Effective e-learning for health professionals and students--barriers and their solutions. A systematic review of the literature--findings from the HeXL project.
BACKGROUND
In 2003/4 the Information Management Research Institute, Northumbria University, conducted a research project to identify the barriers to e-learning for health professionals and students. The project also established possible ways to overcome these barriers. The North of England Workforce Development Confederation funded the project.


METHODS
The project comprised a systematic review of the literature on barriers to and solutions/critical success factors for e-learning in the health field. Fifty-seven references were suitable for analysis. This review was supplemented by a questionnaire survey of learners and an interview study of learning providers to ensure that data identified from the literature were grounded in reality.


RESULTS
The main barriers are: requirement for change; costs; poorly designed packages; inadequate technology; lack of skills; need for a component of face-to-face teaching; time intensive nature of e-learning; computer anxiety. A range of solutions can solve these barriers. The main solutions are: standardization; strategies; funding; integration of e-learning into the curriculum; blended teaching; user friendly packages; access to technology; skills training; support; employers paying e-learning costs; dedicated work time for e-learning.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors argue that librarians can play an important role in e-learning: providing support and support materials; teaching information skills; managing and providing access to online information resources; producing their own e-learning packages; assisting in the development of other packages.
Childs
Sue
S
Information Society Research Community, School of Computing, Engineering and Information Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. sue.childs@northumbria.ac.uk
Blenkinsopp
Elizabeth
E
Hall
Amanda
A
Walton
Graham
G
D003144:Communication Barriers; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D003479:Curriculum; D020375:Education, Distance / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D020407:Internet / Q000191:economics; D007993:Libraries, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration; D018966:Library Materials / Q000592:standards; D017145:Models, Educational; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011786:Quality Control; D012984:Software / Q000592:standards; D006113:United Kingdom