Successful mLearning Pilot in Senegal: Delivering Family Planning Refresher Training Using Interactive Voice Response and SMS

Abdoulaye Diedhiou; Kate E Gilroy; Carie Muntifering Cox; Luke Duncan; Djimadoum Koumtingue; Sara Pacqué-Margolis; Alfredo Fort; Dykki Settle; Rebecca Bailey

doi:10.9745/GHSP-D-14-00220

Figures & Tables

Figures

Tables
Additional Files

Download figure
Open in new tab
Download powerpoint
FIGURE 1.
Overview of Interactive Voice Response mLearning Training System
Download figure
Open in new tab
Download powerpoint
FIGURE 2.
Interactive Voice Response mLearning System Infrastructure
Download figure
Open in new tab
Download powerpoint
FIGURE 3.
Timing of Interactive Voice Response Calls Throughout Duration of the mLearning Training Course, Senegal 2013 (N = 619 Calls)
Download figure
Open in new tab
Download powerpoint
FIGURE 4.
Participants’ Reported Likes and Dislikes^a About Using Mobile Phones in the mLearning Training Course, Senegal 2013 (N = 20)
Abbreviation: IVR, interactive voice response. ^aParticipants could provide multiple responses for likes and dislikes. No participants responded that the mobile course was difficult to use or too long to complete.
Download figure
Open in new tab
Download powerpoint
FIGURE 5.
Participants’ Ratings of the mLearning Training Course Content, Senegal 2013 (N = 20)^a
^aNumber shown on bars represents the number of participants providing that rating. No participants “strongly disagreed” with any of these statements.
Download figure
Open in new tab
Download powerpoint
FIGURE 6.
Average Number of Questions^a Answered Correctly Before (March 2013) and After (April 2013 and February 2014) the mLearning Training Course, Senegal 2013 (N=20)
^a Total of 20 questions related to contraceptive side effects and misconceptions. Statistical significance (P values) calculated using Wilcoxon signed‐rank test comparing each post‐test to the pre‐test.

View popup

TABLE 1. Characteristics of mLearning Participants, Senegal 2013 (N = 20)

Characteristic	No. (%)
Diploma/post
Midwife	7 (35)
Nurse	6 (30)
Nursing assistant	5 (25)
Health agent	2 (10)
Age group, years
30–34	9 (45)
35–44	5 (25)
45–56	6 (30)
Sex
Male	11 (55)
Female	9 (45)
Type of facility
Health post	18 (90)
District hospital	2 (10)
Facility location
Urban	7 (35)
Rural	13 (65)
Frequency of provision of family planning services^a
Multiple times a day	15 (75)
Once a day	3 (15)
Once a week	2 (10)
Contraceptive method most often requested by clients^a
Injectable contraceptives	17 (85)
Contraceptive pills	3 (15)
Personal mobile phone used for the course^b	20 (100)
Previously used mobile phone for any work-related activity	20 (100)
Referred a patient	16 (80)
Requested stock	13 (65)
Received work-related information/guidance	11 (55)
Submitted data to the Ministry of Health or other stakeholders	7 (35)
Scheduled work hours	4 (20)
Training	2 (10)
Other	5 (25)

↵a As reported by provider.
↵b Four participants shared their phone with someone else, although only one reported that it made it difficult at times to complete the course.

View popup

TABLE 2. Participants’ Reported Experiences With Receipt of IVR mLearning System Calls, Senegal 2013 (N = 20)

Experiences	No. (%)
Received text message prompt from the system every day	15 (75)
Frequency of receiving IVR call after texting the system as ready
Always (100% of the time)	13 (65)
Frequently (75% of the time)	5 (25)
Sometimes (50% of the time)	2 (10)
Average time to receiving IVR call after texting the system
Less than 15 minutes	16 (80)
Between 15 and 30 minutes	4 (20)
More than 30 minutes	0 (0)
Frequency of dropped IVR calls
Never	14 (70)
Infrequently (1–4 times)	4 (20)
Sometimes (5–9 times)	2 (10)
Ability to receive training questions
Always able to receive	9 (45)
Infrequently unable to receive (1–4 times)^a	8 (40)
Sometimes unable to receive (5–9 times)^a	3 (15)
IVR voice recording was easy to understand	20 (100)

↵a Reasons for infrequently or sometimes not receiving training questions (number of respondents): poor reception (5); no call from system (4); issues with phone number, airtime, or phone charge (3); and inability to hear audio (1).

View popup

TABLE 3. Participants’ Opinions About Using Mobile Phones for Training, Senegal 2013 (N = 20)

	No. (%)
Overall experience
Very good	13 (65)
Good	7 (35)
Neutral/bad/very bad	0 (0)
Ease of using a mobile phone to complete training course
Very easy	8 (40)
Easy	10 (50)
Difficult	2 (10)
Amount of learning on mobile phone vs. in-person course
Learned more	12 (60)
Learned the same	6 (30)
Learned less	2 (10)
Would like to take another course on mobile phone	20 (100)

View popup

TABLE 4. Participants’ Preferences for IVR mLearning System, Senegal 2013 (N = 20)

Preferences	No. (%)
Preferred frequency of prompt texts
More than once a day	6 (30)
Once a day^*	13 (65)
Every 2–3 days	1 (5)
20 questions included in the course was:
Too many	1 (5)
Right amount	10 (50)
Too few	9 (45)
Preferred maximum number of questions to answer per day
1–2	3 (15)
3–4^*	13 (65)
5–9	4 (20)
Preferred number of times question must be answered correctly before being retired
More than 2 times	6 (30)
Two times^*	12 (60)
Only once	2 (10)
Amount of information in the explanations was:
Too much	9 (45)
Right amount	11 (55)
Too little	0 (0)
Course duration of 8 weeks was:
Too long	11 (55)
Right amount	9 (45)
Too short	0 (0)

↵* Asterisked items indicate the frequency or amount used in the pilot mLearning course.

Additional Files

Figures
Tables

GHSP-D-14-00220 Supplementary Material

Diedhiou et al. doi: 10.9745/GHSP-D-14-00220

Supplementary Material - Diedhiou et al. doi: 10.9745/GHSP-D-14-00220
Supplementary Material - Diedhiou et al. doi: 10.9745/GHSP-D-14-00220
Supplementary Material - Diedhiou et al. doi: 10.9745/GHSP-D-14-00220
Supplementary Material - Diedhiou et al. doi: 10.9745/GHSP-D-14-00220