Lessons Learnt: Building a Foundation for e‐Learning in Medical Education in Botswana Masego Kebaetse, Cecil Haverkamp and Oathokwa Nkomazana University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Abstract: The University of Botswana School of Medicine (UB SOM) enrolled its first class of 36 medical students in August 2009. The first two residency programmes in Paediatrics and Internal Medicine were launched in January 2010, followed by a Family Medicine residency programme in 2011 at two distant rural sites in Mahalapye and Maun. E‐learning was adopted as a vehicle to support this de‐centralised medical education at UB SOM. When UB SOM received a generous grant from the US government, the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) in September 2010, a significant portion of the funding was invested in infrastructure and other resources to support the implementation of e‐learning at the School. This paper reviews the preliminary experience and lessons from the implementation of e‐learning at UB SOM. Drawing from the values of UB SOM’s community‐based PBL curriculum, three elements have emerged as guiding principles for technology integration: access to information, interactive collaboration, and contextualised learning. To ensure sustainability, stakeholders, including faculty, students, several university units, and other external partners and stakeholders were engaged early and regularly. The authors identify critical elements that were engaged in the implementation of e‐learning. In addition to obvious issues related technology integration, the authors suggest that pro‐active involvement of stakeholders, and flexibility and openness about the process are crucial to successful technology integration. In fact, while the technical challenges of integrating new technologies are real, significant challenges can arise from neglecting or failing to engage diverse partners and stakeholders, and engaging relevant expertise to ensure that the benefits of the technology can be shared and sustained. Keywords: e‐learning, m‐learning, m‐health, medical education, tablets, technology integration, ICT, sustainability
1. Introduction The promise of technology The use of technology to enhance learning is not a new undertaking, and the potential benefits of technology integration (improved motivation, enhanced instructional methods, increased productivity, and information age skills) have been well documented (Roblyer & Doering, 2010). Saettler (1990) notes that early references of technology integration, at least in the USA, date as far back as the early twentieth century. Over the decades, as information communication technologies (ICT) have emerged and come of age in the marketplace, many have sooner or later found themselves in the classroom. These include radio in the 1930’s, television in the 1950’s, and personal computers in the late 1970’s and 1980’s, among others (Reiser & Dempsey, 2007; Roblyer & Doering, 2010). The end of the twentieth century saw the explosion of the internet and networked computing combined with the use of personal hand held devices such as cellular phones, tablets and mini laptops. In spite of the fact that the adoption of emerging technologies has almost always fallen short of expectations (Reiser & Dempsey, 2007), there has nonetheless been increasing use of technology in the classroom (Reiser & Dempsey, 2007; Roblyer & Doering, 2010; Tiene & Ingram, 2001). As a wide array of technologies has become available for the classroom, e‐learning has also made inroads in medical education (Sandars, 2012; Ruiz, Mintzer & Leipzig, 2006; Association of Medical Colleges, 2007). This is not just in North America, Europe and industrialised nations but increasingly in developing nations including the young UB SOM. Considering the dispersed nature of UB SOM’s clinical sites, the potential benefits of e‐ learning were obvious and the decision to include e‐learning a relatively straight forward one. At the same time, in light of the newness of UB SOM and its clinical sites as teaching hospitals, the implementation of e‐ learning has to be broader than just technology to include thinking strategically at designing adequate teaching and learning spaces of which technology becomes an element. For instance, in notoriously busy and frantic clinical environments with hectic on‐call schedules and shifts, quiet study spaces, adequate furnishings, and even storage facilities for learners to safeguard personal belongings during ward rounds are invaluable. Our context: Medical education in Botswana
224
