LI Course
CE Hours: 3 contact hours

Statement of Purpose and Institute Overview: The purpose of this institute is to provide an in-depth overview of Web 2.0 technologies and to demonstrate how they can be applied to public health practice. Participants will discuss how their specific organizations can harness the power of web 2.0 for both health communications and professional collaborations. Web 2.0 encompasses an array of low-cost and user-friendly web-based technologies such as blogs, wikis, and social networking web sites. These technologies emphasize community building, communication, and collaboration and are at the forefront of how people are increasingly finding and sharing health information online. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, in 2008 80% of internet users have searched online for health information. There have been significant increases in the numbers of people watching videos online, reading blogs, and joining social networking sites. One third of adult internet users in the U.S. have a profile on a social networking site as well as 65% of online teenagers. These technologies are being used not only to exchange information, but to build online communities for learning and support. As such, Web 2.0 has enormous potential to revolutionize ways in which public health workers reach their target populations and improve communication within their organization and within the profession. This course will begin with an overview and demonstration of several web 2.0 technologies, including blogs, wikis, media sharing sites, and social networking sites. For each technology, examples of how they are being used in public health practice will be shown and participants will engage in a discussion of how their organization can use the technology. The second part of the course will focus on implementation of web 2.0 technologies within an organization, including project development, security, policies, and marketing. To gain practical experience participants will be encouraged to join the Learning 2.0 training series, “13 Things: Web 2.0 and Public Health.” This is a self-paced learning program designed to encourage exploration and experimentation with thirteen different Web 2.0 technologies that are specifically useful to public health practice. Participants will also be encouraged to join a custom online social community, developed specifically for this course, where they can continue to discuss their experiences using web 2.0 after the course has concluded.

Session Objectives: Describe 5 Web 2.0 technologies and their applications for public health practice Identify at least one potential application of a Web 2.0 technology for their organization or community Formulate an implementation plan for at least one application of a Web 2.0 technology for their organization or community

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)