Open and distance learning programmes for nursing and midwifery education in East Africa: Protocol for a Scoping Review.
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Date
2021
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
JMIR Research Protocols
Abstract
Background: In the face of growing modernity and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, open and distance
learning (ODL) is considered to play an important role in increasing access to education worldwide. There is a robust evidence
base demonstrating its cost effectiveness in comparison with conventional class-based teaching; however, the transition to this
new paradigm of learning for nursing and midwifery courses has been difficult in low-income countries. While there are notable
efforts to increase internet and education access to health care professionals, not much is known about ODL for nurses and
midwives in East African countries.
Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to understand whether ODL programs for nursing and midwifery education
exist, the drivers of their adoption, their implementation, the topics/courses covered, their acceptability, and their impacts in East
African countries.
Methods: The scoping review methodology employs the framework developed by Arksey and O’Malley. Using an exploratory
approach, a two-stage screening process consisting of a title and abstract scan and a full-text review will be used to determine
the eligibility of articles. To be included, articles must report on an existing ODL initiative for nurses and midwives in Uganda,
Tanzania, and Kenya. All articles will be independently assessed for eligibility by pairs of reviewers, and all eligible articles will
be abstracted and charted in duplicate using a standardized form.
Results: Details of ODL for nursing and midwifery education initiatives and study outcomes will be summarized in a table.
The extracted data will undergo exploratory descriptive analysis, and the results will be classified into learner and clinical
outcomes.
Conclusions: Evidence on ODL for nursing and midwifery education will inform the ongoing development and restructuring
of health care professional education in East Africa amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Description
Keywords
Open and distance, Learning, Health care
Citation
Isangula, K., Edwards, G., Mwansisya, T., Mbekenga, C., Pallangyo, E., Sarki, A. and Ndirangu-Mugo, E., 2021. Open and Distance Learning Programs for Nursing and Midwifery Education in East Africa: Protocol for a Scoping Review. JMIR Research Protocols, 10(1), p.e17765.