Masego Kebaetse, Cecil Haverkamp and Oathokwa Nkomazana Botswana is a landlocked country in Southern Africa with a population of about 2 million people. Since independence the government of Botswana has invested significant national resources in the healthcare sector. Currently, Botswana has a universal healthcare system where care is free for every citizen at government facilities with an affordable co‐pay. Additionally, the government has sponsored medical doctors and other healthcare professionals to study abroad to build a qualified healthcare workforce. Nonetheless, the shortage of health workers, specifically of medical doctors, has been identified as a major concern. This led to a Presidential Directive in 1998 of establishing the country’s first and only School of Medicine based at the University of Botswana. Initially, UB SOM curriculum implementation foresaw a phased process in which undergraduate students completed pre‐medical training at the University of Botswana and the rest of their training at partner schools outside of Botswana. In August 2009, however, UB SOM enrolled its first class of medical students who will complete all phases of their medical training at the University of Botswana. At present, UB SOM has enrolled four undergraduate cohorts and is expected to graduate its inaugural class in 2014. Additionally, there are about 60 post‐graduate trainees – mostly Batswana doctors with medical degrees from outside of Botswana who are enrolled in several UB SOM graduate (MMed) programmes. In line with broader international trends and in response to reviews of medical education approaches, UB SOM considered and opted for a problem‐ based learning (PBL) framework and philosophy as a way of delivering the curriculum to matches the health care needs and characteristics of medical practice in Botswana. Another equally important underlying characteristic of the UB SOM medical curriculum is its community‐ orientation. In agreement with the Ministry of Health, UB SOM selected four clinical teaching sites: two rural sites in Maun and Mahalapye as home to the new Family Medicine Programme (which trains post‐graduate and undergraduate learners); Sbrana Hospital, the nation’s only referral psychiatric hospital based in Lobatse; and Princess Marina Hospital as the nation’s largest tertiary referral hospital in Gaborone. While the government ownership of these hospitals guarantees continuous provision of clinical care, these were not designed as teaching hospitals and as such lack the kind of facilities that would make for a conducive learning environment. Following the decision for community‐based clinical teaching at these sites, significant investments were and continue to be required to turn these clinical sites into effective teaching and learning sites. From the early days of UB SOM, e‐learning was identified as one complementary vehicle for supporting learning in such decentralised locations. Considerable investments to ensure internet access, functional e‐ learning technologies, adequate library resources, and stimulating learning spaces, among others, were made. Considering that massive funding by the Botswana Government was already invested in scholarships for all Batswana medical students, new facilities at the University, and salaries for staff at the new School, UB SOM sought additional external funding to transform the rural clinical environments into effective and efficient teaching and learning sites. In 2009, UB SOM received a grant under the U.S. Government’s President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to provide limited internet access at Princess Marina Hospital, Mahalapye District Hospital, and Letsholathebe II Hospital in Maun, as well as to purchase printers and computers. In addition to the 2009 PEPFAR grant, in 2010 UB SOM was awarded an even more generous grant from the US government under the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI). This grant offered an opportunity to fund the full implementation of an e‐learning agenda at the School. Since 2012, the MEPI grant has provided funding to procure and install information technology infrastructure and instructional technologies for the purpose of supporting effective and efficient teaching and learning environments for students, trainees and faculty at clinical sites. Among the e‐learning investments made so far is the establishment and expansion of internet infrastructure, especially wifi internet access at hospitals. This internet expansion is necessary for the integration of video conferencing technologies, interactive boards, and tablets. Collectively, the various technologies are meant to provide seamless access to learning resources and support collaborative learning. Additionally, the MEPI grant has provided the necessary human resources to support academic staff, trainees and residents in various teaching and learning opportunities. To complement existing expertise at the broader University and ensure successful implementation of the e‐learning agenda, additional expertise was secured in the form of a full‐time position for an instructional designer, temporary support from a project implementation consultant, mobile technology developers, and telemedicine experts.
