This month launches mPowering Frontline Health Workers and K4Health’s Top Five series! Each month, mPowering partners will compile our ‘Top Five’ articles, videos, and resources related to mHealth, global health, and technology for development. mPowering Frontline Health Workers is a USAID-funded public-private partnership working to leverage mobile technology to strengthen the capacity of frontline health workers.
Video: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and mPower Social Enterprises. What is mPossible?
This video from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and mPower Social Enterprises features Frontline Health Workers from the JiVitA research project in Bangladesh. It addresses common hesitations about the feasibility of mHealth solutions in areas with low resources, and shows the remarkable potential for mobile technology to support and performance of CHWs. Watch the video to learn more about the potential for mHealth, and to see CHWs in action using mobile tools to care for their communities.
Discussion: Healthcare Information for All. HIFA Voices.
HIFA Voices collects quotations from the Healthcare Information for All discussion forums, to capture the expertise of health care providers, from MDs to CHWs, who participate in HIFA’s discussions. It compiles references from formal and informal literature on healthcare information use and availability. Scroll through the quotations and search for resources on HIFA Voices, or sign up to participate in discussions at http://www.hifa2015.org.
Research: One Million Community Health Workers Campaign and mPowering Frontline Health Workers. The Current State of CHW Training Programs in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia: What we know, what we don’t know, and what we need to know.
This literature review from the One Million Community Health Workers Campaign and mPowering Frontline Health Workers maps the state of training for community health workers (CHWs). The review found that while CHW training programs are prevalent, they are not consistent in terms of content, pedagogy, or quality. These findings point to a need for improved coordination, evaluation, and implementation of best practices in CHW training. Read more to learn about differences, similarities, and examples of effective methods in CHW training.
Blog Post: TechChange. Why MOOCs Won’t Replace Educators in the Classroom.
This post on the TechChange blog challenges the idea that Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) can replace a traditional classroom, citing the need for teacher-student interaction and personalization. Instead, MOOCS (popular examples including Ted Talks and Khan Academy) serve as a tool for teachers to augment their lessons and bring new voices – and guest stars- into the classroom. Do you agree with the post? How can MOOCs, and online learning more broadly, be leveraged for learning without sacrificing the benefits of learning from a teacher?
Inspiration: Will Novosedlik. Something Borrowed, Something New. MISC Magazine.
Novosedlik chronicles the history of how inventions (from the light bulb to the post-it note) combine and build upon existing ideas and technologies. While we tend to think of ‘innovation’ as the creation of something new and unexpected, Novosedlik argues in MISC Magazine that innovation more commonly re-combines and re-purposes existing resources. Read more to gain inspiration for how ‘old’ concepts and materials can lead to your next innovation!
What other posts, videos, or audio have stood out to you this month? We look forward to reading your comments, and stay tuned for next month’s Top Five!
