Can ePortfolios Scaffold Competency-based Workplace Learning in Low-income Countries? Lessons Learnt from a Qualitative Pilot Study in Midwifery Education in Rwanda

DOI

10.2991/assehr.k.210930.042How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Midwifery, Competency-based education, Clinical competence, Workplace, Online portfolio, Rwanda

Abstract

Background: Rwanda and other low-income countries face a critical shortage of competent midwives. This capacity problem threatens the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Competency-based midwifery education (CBME) holds the best promise of developing competencies and improving patient outcomes. However, challenges arise when developing and implementing competency-based frameworks and ePortfolio tools in low-income countries. Aim: This study explored midwifery students’, mentors’ and supervisors’ perceptions about the applicability of an ePortfolio designed on an evidence-based Continuous Workplace Learning Competency Framework. Methods: Using a qualitative descriptive design, in depth-individual interviews were carried out with four midwifery students, two midwife mentors from selected hospitals and two midwife supervisors from a midwifery teaching institution. All interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed using NVIVO12 software Findings: All participants preferred ePortfolio over paper-based portfolio because of the continuous online accessibility of information. This accessibility encouraged collaboration between stakeholders, facilitated self-monitoring of performance, enhanced IT competency, reduced time and costs of handling portfolios and improved, in some cases, feedback. Nevertheless, the success of implementing a competency-based ePortfolio was strongly dependent on the extent to which essential conditions were met: devices, internet connectivity, time and training. The ePortfolio was not used in its full potential because of lack of knowledge of different categories of the Competency Framework. Conclusions: The results of this pilot study suggest that ePortfolios are the future to support workplace learning. An important lesson is that low-income countries must first implement the principles of CBME in clinical education followed by the design of ePortfolios according to evidence-based competency frameworks.

Copyright

© 2021, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press.

Open Access

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Mieke Embo
AU  - Hilde De Grave
AU  - Séverine Van Der Stighelen
AU  - Martin Valcke
AU  - Olive Tengera
AU  - Alice Muhayimana
AU  - Josephine Murekezi
AU  - Jean Pierre Ndayisenga
AU  - Donatilla Mukamana
PY  - 2021
DA  - 2021/10/01
TI  - Can ePortfolios Scaffold Competency-based Workplace Learning in Low-income Countries? Lessons Learnt from a Qualitative Pilot Study in Midwifery Education in Rwanda
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Medical Education (ICME 2021)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 219
EP  - 230
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210930.042
DO  - 10.2991/assehr.k.210930.042
ID  - Embo2021
ER  -