Abstract
BackgroundAs blended learning (BL; a combination of face-to-face and e-learning methods) becomes more commonplace, it is important to assess whether students find it useful for their studies. ARCADE HSSR and ARCADE RSDH (African Regional Capacity Development for Health Systems and Services Research; Asian Regional Capacity Development for Research on Social Determinants of Health) were unique capacity-building projects, focusing on developing BL in Africa and Asia on issues related to global health.ObjectiveWe aimed to evaluate the student experience of participating in any of five ARCADE BL courses implemented collaboratively at institutions from Africa, Asia, and Europe.DesignA post-course student survey with 118 students was conducted. The data were collected using email or through an e-learning platform. Data were analysed with SAS, using bivariate and multiple logistic regression. We focused on the associations between various demographic and experience variables and student-reported overall perceptions of the courses.ResultsIn total, 82 students responded to the survey. In bivariate logistic regression, the course a student took [p=0.0067, odds ratio (OR)=0.192; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.058–0.633], male gender of student (p=0.0474, OR=0.255; 95% CI: 0.066–0.985), not experiencing technical problems (p<0.001, OR=17.286; 95% CI: 4.629–64.554), and reporting the discussion forum as adequate for student needs (p=0.0036, OR=0.165; 95% CI: 0.049–0.555) were found to be associated with a more positive perception of BL, as measured by student rating of the overall helpfulness of the e-learning component to their studies. In contrast, perceiving the assessment as adequate was associated with a worse perception of overall usefulness. In a multiple regression, the course, experiencing no technical problems, and perceiving the discussion as adequate remained significantly associated with a more positively rated perception of the usefulness of the online component of the blended courses.DiscussionThe results suggest that lack of technical problems and functioning discussion forums are of importance during BL courses focusing on global health-related topics. Through paying attention to these aspects, global health education could be provided using BL approaches to student satisfaction.
Highlights
Demand for education in global health, including global health research, is increasing worldwide (1Á5)
The results suggest that lack of technical problems and functioning discussion forums are of importance during blended learning (BL) courses focusing on global health-related topics
We aimed to investigate what is associated with student perceptions of the usefulness of online learning platforms for their studies when global health-related courses are implemented through BL, to inform the development of future BL courses
Summary
Demand for education in global health, including global health research, is increasing worldwide (1Á5). By replacing some in-person lectures with didactic materials to be viewed online or after downloading, BL makes it possible to focus real-time contacts on genuinely interactive learning, such as seminars or tutorials This approach allows institutions to offer learning experiences to more students [15] than in traditional, face-to-face only, campus-based education and has potential to alleviate the shortage of faculty in LMICs [7, 8, 12, 15]. BL can link entire classrooms at different universities and even different countries in identical, similar, or merely overlapping courses and for real-time discussions This approach can have benefits for student learning [17] especially in relation to global health. Through paying attention to these aspects, global health education could be provided using BL approaches to student satisfaction
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