THE EFFICIENCY OF USING E-LEARNING IN HEALTH INFORMATION AND EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS
THE EFFICIENCY OF USING E-LEARNING IN HEALTH INFORMATION AND EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS

Summary/Abstract: Numerous information and education campaigns have been carried out in recent decades, aiming to encourage the public to adopt certain behaviors, or to give up habits, that are harmful. Most of these campaigns use multiple message delivery channels: various forms of media, social networks and communities, promotional events, product distribution etc. The inclusion of online interventions in the strategic plan of the campaigns is determined by the high rate of coverage, the possibility of developing interactive approaches and, last, but not least, the profitability. Efforts to capitalize on the potential of online platforms have, in recent years, led to the use of e-learning techniques and tools, not only for training the staff involved in the design and implementation of interventions, but also for educating the target audience. The present study assesses the ways and the extent to which specific e-learning tools can be integrated for enhancing the impact of the campaigns and for encouraging voluntary change in health behaviors. By analyzing the design, the implementation and the impact of a series of 10 initiatives implemented in Europe and North America in the last years, we concluded that online interventions are valuable tools for extending the coverage of health information and education campaigns, for transmitting various messages and informations and for creating interactive teaching and learning contexts, tailored according to the specifics of different target groups. Apart from the access to necessary technical infrastructure, a supportive learning environment sustained by both learners and educators, a balanced dosage of information delivery and skills development approaches, as well as the use of various message formats and of blended learning prove to be important success factors for successful integration of e- learning in the general landscape of such campaigns.

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