title: The role of tablets in accessing information throughout undergraduate medical education in Botswana.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mobile learning (mLearning) uses wireless networks and mobile devices to expand physician trainees' and healthcare providers' access to and exchange of medical information. Opportunities to increase implementation and expand use of mobile devices to support health care information access and delivery in Africa are vast, but the rapid growth of mLearning has caused project implementation to outpace objective measurement of impact. This study makes a contribution to the existing body of literature regarding mLearning implementation in Africa through its focus on the use of smart devices (tablets) in undergraduate medical education and medical students' perceptions of the effects on their learning environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The population of this prospective mixed-methods study consisted of 82 undergraduate medical students (45 third year and 37 fourth year) at the University of Botswana Faculty of Medicine. They received tablets in the earliest phase of the mLearning project implementation (between November 2012 and January 2013), when they were in the third and fourth year of their medical training. Usage of the tablets was assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively, through both application usage tracking and focus groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on application usage data and coding and analysis of focus group discussions, undergraduate medical students indicated that tablets were useful in their medical education, allowing them continual access to information and opportunities for communication. Participants noted that the primary barrier to use of tablets was the lack of mobile cellular Internet beyond the Wi-Fi zones at the training sites. Moreover, participants offered suggestions for improvements to the implementation process.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even in resource-limited settings where Internet access can be unreliable and intermittent, the adoption of tablets can have benefits to medical education by providing consistent access to extensive and current medical information resources. This study highlights the value of clinical resources with offline functionality, with or without consistent access to the Internet. There is also the potential for optimizing the use of tablets through improved training and technical support.
authors.affiliation: University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States.
authors.forename: Rachel E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Witt
authors.affiliation: University of Botswana, Private Bag 0022, Gaborone, Botswana.
authors.forename: Masego B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Kebaetse
authors.affiliation: University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States.
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.affiliation: Botswana-UPenn Partnership, P.O. Box AC 157 ACH, Gaborone, Botswana.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Littman-Quinn
authors.affiliation: University of Botswana, Private Bag 0022, Gaborone, Botswana.
authors.forename: Dineo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ketshogileng
authors.affiliation: Botswana-UPenn Partnership, P.O. Box AC 157 ACH, Gaborone, Botswana.
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Antwi
authors.affiliation: University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States. Electronic address: carrie.kovarik@uphs.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Carrie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kovarik
authors.affiliation: University of Botswana, Private Bag 0022, Gaborone, Botswana.
authors.forename: Oathokwa
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nkomazana
mesh_terms: D022126:Access to Information; D001902:Botswana; D003142:Communication; D034201:Computers, Handheld / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013337:Students, Medical
keywords: Medical education; Mobile learning (mLearning); Tablets