Training Course on Mobile Data Collection using ODK (DMC001)
Training Course on Mobile Data Collection using ODK
The Mobile Data Collection Using Open Data Kit (ODK) course is designed to equip participants with practical knowledge and hands-on skills to efficiently collect, manage, and analyze data using mobile technology. The course introduces participants to modern, digital data collection approaches that improve accuracy, reduce costs, and enhance real-time data availability across various sectors.
Through a blend of theory and practical exercises, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of mobile data collection workflows using the ODK platform—from form design and mobile device configuration to field data collection and data analysis. This course is ideal for professionals seeking to strengthen their data collection systems and improve evidence-based decision-making.
Course Duration
Online Training: 7 days (4hrs per day)
Classroom Training: 5 days (7hrs per day)
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Understand the principles, benefits, and challenges of mobile data collection
- Design and customize digital data collection forms using ODK
- Configure and manage mobile devices for field data collection
- Implement best practices for data collection, security, and quality assurance
- Collect, upload, and manage field data efficiently using ODK Collect
- Export, clean, and analyze collected data using external analysis tools
- Generate actionable insights and reports to support decision-making
Organisational Impact
Organizations that enroll staff in this course will benefit from:
- Improved data accuracy, consistency, and reliability
- Faster data collection and real-time access to field data
- Reduced operational costs associated with paper-based data collection
- Enhanced monitoring, evaluation, and reporting processes
- Better data-driven decision-making and program performance
- Strengthened institutional capacity in digital data systems
Personal Impact
Participants will gain:
- Practical, job-ready skills in mobile data collection using ODK
- Hands-on experience in form design, deployment, and field data collection
- Increased efficiency and confidence in managing data workflows
- Enhanced analytical skills for interpreting and presenting data
- A competitive edge in research, M&E, and data-related roles
- A recognized professional skill applicable across multiple sectors
Course Outline
Module 1: Introduction to Mobile Data Collection and ODK
- Benefits and challenges of mobile data collection
- Introduction to the Open Data Kit (ODK) platform
- Overview of ODK components and functionalities
- Setting up the ODK environment and tools
Module 2: Designing Data Collection Forms with ODK Build
- Creating and customizing data collection forms
- Defining form structure, question types, and validation rules
- Incorporating skip logic and branching
- Testing and deploying forms to mobile devices
Module 3: Configuring Mobile Devices for Data Collection
- Configuring Android devices for ODK data collection
- Installing and setting up ODK Collect
- Managing forms and data on mobile devices
- Ensuring data security and privacy
Module 4: Collecting Data in the Field with ODK
- Best practices for field data collection
- Conducting surveys and assessments using ODK Collect
- Troubleshooting common field challenges
- Uploading and synchronizing data with the ODK server
Module 5: Data Management and Analysis with ODK
- Exporting and managing collected data
- Data cleaning, transformation, and preparation
- Data analysis and visualization using external tools (Excel, R, Power BI)
- Generating reports and actionable insights
Note: The specific content, activities, and duration of each session may be adjusted based on the target audience, learning objectives, and available time.
Course Language
English
Training Methodology
Presentations are well guided, practical exercise, a plenary presentation, and group work. Participants are encouraged to bring any data relevant to their job responsibilities. This is hands-on, product-oriented training and will mostly involve practical exercises. Each participant MUST bring along their own working laptop and android phone.
Certification
Upon completion of training, the participant will be issued with a certificate of Completion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the Training Course on Mobile Data Collection using ODK course.
ODK (Open Data Kit) is the open-source standard for mobile data collection, originally developed at the University of Washington with Google support. It comprises three components: ODK Build / XLSForm for designing forms, ODK Collect (Android app) for field data capture, and ODK Aggregate / Central as the server for storing and exporting data. ODK powers most modern mobile data collection — directly through deployments of ODK Central, or indirectly through derived tools like KoBoToolbox, SurveyCTO, and CommCare which build on the ODK form standard.
ODK Collect is the Android mobile app that field staff use to fill in forms and capture data offline. The form designer publishes a form to a server; field staff download it once via WiFi or mobile data; thereafter Collect can capture surveys, photos, GPS locations, audio recordings, signatures, and barcode scans entirely offline. Once a device returns to connectivity, completed forms upload to the server in the background. ODK Collect supports validation rules, skip logic, calculations, and translation across multiple languages — covering most field-survey complexity.
XLSForm is a form-design standard that lets you build complex mobile data collection forms in Excel rather than writing XML directly. Each row defines a question (text, number, select_one, select_multiple, date, geopoint, image, etc.); the survey sheet has questions, the choices sheet has answer options, and the settings sheet has form metadata. XLSForm files are converted to the underlying ODK XForm format by tools like ODK Build, KoBoToolbox, SurveyCTO and ODK Central. Mastery of XLSForm is the practical core skill for any modern mobile data collection professional.
M&E officers, research assistants and coordinators, programme staff designing their own field-data tools, public health survey teams, and NGO/consulting staff running baseline, midline and endline surveys in low-connectivity environments.
Designing XLSForm questionnaires (skip logic, constraints, calculations, relevancy, repeats), publishing to ODK Central or KoBoToolbox, enumerator training, GPS and multimedia capture, offline-first sync, server-side data management, and exporting clean data to Excel, Stata and SPSS.
No coding or technical background is required. If you can work in Excel, you can build an XLSForm. Participants range from first-time survey designers to seasoned researchers formalising their mobile data-collection practice.
Online and in-person cohorts. Both formats are hands-on, and every participant deploys their own form to a real phone during the course. Both issue the Perk Group Africa certificate of completion with a verification code.
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