2020, Winkel, David J., Brantner, Philipp, Lutz, Jonas, Korkut, Safak, Linxen, Sebastian, Heye, Tobias

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to validate an electronic learning, or e-learning, concept featuring gamification elements, rapid case reading, and instant feedback. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. An e-learning concept was devised that offered game levels for the purpose of providing training in the detection of pneumothorax in 195 cases, with questions read in rapid succession and instant feedback provided for each case. The user's task was to locate the pneumothorax on chest radiographs and indicate its presence by clicking a mouse. The game level design included an entry test consisting of 15 cases, training levels with increasing difficulty that involved 150 cases, and a final test that including 30 cases (the 15 cases from the entry test plus 15 new cases). A total of 126 candidates were invited via e-mail to participate and were asked to complete a survey before and after playing the game, which is known as RapRad. The level of diagnostic confidence and the error rate before and after playing the game were compared using a Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS. Fifty-nine of 126 participants (47%) responded to the first survey and finished the game. Of these 59 participants, 29 (49%) responded to the second survey after completing the game. Diagnostic confidence in pneumothorax detection improved significantly, from a mean (± SD) score of 4.3 ± 2.1 on the entry test to a final score of 7.3 ± 2.1 (p < 0.01) after playing RapRad, with the score measured on a 10-point scale, with 10 denoting the highest possible score. Of the participants, 93% indicated that they would use the game for learning purposes again, and 87% indicated that they had fun using RapRad (7% had a neutral response and 6% had a negative response). The error rate (i.e., the number of failed attempts to answer a question correctly) significantly decreased from 39% for the entry test to 22% for the final test (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION. Our e-learning concept is capable of improving diagnostic confidence, reducing error rates in training pneumothorax detection, and offering fun in interaction with the platform.

2017-10, Korkut, Safak, Lutz, Jonas, Brantner, Philipp, Heye, Tobias, Steiner, Fabienne, Linxen, Sebastian, Dornberger, Rolf

2014, Pimmer, Christoph, Brysiewicz, Petra, Walters, Fiona, Linxen, Sebastian

Background: With the proliferation of portable digital technology, mobile learning is becoming increasingly popular in nursing education and practice. Most of the research in this field has been concentrated on small-scale projects in high income countries. Very little is known about the ways in which nurses and midwives use mobile technology in remote and resource poor areas in informal learning contexts in low and middle income countries. Objectives: To address this gap, this study investigates whether nurses use mobile phones as effective educational tools in marginalized and remote areas, and if so, how and why. Setting and Methods: In rural South Africa, 16 nurses who attended an advanced midwifery education program, facilitators and clinical managers were interviewed about their use of digital mobile technology for learning. Techniques of qualitative content analysis were used to examine the data.

2013-06-29T00:00:00Z, Pimmer, Christoph, Gröhbiel, Urs, Walters, Fiona, Linxen, Sebastian, Chipps, Jennifer

Background/rationale: Many mhealth and mlearning interventions fail, because they adopt a techno-centric view and ignore the local context. To address this, the present study investigated the 'organic' adoption and educational usage of mobile phones by health workers in rural health settings. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted interviewing nursing/advanced midwifery students, facilitators and nursing managers from rural, resource-constrained regions in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Content analysis used the concepts of Community of Inquiry theory as 'a priori-constructs'. Results: The research revealed a number of unexpected learning and teaching practices - based on the grass-root adoption of mobile phone functions and in particular social apps. These practices involved cognitive, teaching and social presence as well as reflective practice and enabled rich educational experiences - according to the Community of Inquiry Theory.

2018, Pimmer, Christoph, Gütersloh, Christoph, Linxen, Sebastian, Rohner, Roland

2015, Pimmer, Christoph, Chipps, Jennifer, Brysiewicz, Petra, Linxen, Sebastian, Gröhbiel, Urs

2014, Pimmer, Christoph, Linxen, Sebastian, Chipps, Jennifer, Brysiewicz, Petra, Gröhbiel, Urs, Walters, Fiona

This paper outlines the findings of a research project intended to facilitate the learning of health professionals across work-based and formal learning contexts by means of mobile technology. The focus of the educational approach was on the use of digital mobile media, and particularly mobile networking technologies to support social learning practices of professionals, i.e., nurses, in marginalized settings in rural South Africa. The overall project was informed by previous studies from marginalized contexts that pointed to the potential of mobile phones and mobile social networking technologies as a means to facilitate the learners engagement with explicit forms of educational content as well as to allow for their extended participation in professional, work-based communities (Kolko, Rose, & Johnson, 2007; Pimmer, Linxen, & Gröhbiel, 2012; Pimmer, Linxen, Gröhbiel, Jha, & Burg, 2013).

2017-10, Korkut, Safak, Gawlik-Rau, Pia, Dornberger, Rolf, Linxen, Sebastian

2015, Chipps, Jennifer, Pimmer, Christoph, Brysiewicz, Petra, Walters, Fiona, Linxen, Sebastian, Ndebele, Thandi, Gröhbiel, Urs

2014, Brysiewicz, Petra, Pimmer, Christoph, Chipps, Jennifer, Walters, Fiona, Linxen, Sebastian, Gröhbiel, Urs