A partial economic evaluation of blended learning in teaching health research methods: a three-university collaboration in South Africa, Sweden, and Uganda

Figures & data

Table 1 Participant numbers and content of courses on randomised controlled trials delivered as BL in 2013 with inter-institutional collaboration between SU, MU, and KI, and as CL in 2010 at SU

	RCT BL (2013)			RCT CL (2010)
	SU	MU	KI	SU
General course information
ECTS	Na	na	1.5	na
Learning time required, h	120	120	40	120
Classroom learning
Time scheduled, h	24	24	22	40
Occasions, n	4	4	4	7
Online learning
Time estimated, h	88^a	88^a	18^b	na
Self-study
Time estimated, h	Na	na	na	80
Evaluations
Assignments, n	4	4	4	2
Final exam included	Yes	yes	no	yes
Forming of final grade
Weight of assignments,%	50	50	100	50
Weight of final exam,%	50	50	na	50
Enrolments
Accepted to course, n	20	5	9	13
Started the course, n	16	4	8	13
Dropped-out during course, n	–	–	–	–

BL, blended learning course; CL, classroom learning course; ECTS, European Credit Transfer System; KI, Karolinska Institutet; MU, Makerere University; RCT, randomised controlled trial; SU, Stellenbosch University; na, not applicable.

^aHours specified in course outline; does not add up to total hours of learning required together with classroom hours as breaks were also counted as classroom hours in course schedule.

^bNot specified in course outline; calculated as difference between total and classroom hours.

Table 2 Collection and valuation of inputs required to start up and run the ARCADE HSSR project and the RCT courses as BL and CL

	Data source for inputs		Valuation of inputs
	Document review	Semi-structured interviews	Financial records	Estimation based on average market prices	Start-up or running costs of project or course	Additional information
Staff time	Identification of activities used for resource allocation	Time input in different phases, years the work took place and activities the time was used on	Salary data for people paid through the ARCADE HSSR project	Salaries for people not paid through the project (based on the expertise and country)	Allocated partly to all, based on key informant estimations.	Benefits outside the monthly salary were excluded
Meetings	Attendees and length of meetings from meeting minutes	Identification of required face-to-face meetings	All travel costs (transport, accommodation, per diems) and part of organising costs (e.g. meals)	Organising costs not retrievable from records (e.g. venue hire)	Start-up costs of the project or course, depending on the meeting	Full or partial costs included, depending on the role of the participant
Space (teaching)	Teaching hours from course outlines	Description of required teaching facilities		Rent costs (required size, location and equipment)	Course running costs (BL and CL)	Staff use of office space excluded in this evaluation
Equipment		Identification of required equipment	For equipment that were specifically purchased for the use of BL activities in the ARCADE HSSR	Items needed on the courses but were not paid through the project	Full costs of the items included in the start-up costs of the project	Staff use of basic office equipment (e.g. staff computers, printers) excluded
Licences		Identification of required licences	Majority of licence costs	Licences that were provided for free for testing in the project, or were purchased by the university for other purpose	Annual licences used on the course included in running costs of BL course. Licences only tested in the project considered start-up costs of the project.

ARCADE HSSR, African Regional Capacity Development for Health Systems and Services Research; BL, blended learning course; CL, classroom learning, RCT, randomised contolled trial.

Table 3 Economic costs (in US dollars) of courses on RCTs delivered as BL in 2013 with inter-institutional collaboration between SU, MU, and KI and as CL in 2010 at SU

	RCT BL (2013)								RCT CL (2010)
	SU		MU		KI		Total		SU
	USD^a	%	USD^a	%	USD^a	%	USD^a	%	USD^a	%
Start-up costs
Planning and management
Staff	1,508		1,174		2,041		4,723		499
Meetings	1,022		2,047		1,058		4,128		–
ICT capacity
Staff	1,733		89		168		1,990		–
Equipment and licences	2,617		–		632		3,249		–
Course development and delivery
Staff	1,722		122		244		2,088		2,483
Meetings	252		37		7,703		7,992		–
Total start-up costs	8,855	30	3,469	19	11,846	58	24,171	36	2,982	22
Running costs
Planning and management
Staff	3,674		1,443		2,898		8,015		5,322
ICT capacity
Staff	5,131		165		350		5,646		–
Equipment and licences	102		–		–		102		–
Course development and delivery
Staff	8,116		12,270		2,244		22,630		2,082
Teaching space	3,598		888		3,010		7,496		3,314
Total running costs	20,621	70	14,766	81	8,501	42	43,888	64	10,718	78
Total costs	29,476	100	18,235	100	20,347	100	68,059	100	13,699	100
Average cost per student	1,842		4,559		2,543		2,431		1,054

BL, blended learning course; CL, classroom learning course; ICT, information and communication technology; KI, Karolinska Institutet; MU, Makerere University; RCT, randomised contolled trial; SU, Stellenbosch University.

^aCosts from other years than 2013 adjusted to prices of 2013, using a consumer price index (CPI) specific for each country (27–29).

Table 4 Incremental costs and effectiveness of a course on RCTs delivered as BL in 2013 compared to delivery as CL in 2010 at SU

	RCT BL, SU (2013) compared to RCT CL, SU (2010)
Total incremental costs,^a USD^b	15,776
Start-up	5,873
Running	9,903
Per-student incremental costs,^a USD^b	788
Start-up	324
Running	464

BL, blended learning course; CL, classroom learning course; RCT, randomised contolled trial; SU, Stellenbosch University.

^aCosts of BL course minus costs of CL course at SU.

^bCosts from other years than 2013 have been adjusted to prices of 2013, using a consumer price index (CPI) specific for each country (27–29).

Table 5 Sensitivity analysis of economic costs of courses on RCTs delivered as BL in 2013 with inter-institutional collaboration between SU, MU, and KI and as CL in 2010 at SU

	RCT BL (2013)				RCT CL (2010)
	SU	MU	KI	Total	SU
Baseline cost, USD^1	29,476	18,235	20,347	68,059	13,699
Change (%) in baseline cost
Staff costs +20%	+15%	+17%	+8%	+13%	+15%
Staff costs −20%	−15%	−17%	−8%	−13%	−15%
Highest allocation of ARCADE HSSR costs to RCT course	+33%	+18%	+19%	+25%	na
Lowest allocation of ARCADE HSSR costs to RCT course	−17%	−10%	−10%	−13%	na
Meeting costs +50%	+2%	+6%	+22%	+9%	na
Meeting costs −50%	−2%	−6%	−22%	−9%	na
Space costs +20%	+2%	+1%	+3%	+2%	+5%
Space costs −20%	−2%	−1%	−3%	−2%	−5%

BL, blended learning course; CL, classroom learning course; KI, Karolinska Institutet; MU, Makerere University; RCT, randomised contolled trial; SU, Stellenbosch University; na, not applicable.

^aCosts from other years than 2013 have been adjusted to prices of 2013, using a consumer price index (CPI) specific for each country (27–29).

Statistics Sweden. Consumer Price Index (CPI) 2014. Available from: http://www.scb.se/en_/Finding-statistics/Statistics-by-subject-area/Prices-and-Consumption/Consumer-Price-Index/Consumer-Price-Index-CPI/Aktuell-Pong/33779/Consumer-Price-Index-CPI/272151/ [cited 18 April 2014].

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Bank of Uganda. Annual Report 2012/2013. 2013. Available from: https://www.bou.or.ug/bou/bou-downloads/publications/Annual_Reports/Rpts/All/Annual-Report-2012-2013.pdf [cited 6 May 2014].

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