In the desire to assure content accuracy, relevance, and quality, as well as user accessibility, the Region 2 Public Health Training Center reviews posted trainings every 3-5 years. In June of 2020 the Region 2 Public Health Training Center reviewed thirty-one (31) webinars and six (6) asynchronous self-study modules. This effort follows a prior review process completed in 2015. This current review looked at webinars and self-study programs created from April 2014 through August of 2016.
In the June 2020 review we used two primary tools:
- Webinars: CDC Quality Training Standards – In January 2018, education leaders from across the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finalized eight science-based training standards. They serve as a measure of quality for any trainings developed or funded by CDC and provide training developers with guidance for developing quality training. Thirty-one webinars were reviewed based on this instrument.
- Self-Study Modules: Quality Standards for Training and Delivery – Developed by the Public Health Learning Network, within the National Network of Public Health Institutes, this instrument describes three primary domains against which content is evaluated. Six self-study modules were evaluated based upon this tool.
The purpose was to determine whether or not these existing programs:
- Reflect contemporary thinking, relevance and applicability to the public health workforce;
- Meet quality standards for structure, learner impact and use interface;
- Allow opportunity for program evaluation and learner assessment; and ultimately,
- Warrant continued inclusion on either the Region2 Public Health Training Center (R2PHTC) website or Train.org
Potential outcomes of this review process include:
- Training adequately meets standards, remains relevant to the current public health workforce, and technical quality of program is acceptable and should remain as is;
- Training does not meet standards, however, still has relevance and R2PHTC may consider editing to adequately meet standard;
- Training does not meet standards, cannot be readily edited, and should be removed from learning sites. (Consideration may be given to offering an updated version of the content, potentially inviting the original presenter to participate.)
- Training content is not relevant to current public health priorities and/or required core competencies and should be removed completely.
- Training has irreparable technical issues and should be removed; again, consideration may be given to offering an updated version of the content, potentially inviting the original presenter to participate
For questions about this effort please contact Colleen McKay Wharton mckaywcm@sph.rutgers.edu
