Week 5 – Discussion

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Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Refer to the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric under the Settings icon above for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.

Study Designs

Review this week’s Instructor Guidance and the program descriptions provided in the Discussion Video Forum in Week One, then complete the following table for three different types of health programs, initiatives or actions from the Discussion Video Forum.

Study Design

StrengthsWeaknessesMost appropriate for which health program, initiative or action from the Discussion Video ForumJustification (why is the study design the most appropriate for evaluating the program chosen?)1.1. Program description #12.2. Program description #23.3. Program description #3

Ensure the following:

• Provide detailed information regarding the strengths and weaknesses of each type of study design.
• Provide detailed justifications for the reasoning behind your choice for the type of health program, initiative or action this study design would be most appropriate when conducting an evaluation.

Guided Response: Review several of your classmates’ initial discussion posts and respond to at least three of them. Please note that responding to three classmates is meeting only the minimum requirement for the number of responses. You are encouraged to respond to several of your classmates to gain a well-rounded understanding of the topic being discussed.

• Critically assess your classmates’ posts.
• In general, how would you rate your classmate’s assessments (poor, fair, excellent)? Explain your answer.
• Are there any additional strengths and weaknesses that you would have added to the table?
• Are there any strengths and weaknesses listed that you think do not belong in the table?
• Do you agree that the study designs highlighted were appropriate for the type of health program, initiative or action listed? Why or why not?
• Do you agree with the justifications provided? Why or why not?
• Inform your classmate about threats to validity for each of the study designs listed and discuss their effects on the results of an evaluation.
• Pose a question to your classmate asking how she would address threats to validity for one of the study designs listed.
• Ensure that you respond to the answer provided.