e-SIAC: Statistics in Applied Climatology – an Online Training Course

Contents

What is e-SIAC?

National Meteorological Services and other bodies routinely record and store climatic data. Appropriate statistical analyses of these datasets provide essential information for agricultural activities, for food security and in disaster planning. For example, information on climate variability is important to prepare for the impact of future climate change. Increasingly, statistical analyses are yielding benefits in other sectors such as health, construction and tourism.

Statistics in Applied Climatology (SIAC) training courses give people working with climatic data the skills they need to use historical datasets effectively. With such skills, people can produce relevant, tailored outputs that, in turn, enable end-users to make better decisions.

The e-SIAC programme is an innovative, web-based, e-learning venture which has been developed to make the SIAC training more widely available — both to NMS (National Meteorological Service) staff, and to climatic data users in other sectors. E-SIAC is directed primarily – but not exclusively – towards climatic data users and producers in Africa.

The e-SIAC course is an online, facilitated training activity that takes place over a period of about three months, with a break in the middle of 2, 3 or 4 weeks. It is designed as a part-time activity to be taken in the participant's normal workplace. This makes it cost-effective, and also accessible to those who may not have the time to attend a residential training course.

The course is managed and facilitated by staff of the SSC, with support from the Met Office in the UK, and WMO.

Course Outline

Break of 2, 3 or 4 weeks

Course Organisation

The course is divided into eight topics, each one of which is completed in a week. Assignments are set for each topic, and submitted online. A certificate is given to those who complete the course.

Before the course starts, each student is sent a pack of materials. It includes a participants' guide to online learning, a CD-ROM with the software, a colour guide introducing the statistical software package (Instat), and a guide to using Instat for climatic analysis.

The work is part-time and can be done at times of the day to suit the convenience of the individual student. It takes at least ten hours per week, (e.g. two hours per day), though most students will need or wish to spend longer, perhaps up to 15 hours per week.

So they can spend time during the working week taking part in the training, prospective students should seek permission - and expect encouragement - from their employers.

The work is largely computer-based, so students must be computer literate. Students will need regular access to a computer that has internet connectivity and a CD or DVD drive. Most of the teaching materials are provided on CD, so following the course is feasible for those who have a computer without direct internet access, provided they can easily get online elsewhere (e.g. at an internet café) to participate in discussions, submit assignments, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. I am keen to do the course, but it will have to be in addition to my full-time work. Is this OK?
  2. I have several colleagues who would like to follow the course. How do we go about this?
  3. I have never done an e-learning course before. Is it really as effective as a face-to-face course?
  4. I sometimes get paid an allowance when I attend official meetings. Will I get any payment for time spent on the course, or at least support for my use of the internet?
  5. I have a reasonably good computer at the office, but no internet access. Can I follow the course from the CD?
  6. We have an internet café available nearby, but don't yet have our own computer. Can I still do the course, so I will be better able to use our computer when it comes?
  7. Our office computer is a slow Pentium II. Is that sufficient?
  8. I may have to go away for a few days during the course. Is that a problem?
  9. What does the course fee cover?
  10. How do I apply for sponsorship?

Cost

The cost of the eight weeks of facilitated training is £800 (approx US$1300) per person. Funding should be sought in the first instance from your employing organisation. Read this document for advice on seeking funds.

Several fellowships for students from National Met Services are available through the UK Met Office. FAO is also funding some students from specific countries. When you apply to the SSC for the course (see below), indicate if you are also intending to apply for a fellowship.

Dates

The next e-SIAC course is scheduled to start in April 2010. Further runs are planned, starting in October 2010 and March 2011.

Note: e-SIAC is a prerequisite for the face-to-face SIAC workshop run by the IMTR in Nairobi, Kenya. For details, see http://www.meteo.go.ke/imtr/.

How to Apply

Applications for e-SIAC should be made via the application form on the met-elearning website. To apply, you must first register yourself as a user of the site. Follow the instructions given there in the 'Create new account' link.

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Last updated 5 February, 2010