Post on 06-Jan-2016
description
Data Skills Online
A Maternal and Child Health Toolbox for Analytic and Technology Training
of Public Health Professionals
APHA Annual Meeting: October 2001
Project Description
• Service Provided: Free, self-instructional, web-based training• Target audience: State and local public health professionals• Project Goal: Train professionals in skills that can be used on demand on the
job, such as:– Working with population based data– Developing and reporting measures for the Title V Block Grant– Monitoring and evaluating program activities– Developing strategies to meet the needs of the MCH population
• Courseware Used: WebCT 3.6 (Web Course Tools)• Tool Access:
– User registers by providing their contact and demographic information– User selects a tool and creates account with login ID and password– User downloads and prints a Certificate upon completion of a tool
• Funding Period: September 2000 – May 2002
Web Site FeaturesWeb Site
• Registration Form
• Online Tools PageView descriptions of tools
View tables of contents
Read logon instructions
• Technical Skills TestAssess your computer’s capacity
Practice navigating in WebCTPractice navigating in a PDF filePractice downloading a document
• Technical Support PageRegistration and logon instructionsTroubleshooting tipsDSO staff contact information
WebCT Courseware• Create a free account with a
username and password
• Add DSO tools to your account
• Hyperlinks to glossary definitions
• Table of contents available within each tool
• Certificates of completion available for printing
Curricula Offered
Currently Available:1. Subscribing to a List2. Browser Basics and Searching3. Web Design4. Creating Spreadsheets in
Microsoft Excel5. Overview of Primary Data
Collection Instruments6. Designing Questionnaires7. Developing an Analysis Plan for
a Quantitative Study8. Geographic Information
Systems9. Several Plug-In Tutorials
Under Development1. Understanding Title V
Performance Measures and the Title V Information System*
2. PRAMS Data Analysis for Title V Performance Measures*
3. Conducting a Health Services Needs Assessment for CSHCN*
4. Economic Analysis in MCH5. Measuring Maternal Morbidity6. Assessing Infant Mortality
Factors at State and Local Levels
7. Creating a Relational Database in Microsoft Access 2000
* Currently being field tested and soon to be released
Marketing Venues
• Listservs (e.g. State Title V directors, City MatCH, UNC SPH alumni)
• Search engines (e.g. Yahoo, Excite, HotBot)
• Web site links (Public Health Foundation, UNC SPH, UC Berkeley SPH)
• National organization newsletters (NACCHO membership monthly, ASTHO, Society of Public Health Educators, AMCHP)
Tool Abstracts
Technology Tools"Subscribing to a List"• This tool is designed to teach professionals about how to participate through email in the different lists
that organizations use to disseminate information. Upon completion of the tool, the user will be able to: Conduct a search for a list of interest Subscribe to a list Send and receive messages on the list
"Browser Basics and Searching"• This tool is designed to help professionals learn about the World Wide Web, and how to find information
using Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. Upon completion of the tool, the user will be able to – Describe what the World Wide Web is and how to explore it using either Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator– Use a search engine to search the web for a topic of interest– Create bookmarks in a web browser
"Web Design"• This tool is designed to teach professionals how to produce their own personal web page using Microsoft
FrontPage, Microsoft Word, Corel WordPerfect, and Netscape Composer. Design and technical issues involved in the three stages of web site development--Planning, Design, and Maintenance, will be considered. Upon completion of the tool, the user will be able to:
– Describe the basic principles of good web page design – Create simple web pages and upload them
Tool Abstracts
Analytic Tools "Overview of Primary Data Collection Instruments"• This tool is designed to assist professionals in determining which type of primary data to gather,
depending on the issue to be studied, and specific research questions. Upon completion of the tool, the user will be able to:
• · Identify modes of primary data collection, and know when to defer to secondary data • · Know where to locate secondary data sources specific to MCH• · Identify methods for administering questionnaires/surveys • · Describe advantages and disadvantages of different methods of survey administration• · Given a scenario, determine the types of primary data to collect, the modes of collection, and methods for administration
"Designing Questionnaires"• This tool is designed to assist the professional in developing a questionnaire for quantitative and
qualitative primary data collection. The user will be introduced to the components of questionnaires and approaches to developing them. Upon completion of the tool, the user will:
– Understand the different types of questions designed for questionnaires– Understand guidelines and basic principles of writing and formatting effective questions – Know the rationale for pre-testing questionnaires
– Be aware of ethical considerations when administering questionnaires
Tool Abstracts"Developing an Analysis Plan for a Quantitative Study"• This tool is designed to assist the professional in making decisions about how to examine and present
numerical data on health-related issues. The tool will guide the user through the steps of a study, and provide suggestions for writing a final report based on descriptive or inductive data. Upon completion of the tool, the user will be able to:
