Readiness of medical universities in Tanzania to implement competency-based curricula using e-learning in teaching and assessment: an exploratory qualitative case study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Medical universities offering medicine and nursing undergraduate programmes in Tanzania are transitioning to implementing competency-based curriculum (CBC). E-learning can be helpful to CBC but, although introduced in medical universities in Tanzania in 2011, faculty have been slow to adopt it. This study aims to understand if this slow adaptation is related to institutional readiness to implement e-learning. This study explored university leaders' perceptions of their readiness to implement CBC using e-learning to implement CBC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors conducted an exploratory qualitative case study using in-depth interviews with 21 purposively recruited leaders from four medical universities in Tanzania between July and October 2022. Qualitative content analysis guided analysis of the data. FINDINGS: The analysis identified three categories related to the readiness of the institution to use e-learning to implement CBC: first, faculty e-learning competencies, encompassing the need for skills-building skills in e-learning, internet and communication technology (ICT) and preparing digital materials. Second, access to ICT infrastructure including unreliable internet connectivity, a shortage of ICT devices and efforts to improve access to ICT devices, and third, the availability and application of e-learning guidelines and policies. CONCLUSION: The study findings underscore the need to strengthen both human capacity and physical resources for e-learning, for the effective implementation of CBC in the selected medical universities in Tanzania.