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)