– Describe the rationale for developing a quantitative analysis plan– Describe the main differences between a descriptive study and an inductive study– List and describe the components of a quantitative analysis plan– Determine which univariate or bivariate statistical tests to use– Understand how to interpret results of univariate or bivariate statistical tests– Develop an analysis plan
"Geographic Information Systems"• This tool is designed to teach professionals about geographic information systems (GIS), which are tools
used to collect and display data in the form of maps. GIS is typically used to help answer spatial questions by facilitating visualization, spatial analysis, modeling, and decision-making. Upon completion of the three lessons in this tool, users will be able to:
• Describe basic GIS theory and terminology • Be familiar with the practical application of GIS methods; including data grouping, map construction, and the
appropriate use of colors and shading • Describe strengths and limitations of GIS data sources and software applications• Construct a simple map using ArcExplorer software
Popularity of Tools, by Number of Registrants (N=586) January 8 - September 14, 2001
6
134
215
233
236
325
403
407
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
Creating Spreadsheets
Subscribing to a List
Brow ser Basics
Web Design
GIS
Analysis Plan
Designing Questionnaires
Primary Data Collection
Tool
Number of Registrants
95%
100%
93%
98%
88%
90%
92%
94%
96%
98%
100%
Technology Tools Analytic Tools
Effectiveness of Tools in Imparting Knowledge and Confidence, by Tool Type, as Reported on the Online Post-Tool Evaluation
January 8 - September 14, 2001
Improved My Confidence
Improved My Knowledge
Results of Six-Month (1/01/01 - 4/30/01) Follow-Up Survey of Participants Who Completed a Data Skills Online Tool
"During the past six months, how have you used the skills taught in the Data Skills Online tool(s) that you completed in your job?" (N=57)
12%
16%
16%
16%
28%
28%
30%
37%
44%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
I have not used the skills in my job
conducted a needs assessment
an enhanced ability to comprehendjournal articles
joined more professional listservs
implemented a program evaluation
enhanced quality of primary datathat I collect
prepared a grant proposal
used more on-line data sources
prepared reports or presentations
Percentage of Respondents
Yes63%
No37%
56%
12%
23%
9%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Did not train co-workers
More than ten professionalsincluding co-workers
More than one co-worker
One co-worker
Percent of Registrants
Have you shared information about the Data Skills Online web site with co-workers? (N=57)
Have You trained or assisted one or more colleagues in a skill that you learned by completing a Data Skills Online tool? (N=57)
Six-Month Follow-Up: Participants Who Completed a Tool from 01/01/01 – 04/30/01
13-16 years27%
12 years or less4%
More than 16 years69%
2%
18%
28%
51%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
1958-1968 1969-1979 1980-1990 1991-2001
Year
Pe
rce
nt
of
Re
gis
tra
nts
Year of Most Recent Degree (N=574)
January 8-September 14, 2001
Education Level of Registrants (N=586)
January 8-September 14, 2001
Data Skills Online Registrants by State (N=586)January 8 – September 14, 2001
A total of 586 individuals representing 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, Egypt, Italy, Jordan, Malta, Palau, and Tanzania have registered for at least one of the tools available as of September 14, 2001. Concentration of registrants is highest in GA, NC, SC, and VA because of project initiatives (including on site training) at the public health region level.
Data Skills Online Participants, by Organization Type (N=586)January 8 - September 14, 2001
State43%
Local/City/County38%
Federal4%
Other15%
State
Local/City/County
Federal
Other
Registrants' Reasons for Using Data Skills Online (N = 586)January 8 - September 14, 2001
69%
35%
17%14%
11% 10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
I need to improveskills for my current
job
I w ant to see if I cansuccessfully learn
online
I w ant to advance toanother job
I do not need theskills right now
I enrolled as a resultof my supervisor'srecommendation
n/a
Per
cent
age
of R
egis
tran
ts
Non-MCH Manager13%
Non-MCH Researcher/Instructor
10%
Non-MCH Other21%
MCH Other25%
MCH Researcher/Instructor
10%
MCH Manager21%
Data Skills Online Participants, by MCH Occupation (N=586) January 8 - September 14, 2001
Non-MCH Professionals
MCH Professionals
Users are Saying. . .
• “I thought I knew a lot about surveying for data. This short course broadened my knowledge and made me think about new ways to enhance and make data collection more useful.” (Primary Data Collection tool)
Users are Saying. . .
• “Overall, this experience has been extremely valuable to me, in raising my confidence level in using the Internet and the computer in general. I am much more comfortable with the terminology and various software capabilities, at a time when it is a professional survival skill.” (Web Design tool)
Users are Saying. . .
• “Overall, this experience has been extremely valuable to me, in raising my confidence level in using the Internet and the computer in general. I am much more comfortable with the terminology and various software capabilities, at a time when it is a professional survival skill.” (Web Design tool)
Users are Saying. . .
•“This was a very enlightening project. I can see many ways that I will be able to use this knowledge to gather and analyze data to determine if we are providing sufficient health care in my community.”(Developing an Analysis Plan for a Quantitative Study tool)