225
Masego Kebaetse, Cecil Haverkamp and Oathokwa Nkomazana
2. Our process: Elements of effective technology integration (process) Technology integration is not just about the tools one needs to use; it is a complex process that includes people, processes, securing and managing instructional and non‐instructional resources, and analysis of learning and performance problems among others (Reiser & Dempsey, 2007). At UB SOM, we sought to engage in several processes simultaneously to ensure successful integration: a) grounding technology choices in learning theory and curriculum values, b) identifying and engaging critical stakeholders early and regularly, c) identifying and providing appropriate support for the e‐learning agenda, and d) thinking about sustainability early in the process. Clearly additional elements will emerge as the implementation process progresses. Ground technology choices in learning theory and curriculum values Ultimately, the technologies chosen have to integrate effectively with and support the curriculum. In light of the cost of technology (human and financial) and the ever‐changing ICT landscape, effective implementation of an e‐learning agenda makes the most sense when it is grounded in learning theory. In fact, Sandars (2012) argues that “the focus of any educational intervention should be the learner” (p. 534). Drawing from the established values of UB SOM’s community‐based PBL curriculum, three themes have become guiding principles for our e‐learning agenda: access to information, interactive collaboration, and contextualised learning. The ultimate e‐learning environment for UB SOM as it emerges will be one in which the ICT allows learners and academic staff to access learning resources regardless of their location, to collaborate easily across sites using multiple platforms, and to learn in the context of clinical practice – both on and away from UB campus. Identify and engage critical stakeholders early and regularly Initially, SOM had to identify critical stakeholders to ensure successful implementation of the e‐learning agenda. In July of 2012, there was a MEPI symposium to which various stakeholders were invited. These stakeholders were strategically selected from the Ministry of Health (MOH) and included personnel from clinical sites, Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MOE & SD), and UB. This was an opportunity to share the vision and progress on the MEPI grant. Although the symposium was not primarily about e‐learning, it was an important opportunity to build relationships and share the vision of UB SOM’s e‐learning agenda. Currently, we have been actively engaged with five stakeholders: UB Information Technology department (UB IT), UB Library, hospital superintendents, UB Business Services, and students and faculty. Clearly as we implement other aspects of our e‐learning agenda, other stakeholders will become important. Identify and provide appropriate support for the e‐learning agenda In addition to stakeholders, we had to secure specialised support for our various projects in the form of partners and personnel. Having analysed the skills and resources needed for our various projects, we proceeded to seek the necessary expertise. At UB SOM this has meant securing an instructional designer, a logistics consultant, a telecommunications partner, and a mobile health partner. The instructional design specialist leads the technology integration process, supports students and faculty in matters of teaching and learning with technology, and ensures that technology procurement continues to be grounded in learning theory and curriculum values. The logistics consultant works with the instructional designer on procurement and stakeholder relationship building. The University of Pennsylvania, through its local office, The Botswana‐ University of Pennsylvania Partnership (BUP), has been a crucial mobile health expert partner providing leadership on the tablet project (m‐Learning Initiative). Through this partnership we also acquired four other support partners for the initiative: a) Orange Botswana, a telecommunication provider b) 3G Mobile, an authorised Samsung c) Mangoes Mobile, a US based consulting company that provided set‐up support and user analytics for the tablets, and d) LetMeRepair, a Samsung authorised repair company. The relationship with BUP is a long‐standing one in which BUP has led the collaborative research with UB SOM and Orange Botswana into the appropriate mobile device and data package for the m‐Learning Initiative. Think about sustainability early in the process
226
Masego Kebaetse, Cecil Haverkamp and Oathokwa Nkomazana At a broader level there needs to be conversations at the UB SOM and around the university support structures in general to ensure that the investments made during the grant are a stable part of the processes of the University as the grant draws to an end. Currently, we have chosen to engage with stakeholders and partners early and regularly to ensure they understand our vision and needs, and that they have buy‐in for the technologies they will ultimately be responsible for maintaining and supporting now that equipment has been purchased. The plan for sustainability does not only involve ensuring that University departments become responsible for continued maintenance and support of technologies, it also involves assuming more responsibilities for projects that were initially supported by outside partners. For instance, while the procurement and configuration of tablets was initially conducted by BUP, we have gradually shifted procurement, configuration and support of the tablets to the Distance Learning Unit at UB SOM. Additionally, we have to think creatively about funding technologies that need continuous replenishment. At the request of the Distance Learning Specialist and the Logistics Consultant, a team of undergraduate students will be working with the m‐Learning Initiative implementation team to explore models that are most realistic to students. In the future we expect to assemble a similar team of post‐graduate learners in order to look for a sustainability model for them.
