Course Outline - MPH-305 Computer Applications in Public Health

On this page, you will find the outline and lecture plan for the course MPH-305 Computer Applications in Public Health.

This is a 1-credit course worth 50 marks of your overall total marks during the MSPH programme. This course includes 24 sessions and is being taught in two parts.

Part I, which involves 12 sessions, is being taught by Ms. Nehdia Sameen and covers the basics of computing, Windows XP, Microsoft Word 2003, Microsoft PowerPoint 2003, networking, the Internet and its academic uses, and some advanced applications of computers in public health.

Part II, which involves the remaining 12 sessions, is being taught by Ms. Aashifa Yaqoob and covers the use of various statistical softwares to carry out numerical and statistical analyses for the purposes of research in public health.

The following table shows the lecture plan for Part I of this course, being taught by Ms. Nehdia Sameen.

Section 1: Introduction to Computers and the Internet
Lecture	Topics Covered
1	Title: Introduction to Computers Introduction and definitions (hardware, operating systems, software, storage devices, networks and the internet) Impact of computers on society, and applications in health in particular Operating systems and application software (quick introduction to Microsoft Windows XP and various application software using screenshots) Ethics, privacy and security (quick introduction to antivirus software, firewalls, and various security measures)
2	Title: Beginning Microsoft Windows XP Logging in Understanding the Windows XP desktop Using the mouse and keyboard Starting a program Using and arranging windows Using files, folders and drives, and Google Desktop search Installing new hardware such as a printer System maintenance, including virus scans, firewall security, disk checking and file backups Shutting down
Section 2: Wordprocessing and Presentations
Lecture	Topics Covered
3	Title: Beginning Microsoft Word 2003 Starting Microsoft Word 2003 Understanding the Microsoft Word user interface Using the mouse and keyboard to navigate the interface Key tasks: Typing a formal letter Typing a professional resume Assignment 1 is given (worth 5 marks)
4	Title: Advanced Microsoft Word 2003 Using templates and styles to create professional reports/papers Defining styles Page and section breaks, and page numbering issues Footnotes and endnotes Formatting a document to make it look better (using the Format Painter)
5	Title: Using Microsoft Word 2003 to type a Report/Thesis, Part 1 Using Microsoft Word’s existing Report template to demonstrate important tasks while typing a thesis Generating the table of contents and list of figures Creating tables Inserting Excel datasheets or SPSS worksheets into your thesis
6	Title: Using Microsoft Word 2003 to type a Report/Thesis, Part 2 (Continued) Using Microsoft Word’s existing Report template to demonstrate important tasks while typing a thesis Creating charts and diagrams Referencing (using the Vancouver style) Creating an index for your thesis Assignment 2 is given (worth 10 marks)
7	Title: Beginning Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 Starting Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 Understanding the Microsoft PowerPoint user interface Using the mouse and keyboard to navigate the interface Key tasks: Creating a simple presentation Using existing templates in Microsoft PowerPoint Using the Master slide view Setting up a slide show
8	Title: Beginning Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 Key tasks: Embedding Excel datasheets, SPSS worksheets, charts and pictures into a presentation Creating diagrams Creating animations and using special effects in Microsoft PowerPoint General guidelines for making presentations
Section 3: Using Networks and the Internet
Lecture	Topics Covered
9	Title: Introduction to Networking and the Internet Introduction to how networks and Internet infrastructure work Applications of the Internet Using the World Wide Web (web browsers Internet Explorer and FireFox) E-mail (both web-based e-mail and POP3 e-mail using Microsoft Outlook), including security issues Using the campus network
10	Title: Using the Internet for Research Characteristics of good online resources Introduction to search engines Using Google’s search services Using online journal services such as MedLine, PubMed, etc. Using abstract archives on CD collections to locate literature
11	Title: Advanced Applications of the Internet and IT in Public Health Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Speech technologies for health workers, e.g. Project HealthLine at Aga Khan University, Karachi Health Management Information Systems, e.g. Project RISEPAK at the Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore
Section 4: Mid-term Examination
Lecture	Topics Covered
12	Title: Mid-term Examination Simple task-based, practical examination