Senegal

To explore providing effective and affordable distance training to health workers, CapacityPlus developed an interactive voice response (IVR) platform that delivers training content via basic mobile phones. It uses spaced education methodology, a question-and-answer learning approach that repeats content in a way that has been scientifically proven to help students more effectively retain information than traditional methods of learning. In coordination with local health authorities in Thiès, Senegal, CapacityPlus pilot-tested the platform to deliver refresher training on contraceptive side effects and misconceptions to 20 nurses and midwives who provide family planning services. An evaluation of the pilot showed significant increases in providers’ knowledge on side effects of contraceptive use even a year following the intervention and appropriate counseling performance with the topics learned. The majority of the participants indicated that they would like to take another similar mLearning course and would recommend it to a colleague. One hundred percent of the participants had a “very good” or “good” experience with the course, and 90% said following instructions for refresher training on a mobile phone was “very easy” or “easy.”

Photo by Trevor Snapp, courtesy of IntraHealth International