3. Current outcomes of the process (results) In this section we highlight some of the outcomes we have experienced from our process. Among other things stakeholder engagement has paid off in the services, resources (e.g. learning spaces), and leadership provided. Our internet expansion is completed at all four clinical sites. Our m‐Learning Initiative is underway and to date we have allocated 165 of the original 170 devices with users receiving training at the time of receiving the tablet. We realise that other successes will continue to emerge since we are at the beginning stages of our implementation process. Stakeholder buy‐in and engagement One of the underlying themes of our process has been that although deciding on and procuring technologies can be challenging and time‐consuming, the bigger challenges lies in developing and managing relationships that allow for achievement of the e‐learning agenda. Engaging critical stakeholders (internal and external) early in the implementation process has proven beneficial to ensuring shared vision and ownership. It has allowed UB SOM to distribute costs and capitalise on existing resources in and out of the university. In the case of UB units, allowing such strategic units to take leadership and/or significant roles in projects related to their areas of expertise has proven to be invaluable. This has ensured that such units understand the vision of the e‐ learning agenda and therefore include the various projects in their routine processes in terms of support, maintenance, and future budgetary needs. Two UB units in particular are worth noting even this early in the process: UB IT and UB Library. Internet expansion As already indicated, through the leadership of the IT department, UB SOM has engaged in an internet expansion from the main campus to the four clinical sites. Internet accessibility is now functional at all clinical sites. The IT team has assessed UB SOM’s various teaching and learning spaces, advised on appropriate solutions, and taken the lead on the tendering process. Once vendors were selected, they worked tirelessly with external providers to install and configure internet access at the clinical sites. Additionally, they reviewed specifications and followed up with vendors for more complex equipment such as interactive boards and video conferencing equipment. An important aspect of this collaboration is that the IT department have assumed responsibility for equipment maintenance and future support contracts in ways that UB SOM would never have been able to manage independently. The m‐Learning Initiative Through the m‐Learning Initiative, learners and faculty receive 7” tablets for use during clinical rotations. The devices run on the Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. The selection of this particular device followed a multi‐year pilot in partnership our primary technical partner and m‐health expert, BUP. In collaboration with Orange Botswana, BUP explored the use of smart phones and tablets to support medical education using UB SOM residents and faculty as their population. Based on the results of the study, we
227
Masego Kebaetse, Cecil Haverkamp and Oathokwa Nkomazana sought a device that would be affordable in this part of the world and easy to carry around in a hospital setting. In addition to a robust collection of medical applications and research databases (e.g. Epocrates, Medscape, uCentral, PubMed mobile, EBSCOhost, DuoChart TSN), the tablets also have a collection of various healthcare guidelines and protocols for Botswana. Faculty and learners generally use the tablets in the wifi areas at the clinical sites. Through the partnership with Orange Botswana, users will receive SIM cards to provide seamless access to the internet outside the wifi accessible areas. The package provided by Orange Botswana is a customised product tailored to need of UB SOM. The highly subsidised package will provide tablet users with 200MB of data per month/per user and a closed user group to allow for free calls among the tablet users. Additionally, Orange Botswana will provide a closed user group to allow for free calls within the community of users. We expect the SIM cards to be ready in the next few months. To date we have distributed 169 tablets to clinical teaching faculty, undergraduate learners in the clinical phase, and 19 post‐graduate learners outside Gaborone. The preliminary informal feedback has been positive. We are currently in the process of ordering an additional 65 tablets that would be allocated to our post‐ graduate learners at Princes Marina Hospital. At the time of tablet allocation, users receive training on the general use of the device and the use of the medical and research resources. In the first few months of the m‐ Learning Initiative, we expect the use of tablets to focus on accessing medical resources. Once tablets have been used for several months, we will provide additional training to faculty and learners on communication and collaborative learning tools and techniques. The UB Library has been a critical partner in support of the m‐Learning Initiative. In collaboration with BUP, UB Library led the process of identifying and testing library databases, medical apps, and resources for the tablets. In fact, the senior librarian for the