A community of sharing open learning for medical professionals: Leicester, UK and Gondar, Ethiopia

Tuesday 9:00-10:30 (1), McClintock Suite

Type: Workshop

Theme: Building and linking communities of open practice

http://leicestergondarlink.com #oer14 #abs88

Authors

Mrs Terese Bird, Learning Technologist, University of Leicester, [email protected]
Dr Robert Jay, Academic Foundation Doctor, NHS East Midlands, [email protected]
Ms Colette Orton, Clinical Skills Facilitator, NHS East Midlands, [email protected]
Ms Kriti Singhania, Student, University of Leicester, [email protected]
Dr Dan Rogers, Consultant in Gastroenterology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospitals of Leicester, [email protected]

Abstract

Introduction

The Leicester-Gondar Medical Link began in 1996 when clinicians working at Leicester hospitals decided to try to make a difference in the developing world. Over the years, the Link has engaged in projects beneficial to both cities, including an independent Masters degree in Public Health, and training health workers from all over Ethiopia. By 2008, the Leicester Gondar Medical Link achieved independent charity status, with DeMontfort University as a third partner.

In an attempt to address specific training needs of doctors in Gondar, University Hospitals of Leicester clinicians are creating openly-licensed learning materials in video, audio and written formats, accessible via a blog platform to which Ethiopian colleagues can also contribute. These resources are designed to be accessible via low bandwidth systems and devices used in Ethiopia.

This workshop will briefly describe the Leicester-Gondar Link and the challenges in sharing learning within a cross-cultural community (Chen & Caropreso, 2012), and then demonstrate specific techniques of learning material creation with participants creating their own materials using these techniques.

Rationale

Within a learning community with as starkly different cultures and needs as exist within the Leicester-Gondar Link, there are significant challenges to effective learning and sharing. Open practice and open educational resources address some of these challenges, and creative learning technology addresses others. Our workshop will share our approach and specific techniques and will benefit others facing similar challenges in facilitating open learning within complex communities.

Content

A brief description of the Leicester-Gondar Medical Link will be followed by discussion of the challenges of facilitating learning within a complex, cross-cultural community. The main part of the workshop will be sharing and practical techniques to create good, open, mobile-ready multimedia learning materials. Participants may try these techniques on provided, or their own, laptops. Techniques will include creating descriptive videos with little time and little equipment, choosing and formulating content to communicate across cultural barriers, blog design tips, and openness guidelines for medical learning materials. There will also be exploration of issues such as digital professionalism, ethics, governance, and the difficulties to produce resources that meet the regulations and requirements of cross-national organisations. We will also discuss the difficulties of engaging organisations in different countries.

Delivery Method

After discussion about the challenges of sharing learning in cross-cultural communities such as within the Leicester-Gondar Link, participants will be able to choose which of the techniques to learn and practice. Laptops, microphones, instructions, and assistance will be provided so that participants can create their own materials. Participants will leave the workshop having created open learning material of their own, and equipped with skills to share these using a blog as a simple VLE/LMS.

References

Chen, S., and Caropreso, E. J. (2012). Cross-cultural collaborative online learning : if you build it , will they come ? Global Partners in Education Journal, 2(1), 25–41. Available from http://www.gpejournal.org/index.php/GPEJ/article/viewFile/46/pdf. [Accessed 13 November 2013].

Funding acknowledgements

Leicester-Gondar Medical Link has independent charity status as Health Action Leicester for Ethiopia (HALE) Registered Charity Number 1122773.

Further details

Keywords: medical education, meded, video podcasts, blog, Wordpress, mobile learning, cross-cultural

Website: http://leicestergondarlink.com