case Studies
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Remote areas with limited access to health professionals Photos taken
and sent to experts who can guide the health professionals on what to do
Mapping hotspots or areas known to have disease outbreaks of a
particular kind enables deployment of personnel to these areas via
SMS/GPS The use of SMSs as reminders for people involved in behaviour change,
the messages act as reminders, are personal and can be referenced for a
long period of time
Communities of practise forming from interventions, knowledge is shared
and disseminated across various groups Most phones which do not have to be smart phones and are GPRS
enabled can access mLearning materials
Why Mobile Learning Works?
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Interoperability some Apps do not work across platforms
Language barrier
Challenges
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Project Masiluleke (South Africa)
Million messages sent daily throughout South Africa encouraging people to be
tested for HIV via use of an innovative home HIV testing kit, messages written in
local languages
Text 4 Baby Voxiva, CDC, US government, also caters for Spanish speaking target group in
addition to the English speaking group
Text for Change Uganda
HIV/AIDS awareness to 15,000 users in form of a quiz over a 3 month period after
quiz participants received a final SMS encouraging them to take a HIV test. 40%
increase in patients who came for HIV testing 6 week period from 1000 1400
Data Gathering
AMREF Virtual Nursing School, with the use of Frontline SMS AMREF has been able
to get concise numbers regarding nurse numbers for intakes by using mobile
telephony
Impact of mLearning
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You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach
him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continuethe learning process as long as he lives.
Clay P. Bedford
Conclusion
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Thank You!
peter.otieno@amref.org
www.amref.org
@peshpet