Faculty of Health Sciences, of which UB SOM is a part, interned at Penn Biomedical Library and consequently brought invaluable expertise on mobile medical resources to UB Library and UB SOM. Both the senior librarian and the technical librarian have been instrumental in developing and facilitating the necessary training for tablet users. The support of senior library management cannot be underestimated, since ultimately they have used their positions to provide both the financial and human resources needed to support the m‐Learning Initiative. Learning spaces As previously indicated, UB SOM needed teaching and learning spaces at each hospital. Superintendents at these clinical sites have become critical partners in ensuring that UB SOM secures adequate space for teaching and learning. In the midst of sometimes paralysing Ministry of Health and UB bureaucracies, they found creative ways to provide invaluable space for UB SOM learners at hospitals where space is a rare commodity. This has allowed UB SOM to establish Learning Resource Centres (LRCs) at three of the teaching sites (Maun, Mahalapye and Lobatse).The LRCs become hubs where complementary coaching and learning can occur as an extension of bedside learning. Each LRC is internet accessible and has a small library with both quiet and collaborative learning spaces; a smart PBL room slated to have an interactive board and video conferencing equipment; academic staff offices; and resident and trainee learning spaces. Additionally, each LRC will also have a small storage closet to secure loaner laptops, projectors, and cameras that academic staff and learners can use for academic and professional work outside the LRCs. Even at the tertiary hospital, where access to space is close to impossible, space has been made accessible at the Library and other places across the hospital. Besides making space available, another important aspect of support from the hospital superintendents has been their willingness to make provision for IT staff at their institutions to provide limited support to UB SOM where the university does not have IT personnel on the ground. At two of the hospitals where UB IT has no daily presence, MOH IT personnel act as the first line of support for technology support. They have access to UB wifi and tablets. Overall, each hospital superintendent has been an active champion for UB SOM through the services they have provided and the opportunities they have made possible.
228
Masego Kebaetse, Cecil Haverkamp and Oathokwa Nkomazana
4. Reflecting on our process (discussion) Procurement of technologies might be the easiest part of the technology integration process provided funds are available. Nonetheless, procurement does not imply effective integration either in terms of a functional process or desirable teaching and learning outcomes. Ideally, one would develop a comprehensive technology implementation plan to ensure procurement of appropriate technologies and establishment of relevant process and support systems. In our cases, however, we procured and implemented technologies even as we navigated processes and developed an elearning agenda that will ultimately guide our implementation process. Although we have not yet fully articulated our e‐learning agenda, we are at a time of great opportunity, thinking creatively about a process that would support adoption and integration. Even as we have experienced some successes, we have also faced some challenges and unexpected detours. The process has been dynamic; sometimes we meet unexpected delays and roadblocks but sometimes new opportunities. For instance, the procurement and installation process in particular has been slower than we had anticipated. In this section, we highlight some of the challenges we have faced and the lessons we have learned from those challenges. The process can be slow and tedious The procurement process has taken much longer than we expected. UB SOM, as a young school that needs to be agile and dynamic to survive, regularly finds itself caught in the midst of two and sometimes three (MOH, MOE & SD, and UB) bureaucracies in which the red tape can at times seem insurmountable. Although Business Services has been very supportive, both in working against tight deadlines and accommodating UB SOM needs in the midst of rigid university procedures, the process has been at times painfully slow and time consuming for all parties involved. If the e‐learning agenda is to be successful, one has to navigate institutional politics and systems with wisdom and discernment. This includes educating oneself about policies and procedures and learning how the different units one needs to be successful function. Expectations and the overall narrative can be challenging to manage While there are tangible developments targeted to improve the learning climate (e.g. lockers, desks, study spaces, and most significantly internet access), undergraduate students have tended to focus exclusively on the m‐Learning Initiative. They seemed to overlook all other developments and in the process lobbied the m‐ learning implementation team tirelessly to ensure that they would receive tablets. Once tablets were received and users began to experience the benefits of the tablets, using them in wifi areas in the LRCs was not enough and they