Data Collection and Management using Open Data Kit (ODK)

All training courses can be modified to suit the needs of extension services in form of Training of Trainers (ToT), or directly to the beneficiaries

Course description

About the Course

ODK or Open Data Kit is a set of free and open-source tools that are used for field data collection using android mobile phones (Devices) and allows data submission to an online or cloud server. The ODK – Open Data Kit ecosystem includes the following components: ODK Collect, ODK Build, XLSForm, ODK Aggregate and ODK Manage as the major components. Other tools in the ODK ecosystem include ODK Briefcase, ODK Aggregate VM, ODK XLSForm Converter, ODK Validate, GEOODK, ODK Scanner, ODK Printers and the ODK Sensor Framework. Data collection is an integral part of any monitoring and evaluation process and is a key ingredient of informed decision making. Data collection was in the past executed through paper and pen method, which made them prone to error, inconveniences and high costs. Nowadays, instead of collecting data on paper using a pen, data is inputted into a mobile device which is then capable of exporting directly into a centralized database for processing and analysis. Open Data Kit (ODK) is a suite of tools that allows data collection using Android mobile devices and data submission to an online server. This training will equip the participants with skills to author survey questionnaire and manage mobile data collection platform using ODK.

Target Participants

The course is useful for professionals who use data as part of their work and who need to make decisions from data analysis. This course does not assume prior knowledge of ODK or any other data collection platform.

What you will Learn

By the end of this course the participants will be able to:

  • Create survey forms using Build and XLSForms
  • Set up ODK Build, Collect and Aggregate
  • Upload forms to an Aggregate server
  • Load forms into Collect on an Android device
  • Use ODK Collect to fill out forms with field participants
  • Upload survey data from Collect to Aggregate
  • Export, manage and analyse data from Aggregate
  • Download collected data and manage it for statistical analysis.

Course Duration

5 Days

Course outline (read more)

Module 1: Introduction

Mobile Data gathering

  • Benefits of Mobile Applications
  • Data and types of Data
  • Introduction to  common mobile based data collection platforms
  • Managing devices
  • Challenges of Data Collection
  • Data aggregation, storage and dissemination
  • Questionnaire Design

Getting started in ODK

  • Types of questions
  • Data types for each question
  • Types of questionnaire or Form logic
  • Extended data types geoid, image and multimedia 

Module 2: Survey Authoring and Preparation of mobile phone for data collection

Survey Authoring

  • Design forms using a web interface using:
    • ODK Build
    • Koboforms
    • PurcForms
  • Hands-on Exercise 

Preparing the mobile phone for data collection

  • Installing applications: ODK Collect
    • Using Google play
    • Manual install (.apk files)
  • Configuring the device (Mobile Phones)
  • Uploading the form into the mobile devices
  • Hands-on Exercise 

Module 3: Designing forms and advanced survey authoring

Designing forms manually: Using XLS Forms

  • Introduction to XLS forms syntax
  • New data types
  • Notes and dates
  • Multiple choice Questions
  • Multiple Language Support
  • Hints and Metadata
  • Hands-on Exercise 

Advanced survey Authoring

  • Conditional Survey Branching
    • Required questions
    • Constraining responses
    • Skip: Asking Relevant questions
    • The specify other
  • Grouping questions
    • Skipping many questions at once (Skipping a section)
  • Repeating a set of questions
  • Special formatting
  • Making dynamic calculations 

Module 4: Hosting survey data

Hosting survey data (Online)

  • ODK Aggregate
  • Formhub
  • ona.io
  • KoboToolbox
  • Uploading forms to the server 

Hosting Survey Data (Configuring a local server)

  • Configuring ODK Aggregate on a local server 

Downloading data

  • Manual download (ODK Briefcase)
  • Using the online server interface 

Module 5: Working with Spatial data (GPS Coordinates)

  • Spatial Mapping
  • Introduction to Fusion Table
  • Exporting GPS Coordinates (Google maps) to Fusion tables
  • Exporting data to Fusion tables using QGIS
  • Converting data to shape files
Course Leader

Dr. Moses Gweyi.

LinkedIn: mgweyi
LinkedIn: mgweyi

Standard Course Fee

Kenyans:

Non-Kenyans:

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