CAPC Workshop Outline
Using the Internet for Health Related Work
Day 1: Communicating and Finding Information
Welcome
- Goal of the workshop:
- To improve the skills and the confidence of
participants in using the Internet to access health-related information
- Teaching philosophy of the trainers:
- Everyone is completely intelligent and capable of learning about
computers.
- Everyone makes mistakes. We can all expect them and look forward to
them.
- Short of bashing it with a hammer, you really cannot break the
computer (and certainly not the Internet).
Don't be
afraid to press buttons and try something new.
- This is your class. Go at your own pace. If you cannot keep up or
don't want to do
what everyone else is doing, that's completely OK.
- We understand the complexity of people's lives. If you need to leave
early or take
extra breaks, that's fine but if you miss something we aren't
going to
take
class time to repeat. You'll have to ask another student or see us at
break
times.
We will start on time and finish on time.
- The class will be conducted in plain, jargon-free language. We will do
our
best to
translate the "techie talk" into everyday language and if we don't, please
call
us on
it!
- We do not want to be "experts"--we are here to give you the tools to
be
your
own
best expert. We want to learn from you too!
- Introductions:
- Pair up with the person next to you and ask each other:
Name, agency, What do you currently know about the Internet?
What would you like to get out of this workshop?
- In a few minutes, you'll introduce the person to the group and report
their answers to these questions.
- Exploring the possibilities:
- Long distance, convenient, low cost
communication
- Share ideas & build relationships with people having similar interests
or
work
- Search for information on almost any topic imaginable
- Hardware and software:
Do you want graphic (shows pictures, but
costs
more) or text only (just writing, but cheap) access?
- Hardware - the solid, physical stuff of computing
- Computer - anything will do, but PC 286 or old will only allow text
access. A 486 (8 meg. of RAM) is necessary
for graphics (or a Mac a System 7).
- Monitor (screen) - anything - but old monochrome (the small green or
amber
ones) are only okay for text access.
You need VGA or SVGA for graphic access.
- Keyboard - they are somewhat specific to the computer
- Mouse - don't need one for text.
- Modem - even text slow on 2400 fine on
14.4, graphics are better with
a faster modem.
- Server - is a large computer somewhere that is giving you files, web
pages or whatver you are looking for.
- Software: language that computers understand to make them work
- 2 levels
- Operating system - the language that keeps your computer going
DOS is what many old PCs use - only text - type commands - press enter
or return
Windows is used by newer ones and has graphics or pictures - click
with a pointer
- Communication software - is what your computer uses to talk with
others on the
internet
Telix, bitcom, procomm, terminal and hyperterminal - text only
Netscape, Microsoft Explorer and others are graphics related
- * Hardware is the thing - software is what makes it work the way
you
want *
- An internet service provider (ISP): will connect you to the
Internet
A FreeNet or CommunityNet - maybe only text based access
B.C. CommunityNets (on VCN)
A commercial ISP - have to pay monthly charge -
Choosing
an ISP (from Web Networks). Here is a list of
Commercial ISPs
in British Columbia.
- A connection to your ISP - you can
share a fax line to get around a dedicated phone line. Can be cable,
satellite, phone but party lines are a problem.
- Today we will use Windows, and we'll navigate the Internet with
Netscape.
The connection is _____________
and the Internet Service
Provider is ___________________
- Windows review:
- Mouse usage - moving pointer, clicking, double clicking, click and
drag
- Windows - way of using programs/software - minimize, maximize, full
screen - desktop - practice
- Windows module
and self-assesment sheet in kit. Useful for some but not essential.
Break - 15 minutes
- Internet:
- Network of Networks, using modems and phone lines
- Started with US Military and Universities in '60s
- Became public in late '80s, now increasingly commercial traffic
- North America, Europe are well connected - 3rd world much less so
- Some cultures are much better reflected in internet content and form
- What you can do over the Internet is defined by the applications or
software
- We'll cover Email, Newsgroups and the World Wide Web - there are many
more
- Email:
- E-mail-- One type of Internet
technology.
- We are
learning how to use one brand of software for this technology.
- E-mail addresses
- Ask your neighbor for her/his e-mail address
- Compose & send - exercise
- Receive & Reply
address books, net etiquette
attachments
- Email
module - review the key concepts or refresh your memory on how to
use Netscape mail.
