Can Webinar-based instruction provide an effective training environment? Preliminary results from a pilot project in Texas

Web-based seminars (Webinars) are commonly used for one- or two-hour one-shot training sessions and demonstrations but not for courses that extend over several weeks. The benefits of Webinar-based training over traditional is that the former does not require travel thereby reducing time away from work as well as eliminating travel costs for either the participants, the trainer, or both. Webinars can be highly interactive with feedback flowing from the trainer as well as other participants. Our goal was to determine if a four-week, two hours per week course delivered via Webinars could be an effective means of providing evidence-based training to public health practitioners in Texas. A total of four cohorts with a maximum of fifteen participants will receive training in this year-long project. Cohorts will be composed of public health practitioners from local health departments as well as non-profit agencies in Texas. Topics will include: the use of evidence-based practice; access to freely available online evidence-based practice resources; identification of sources of publicly available data; utilization of data in a community assessment tool using Healthy People 2010 objectives; and accessing and searching the literature through a collection of databases available to all citizens of Texas. We will present preliminary findings on skills and knowledge gained by the participants as well as behavioral changes three months out from their training. Perceptions of participants on the use of Webinars to deliver content will be discussed as well. Tools and Web sites used throughout the training will also be included.