started to lobby for SIM cards so they would have internet access away from the wifi accessible points. Although sometimes elusive, managing expectations associated with implementation of an e‐learning agenda is an important aspect of a successful implementation. In the era of Facebook and text messaging, one could quickly lose control of the message and consequently the vision of the project. Implementation is always a dynamic process Due to unforeseen circumstances, we finished the previous fiscal year with funds that needed to be spent prior to the commencement of the new fiscal year. Instead of gradually deploying the various technologies that are part of our learning agenda and coupling the roll‐out with training to ensure higher adoption, we had to procure most of the technologies at the same time. This means that we will have some technologies purchased and installed (e.g. video conferencing) before we have the time to plan and prepare for effective adoption and integration. A developmental approach to procurement would have been easier to manage and more likely to increase adoption of the various technologies. To be successful however, one has to be able to adapt to situations beyond one’s control and rethink the implementation process, adoption plan and training priorities. Student and faculty training and support are crucial It is not enough to make technology available; we must also provide the necessary support for faculty and learners to adopt and integrate technology effectively. We are currently working on a plan to outline our strategy for e‐learning support and development. For faculty, support will include both pedagogical and technological support and development. For students, support and development will include technological and
229
Masego Kebaetse, Cecil Haverkamp and Oathokwa Nkomazana pedagogical training to ensure effective and engaged learning. In particular, students need to acquire and/or improve self‐directed metacognitive skills that will enable them to be successful lifelong learners. In addition to support, faculty and students are important stakeholders, since e‐learning integration is implemented for the benefit of their teaching and learning. Given the opportunity students and faculty have provided input into how the use of technology would be most beneficial. For instance, in one of the informal meetings with residents at one of the clinical sites, they commented on the preference for the use of video conferencing to support collaborative learning instead of tele‐lecturing. Students have provided feedback on the m‐Learning Initiative and the feedback prompted us to commit to allocating individual tablets to third‐year students instead of loaning them tablets only when they were in rural rotations.
5. Conclusion Despite the considerable technical challenges, financial and time costs around technology selection, procurement and installation, technology continues to make inroads in medical education. The integration of such technologies is not always straightforward, especially at a young medical school where there can be so many other competing challenges. Ideally, it would have been preferable to develop a cohesive implementation plan before commencing with procurement. Nonetheless we have had to implement some technologies even as we develop a plan for moving forward. Navigating this situation has warranted being reflective, flexible, and adaptable. Clearly the experiences described are preliminary and the implementation processes is in its early stages. At times, the broader institutional processes required for e‐learning integration at a curriculum and conceptual level have been slow, time consuming, and challenging. Nonetheless, some successes are emerging as are some challenges. Nurturing strong strategic partnerships and relationships is paying off in ownership and support for our projects. This is imperative to a sustainable and successful e‐ learning agenda. Additionally, providing adequate support processes through partners and personnel is important for technologies to be adopted effectively.
Acknowledgements UB SOM’s e‐learning initiative is supported by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief’s (PEPFAR) Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) though the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
References Association of Medical Colleges 2007. Effective use of educational technology in medical education. Association of American Medical Colleges Institute for Improving Medical Education. Reiser, RA & Dempsey, JV 2007, Trends and issues in instructional design and technology, Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. Roblyer, MD & Doering, AH 2010, Integrating educational technology, 5th edn, Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. Ruiz, JG, Leipzig, RM, & Mintzer, MJ 2006, ‘The impact of e‐learning in medical education’, Academic Medicine, vol. 84, no. 3, pp. 207‐212. Saettler, P 1990, The evolution of American educational technology, McGraw‐Hill, New York. Sandars, J 2012, ‘Technology and the delivery of the curriculum of the future: Opportunities and challenges’, Medical Teacher, vol. 34, pp. 534‐538. Tiene, D & Ingram, A 2001, Exploring current issues in educational technology, McGraw‐Hill Companies, Inc., Boston, MA.
