Table 5 Global evaluation of the programme (SWOT technique at the final workshop with students and teaching staff)
Successes | Weaknesses |
Rapid feedback on assignments handed in | Globally non-functioning local tutorship with little local support (to students) |
Exchange of experiences among students (andragogy approach) | Difficulties with Internet connections |
Availability of relevant documents on the platform | No electronic material support (no computers offered to students by the programme coordination) |
High participation rates and enthusiasm of students | Suppression of two modules initially planned (ageing and violence) |
Low dropout rate (3/37) despite some political instability and limited Internet access | Difficulties to implement well-functioning group work, especially “writing a scientific report together” |
Increase of UNIGE visibility at country levels in French-speaking Africa | Low student participation at the wiki assignment |
Reliability of the Internet platform and the UNIGE-based IT back office | |
Opportunities | Threats |
Development of local and regional collaborations and networking | Financial sustainability |
Use of new Internet technology as a training support | Local political insecurity |
Possibility to extend the programme to other contexts | Plagiarism |
Workload for coordination and teaching staff |