Social Mobile Media for Health Workers. Education and Empowerment in disadvantaged areas

• 1. Education and Empowerment in disadvantaged areasSocial Mobile Media for Health WorkersChristoph Pimmer and Urs Grhbiel, FHNW, BaselResearch Fair KFPE/DEZA, June 5th 2013

2. Research Fair KFPE/DEZA 2The challengeHealth workers such as midwives and nurses ... lack access to training and up-to-date knowledge suffer from professional isolation struggle with poor working conditions and remunerationImage: HIFA Report 2010June 6th 2013 3. Research Fair KFPE/DEZA 3The Potential of mobile phonesThe incredible spread six billion mobile phones increasing use of social network sites even in rural and disadvantaged areasin LDCHigh expectations of UN-Organizations such as WHO, the World Bank and ITU to use mobile phones to address MDG4, 5, and 6 i.e., child health, maternal health, andthe prevention of HIV/AIDSJune 6th 2013 4. Research Fair KFPE/DEZA 4Research approachRQ: Can social mobile media serve as aeffective educational tools for healthworkers? Two research projects in Nepal andSouth Africa Field visits, interviews & questionnaires Content analysis of social network sites Interventions using Facebook as aneducational tool in advanced midwiferyJune 6th 2013 5. Research Fair KFPE/DEZA 5Findings: We have shown that ...Health workers flexibly use mobile phonefunctions, i.e.SMS, Facebook, WhatsApp, calls etc. aseffective educational tools to facilitate learning and clinical problem solving participating in/across professionalcommunitiesFacebook community: MedicalProfession (34529 members)June 6th 2013 6. Research Fair KFPE/DEZA 6Contribution to UN-policy developmentinitiatives: World Summit on the Information Society, Geneva UN-GETHealth Summit, New York UN-Economic and Social Council, New YorkPolicy suggestions (excerpt):A systematic use of social mobile media should support clinical problem solving & inquiry learning consider social media principles and, the, informal, bottom-up use of phones be integrated into health & education systemsJune 6th 2013 7. Research Fair KFPE/DEZAPlease contact usfor discussion and questions!7June 6th 2013 8. Research Fair KFPE/DEZA 8Related publications Pimmer, C., Linxen, S., & Grhbiel, U. (2012). Facebook as a learning tool? A case study onthe appropriation of social network sites along with mobile phones in developing countries.British Journal of Educational Technology, 43(5), 726-738 Brysiewicz, P., Pimmer, C., Grhbiel, U., Walters, F., Linxen, S., & Chipps, J. (2013). Theneglected grass root adoption of mobile phones as learning tools in resource-limited settings.A study from advanced midwifery education in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Paperpresented at the South African Association of Health Educationalists, Durban, South Africa. Pimmer, C., Linxen, S., Grhbiel, U., Jha, A., & Burg, G. (2012). Mobile learning in resource-constrained environments. A case study of medical education.DOI:10.3109/0142159X.2012.733454. Medical Teacher. Linxen, S., & Pimmer, C. (2011). The transformational role of social mobile media oneducation and learning in developing countries. Paper presented at the InternationalRoundtable on Social mobile networking for informal learning, London.June 6th 2013 9. Research Fair KFPE/DEZA 9ContactUrs Grhbiel Project lead Research & developmentE [email protected] +41 61 279 18 54www.fhnw.ch/wirtschaft/learning.labChristoph Pimmer Research lead Research designE [email protected] +41 61 279 18 49www.fhnw.ch/wirtschaft/learning.labJune 6th 2013