230
Computer Literacy, Mathematics and Cyber Awareness. She intends to spread the cyber awareness message to other schools in Mpumalanga. Charity Ndeya-Ndereya is a Senior Lecturer/Researcher in the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of the Free State in South Africa. She has a keen research interest in the integration of technology into teaching and learning processes for the benefit of all students including those with disabilities. Dick Ng’ambi is an Associate Professor in the Centre for Educational Technology at the University of Cape Town. He is the leading researcher in low-cost technologies with high educational impact. He holds an MSc in Computer Science from the University of Birmingham, UK, and a PhD in Information Systems from the University of Cape Town. Oathokwa Nkomazana, MD was among the founding faculty of the University of Botswana School of Medicine, which enrolled its first group of medical students in August 2009. She is a College of Ophthalmologists of South Africa certified ophthalmologist, with a Master’s degree in Community Eye Health. Currently, she is the Principal Investigator/Principal Director for three funded projects. Dr Vuyisile Nkonki works for the University of Fort Hare in the Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC) as Manager of the Teaching and Learning Centre, on the Alice campus. His specialty areas are policies governing education, research and development policies, professional development of teachers and lecturers, as well as assessment of students’ learning. Travis Noakes. My PhD in Media Studies explores the e-portfolio design choices that Visual Arts learners make. It draws from my professional expertise in design, internet- and brand management. My ICEL2013 paper on the online creative productions of students results from research assistant work for the Centre for Educational Technology at the University of Cape Town. Siyanda.Ntlabathi is a Teaching and Learning Consultant at the Teaching and Learning Centre of the University of Fort Hare. Her main focus areas are providing support in e-Learning, curriculum development and foundation provisioning. She is currently doing a Masters in ICT in Education (Med). Pius Olatunji Olaojo holds PhD in School Media from the Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan. He is a Research Fellow at the Abadina Media Resource Centre. His research interest areas spans library management, and Library organization, mong others. Gbolahan Olasina is a doctoral student at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. Mr. Olasina has authored several publications. He is a lecturer at the Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences, University of Ilorin, Nigeria currently on study leave. Timothy Olson is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Minnesota in the Information Decision Science Department. Tim has been teaching information system courses successfully using e-textbooks and wiki sites for several years. Tim has published several articles and numerous presentations on e-learning, enterprise system implementation and team building projects. Brown Onguko is Assistant Professor at the Aga University – Institute for Educational Development, East Africa (IED EA). Teaching areas: ICT in Education and Educational Leadership. Research interests: Mobile and Blended Learning. Brown earned his PhD at the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Brown is currently leading the ICT Research and Innovation Group at IED EA. Dr Shireen Panchoo is head of IT department and lecturer at the University of Technology, Mauritius in the School of Innovative Technologies and Engineering. In 2001 she embarked on e-learning and obtained her PhD in 2010 from the CergyPontoise University, Paris. She is an online tutor and online supervisor for distant learners at Masters Level in France. Patient Rambe (PhD.) is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Computer Science and Informatics and a former Assistant Director of International Academic Projects at the University of the Free State, South Africa. His research interest is the innovative pedagogical use of social media and appropriation of emerging Web-based technologies in resourceconstrained academic environments. Ms Rolda Rapotu is the Provincial Programme Manager for Information Society Development at the Limpopo Economic Development Agency in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. She is responsible for the implementation of INSPIRE programme in Limpopo. This programme was funded by the Government of Finland and piloted in the provinces of Limpopo and the Northern Cape. She has more than five years’ experience in ICT for socio-economic development in disadvantaged communities
xv
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
