Basic Training Script for Hands-on Classes

[Spanish Version | English Word Format ]

Meet and Greet-30 Minutes

Greet people as they arrive making them feel comfortable. Ask each person to sign the attendance sheet. Give each person a folder and ask him/her to complete the pre-test in the left pocket of the folder. Offer refreshments/dinner if available and encourage people to meet each other.

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Introduction to Participants and the Course-13 Minutes

Facilitators will welcome participants and introduce the class objectives and agenda.

The facilitator will introduce herself and review the contents of the folder.

In your folder, you have today's agenda, a post-test and evaluation form you will complete at the end of the class, a list of all the resources we will show you today, and brochures of other health information resources.

The facilitator will ask the group to introduce themselves by giving their names and any topics they want to learn during the class. The facilitator will record these requests and use them to demonstrate web pages during the class.

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Introduction to the Internet-15 Minutes

The facilitator will use a basic PowerPoint presentation OR write on a flip chart a series of questions the class will discuss.

Ask participants: "What is the Internet?" or "How do you use the Internet (for health, other topics)?" She will write or repeat what people say and summarize the answers.

You said '[repeat the answers].' That's correct- let me summarize:
The Web is the hub of the Internet. The Web offers information in multi-media formats, such as text, graphics, audio, and video. It is based on the program called hypertext. The formal name is hypertext transmission protocol or http for short.

Hypertext allows users to jump from one screen of information to another by choosing a link. In this manner, users can choose their own path to follow through a set of information choices.

In order to create these links, web producers use a program called HTML or hypertext markup language to code the words and links on a screen. This is similar to formatting a word processing document.

To access the World Wide Web, you need an Internet Service Provider (ISP), such as AT&T, Starpower, AOL, etc. These are companies that charge you a monthly fee to connect you to the Internet.

Your Internet Service Provider offers you a browser, or program that displays the Web. Popular browsers include Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer.

Because anyone can post information on the Internet, you have to be very careful about trusting the information.

Use the PowerPoint presentation or write a URL on the flip chart: http://www.nba.com/wizards/mj.htm

Describe the pieces of the URL:

http:// hypertext transmission protocol means you're on the web
www the name of the computer hosting the site
nba the name of the organization providing the information
com the domain name, i.e., a for-profit sponsor
/wizards the section of the web site for the Wizards
/mj.htm the specific document or article, i.e., for Michael Jordan

Domain namesare types of hosts. Ask for examples, "What others do you know?" "What are their agendas?" Explain how they can be used to evaluate sites.

.com commercial for-profit sites, such as www.amazon.com
producers usually try to sell a product or service

.edu educational or research sites, such as www.gwu.edu
sites may include expert authors and freshman students

.gov government sites, such as www.nlm.nih.gov
sites usually contain well researched content and are reflect the political ideas of the Administration in office

.mil military sites, such as www.army.mil
sites represent armed forces perspective

.net network and Internet Service Provider sites, such as starpower.net
sites

.org non-profit organizations, such as http://www.cancer.org/
producers usually represent an advocacy viewpoint

Ask: "What other ways do you know to tell if a web site is reliable and trustworthy?" Probe for funding sources, attribution (what evidence is cited), currency of the updates, authority of the producers.

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Demonstrations and Hands-On Practice Exercises-90 Minutes

Invite everyone to take a seat at the computer and to take out their sheet labeled Practice Exercises. Begin with Exercise 1 and continue until 9:00pm - you may not be able to complete everything depending on people's skills and need for more time.

Open your browser (Netscape or Internet Explorer) to http://www.gwumc.edu/library/index.htm

Demonstrate the anatomy of a browser:

Title bar, the blue line at the top that gives the title of the web page.

Address or Location box, that displays the web page address - ask people to identify the host organization, the domain name, and document name.

Minimize, resize, and maximize buttons, which control the size of the page.

Links, identified by the grabber (hand), that move you to a new page when you click your LEFT mouse button.

Back button that returns you to the previous page.

File button that allows you to print and save a page.

Bookmark or Favorites button that allows you to hold the address of a page in a file.

Let people practice the Favorites button for 1-2 minutes.

Visit MEDLINEplus at http://medlineplus.gov

Show the class how to type in the address in the Address or Location box.

Demonstrate the sections of MEDLINEplus:
Health Topics, the Medical Encyclopedia and Interactive Tutorials

Ask people to give you topics to display. Play a section from a Tutorial, show a topic from the Encyclopedia, and demonstrate a Health Topics page.

Drug and Supplement Information, using a drug suggested by the class.

On the opening screen of MEDLINEplus, click on Health Topics. Choose a topic of interest to you. Type the topic in the search box at the top or click on the letter that begins the word.

Let the class practice MEDLINEplus while you walk around and answer questions. Allow 10-15 minutes.

What kind of information is available on your health topic? Click on some of the links to view the information.

After the class has a chance to search, ask what makes them feel the information is reliable or not? Suggest some of the criteria discussed earlier (currency, the authors, lack of commercials).

Choose Drug and Supplement Information on MEDLINEplus. Look up an HIV medication or another drug of interest. Name 1-2 side effects of this medication.

Visit the Partners for Health Information web page at http://www.gwumc.edu/partners. Click on Conditions and Diseases.

Point out the list of General Gateway sites at the top of the page; these provide access to many different health topics.

Note the list of web sites for specific groups and in different languages and audiovisual formats. These are useful for people who do not read or speak other languages.

Ask the class to view the screen while you demonstrate some of the HIV/AIDS sites from the Partners web page under Conditions and Diseases. Select a range of sites from news (AEGIS), prevention (Avert, The Body), teens (whatudo, teenwire), women (the BABES network), research and treatment (clinicaltrials.gov, NIH, ACTIS), coping, and comprehensive sites, such as the New Mexico AIDSINFONET site. Ask people to suggest topics to display.

Give the class time to complete this search or find other information:

Find information on preventing HIV.

What is the web address of this URL? ( avert.org and many others )

Who is the author?

Choose another HIV/AIDS resource and describe its content:

Give the class time to review some other sites and ask for their review.

If there is time: Visit http://clinicaltrials.gov. Locate a clinical trial on asthma or on another condition of interest. What is the purpose of this study?

Demonstrate how to search for a research study on clinicaltrials.gov. Ask the class to define a clinical trial.

(A clinical trial is a research study where participants test the results of an intervention for prevention or treatment. Participants do not know which intervention they will receive. They can test a new drug or program or take a dummy or placebo treatment. The results are usually very accurate. However, the studies always involve a degree of risk so participants must have all the information before they decide if they want to join one.)

Search for a clinical trial on diabetes or ask the class to suggest a topic. Type the topic in the search box; click on the title of the study to show the information about it.

Use Google at http://www.google.com to search for a topic of interest.

Demonstrate a Google search by typing in a request, such as "HIV virus" and click on Search. Try the same search after clicking on Images.

On the Partners for Health Information web page for Community Resources, locate a place that provides GED or English as a Second Language (ESL) educational programs. What is it?

Ask participants to complete the post-test and workshop evaluation forms. Invite people to return or send their friends to the next workshop.

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