Lunch - an hour
- Listservs and electronic mailing lists
- a tool for community
building,
information, & support
- Listserv exercise: send an email to [email protected] - it will go to
everyone in the room
- Newsgroups, discussion groups and conferences: overview of this
powerful tool
- Want the benefit of lists, but not in my face, to some place where I
can pick them up
and leave my contributions to the discussion at my convenience
- Push and pull technologies
- Similar feel to e-mail but totally public (don't give out personal
information), anyone can do anything to
the notice you post - strength in replying with part of
orignal still in the message to provide contextfor reader
- To read, you must subscribe to the particular group - more useful the
more specific: (30,000 of them) expertise groups, public dialogue on
issue, alt.fan
- Addresses: start with general and end with specific
alt.support.fibromyalgia
- More information on newsgroups:
What
is
Usenet and
Usenet FAQ
(frequently asked questions)
- A useful search tool for newsgroups is DejaNews
- Usenet or Newsgroups are very public, but private groups using similar
tools are common (Conferences on web.net, discussion groups elsewhere)
- Newsgroup
module - review newsgroup concepts or learn new newsgroup skills
- Newsgroup exercise: Subscribe to alt.health.... and review messages
(please don't reply) then subscribe to alt.test
and post a message or reply for this group
- Introduction to the World Wide Web
- E-mail and Lists are very 2 way push type technologies
- Newsgroups are also 2 way but have to be actively sought - pull
- World Wide Web is also a pull technology but less 2 way in general -
more a place to get information.
Break - 15 minutes
- Word Wide Web:
- Chaos model of the Web - library - organized model
- Pages with an address (URL)
http://felix.vcn.bc.ca on the Web
- Pages are joined by clickable links which transport you to the page
represented by the link
- Navigation bar: back, forward, home, stop,
- This is browsing the Web - the browser is Netscape
Internet
module - review concepts and learn about the World Wide Web.
- Health resources online: using the workshop
web page as a base
- Search tools with web guides and search engines
for BC, Canada or the World
- Search engine: www.altavista.ca
- single word search
- compound word search
- wildcard search
- Understanding Health Resources
- How to contextualise what you've found
- Racism, keywords, & search engines
- Why you might happen across a porn site when searching for information
on women's health?
- Search
module - read about search techniques and simple commands to use
- Closure: What did you like best about today's instruction?
End of day 1
Day 2: Creating and Publishing
Welcome to day 2
- From individual use to community use.
Yesterday: primarily individual focus, today more from an organizational
perspective
- Questions that arose from yesterday? areas needing explanation or
practice?
- Exploring the possibilities: Issues generating exercise
(ideals and barriers)
- FreeNets and CommunityNets - a
public resource for the community
- Started in the US, Community Memory in 70s, Cleveland Freenet in late
80s
- Thousands in cities around the world - especially Canada and USA
- Offer: Easy affordable access fornew users, Public Access Terminals,
Community information, Web hosting for non-profits, Volunteer
opportunities.
- Principles and Vision - from where we are now
to the internet as "public space"
- 3rd sector - not corporate or government
- Collaboration of groups, services and individuals
- Public Space Community Network is the people, not the technology
- Government Policies and Tools -
programs and resources that relate to developing non-profit community
resources online
Break - 15 minutes
- Applications for communication, research and publishing
- real life examples and possibilities inlcuding:
- distributing newsletters electronically
- the collaborative writing process
- advertising & organising events
- promoting products & services
- Internet as a community building tool
- Organising people around particular interests regardless of geographic
location
- Mobilising people in a particular geographic region (country,
province, city, or
workplace) around a particular issue
- Working together online:
- Online workspaces
- Facilitating constructive communication
- Strategies for working together
Lunch - an hour
- Brainstorm: What do you want to see when you use a health related web
site?
- Looking at other health Web sites critically
Score 2 or 3 sites from the related links file according to the
criteria we developed
- Non-profits and web sites - costs, benefits and time - sustainability
- Building your group's skills
- Start small and tailor around how often you wanttoedit it
- Check out what people want ot know
- Publicity: 4 routes
- How will the time spent contribute to your goals?
- Essential elements of a web page: Content, Form
- FTP: moving files ("publish" in Netscape)
- Web page templates: Rendered version and
source HTML code
Break - 15 minutes
- Construct a simple web page:
- from a
template
- for hosting on Vancouver CommunityNet, or
- from a template for hosting anywhere
on
the internet
- Web publishing resources
- Workshop Conclusion:
- Review of workshop and goals
- Ongoing resources
- Contacting us with questions
- Using the [email protected]
mailing list to
share ideas, questions and problems with others who attended these
workshops
- Evaluation handout and explanation
End of Day 2
* Modules are learning tools that include a paper self-assessment, simply written online introduction to the topic with examples and a review of the key concepts covered.
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