interrelationship of systems in the framework and the need to find short and long-term solutions through a community engagement forum.
COVID-19 disruptions to our face-to-face educational programming caused us to experiment with doing the forum with online technology. We wanted to determine if an online forum could produce similar outcomes to our onsite forums. Thus, we proposed to test the technology. Fortunately, Jesse, Bonnie and Maria had all used distance technology to teach our health insurance literacy initiative curricula: Smart Choice and Smart Use Health Insurance ™ . We had learned to modify face-to-face teaching in an online environment. It was time to test technology with forums. Our NTAE grant came with a cadre of advisors who helped us consider multiple techniques to stretch our technology experience. The advisors supported us as we ventured into new experiences tied to conducting forums online.
Oh, and the answer to the question – Can online forums produce similar results as face-to-face forums? YES!
We were able to measure increases in understanding and willingness to act at a statistically significant level — similar to measures from our onsite forums. We also found similar results regarding use of the Strategic Doing™ process as we did with the onsite forums. Partic ipants were able to identify projects that contributed to the envisioned eventual outcome of improving conditions related to the issue and initial feedback is that products developed by working groups will become public in the fall of 2021. Ripple effects will likely continue.
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