Does Instructional Mode Alter the Effectiveness of a Curricular Response to Campus Sexual Violence?

Online coursework is becoming a teaching and learning staple in higher education, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is minimal literature regarding academic courses for campus sexual violence prevention, particularly comparing online versus face-to-face modalities. This study examined whether the effectiveness of a semester-long credit-bearing course (GESS 1900), designed to educate first year college students about correlates of sexual violence in order to ultimately reduce campus sexual violence, differed by instructional mode. Two cohorts had completed GESS 1900 in-person when the COVID-19 pandemic struck; the third cohort was taught entirely online through synchronous instruction and with the exact same faculty instructors and course materials. This created a natural experiment to compare outcomes by instructional mode. We used a quasi-experimental, pretest–posttest survey design to compare in-person ( n = 92) versus online ( n = 45) GESS 1900 students across eight previously validated attitudinal measures related to gender, sexuality, and sexual violence. Results from a two-way, mixed-factorial ANOVA showed no significant differences related to instructional mode on seven of the eight measures. Findings further showed change over time in the desired direction for all students, regardless of instructional mode; many measures showed different starting points for the two groups, but similar rates of change over time. Thus both in-person and synchronous online versions of GESS 1900 were effective in shaping positive student outcomes. The findings have important implications for educators seeking new or multiple delivery methods to educate college students about the pressing health concern of sexual violence.

Project Management Training in Schools and Programs of Public Health in the United States

Background. Little is known about the use of project management in public health research and practice in the U.S. Research from other countries supports the use of project management (PM) principles to successfully manage public health programs and research, prevent delays, and reduce costs. However, knowledge of PM training in public health schools and programs is limited. This study sought to (1) determine the extent to which PM training is offered to public health students in schools and programs in the U.S. accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), (2) examine why project management courses are not offered, and (3) identify the challenges faced in offering PM courses. Methods. In May 2019, an online survey was distributed to 178 CEPH-accredited schools and programs in public health in the U.S. Thirty-seven percent of schools/programs completed the survey. Results. About 75% of CEPH-accredited schools and programs that responded do not offer PM training. However, respondents deemed PM skills and training critical for the success of students. Primary challenges included lack of qualified instructors, course cost, lack of school/program interest, perceived lack of student interest, and unfamiliarity of the benefits of PM to public health. Discussion. Opportunities abound for administrators to familiarize themselves with the evidence that PM training helps prepare students for the public health workforce. Identifying qualified faculty and funding to support curriculum development, the implementation of PM competencies by CEPH, and additional research are needed to encourage the adoption of PM in schools/programs of public health.

Longitudinal Interprofessional Family-Based Experience (LIFE): An Authentic Experiential Interprofessional Education Learning Framework

The Longitudinal Interprofessional Family-Based Experience (LIFE) was developed to address the need for longitudinal, experiential IPE opportunities that bring students together with real patient-family units with an intentional plan for multiple qualitative and quantitative evaluation measures. LIFE engaged 48 early learners from eight health science schools at a large midwestern university in ongoing team skill-based interactions coupled with real patient experiential learning over 11 weeks. Student teams were introduced and encouraged to apply the socio-ecological model (SEM) and social determinants of health (SDH) while collaboratively exploring the impact of the patient-family’s interface with the healthcare system and community during two consecutive patient-family interviews. A creative collaboration with the health system’s Office of Patient Experience, provided eight patients who had experienced chronic illness and treatment in the healthcare system, who engaged with the learners as both teachers as well as evaluators in this experience. LIFE is a framework model that has applicability and adaptability for designing, implementing, and sustaining experiential IPE. Initial summary data regarding outcomes for students are presented as well as considerations to increase accessible and sustainable authentic IPE experiences through untapped patient and community collaborations.

A Pipeline to Increase Public Health Diversity: Describing the Academic Enrichment Components of the Summer Public Health Scholars Program

A public health workforce that reflects the increasing diversity of the U.S. population is critical for health promotion and to eliminate persistent health disparities. Academic institutions must provide appropriate education and training to increase diversity in public health professions to improve efforts to provide culturally competent care and programs in the most vulnerable communities. Reaching into the existing talent pool of diverse candidates at the undergraduate level is a promising avenue for building a pipeline to advanced training and professional careers in the field of public health. The Summer Public Health Scholars Program (SPHSP) at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) is a 10-week summer internship program with a mission to increase knowledge and interest in public health and biomedical sciences. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Undergraduate Public Health Summer Programs, sponsored by the CDC’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity, SPHSP aims to pipeline underrepresented students into public health graduate programs and careers by providing mentorship, academic enrichment, professional development, and field-based placements. The SPHSP is uniquely positioned to offer scholars a program that exposes them to core public health training components through the joint effort of all four CUIMC schools: public health, dentistry, nursing, and medicine. Here, we describe the program’s academic enrichment components, which provide advanced and multifaceted public health training opportunities. We discuss the impacts of the program on student outcomes and lessons learned in developing and refining the program model.

Developing Equity-Focused Education in Academic Public Health: A Multiple-Step Model

Education and training support public health practitioners in identifying and addressing challenges related to equitable health concerns. This article details a four-step Curricular Responsive Review Model (CRRM) generated by educators in a Council on Education for Public Health–accredited public health program to systematically understand and gather feedback on how to develop a responsive curriculum for their students. A review of all course syllabi was conducted by two faculty members and a doctoral student to identify curricular gaps and overlap. These findings, critical team dialogues, and a review of the literature informed the development of a survey to identify the health equity concepts and skills needed by MPH students. Community partners ( n = 4) responded to health equity education questions to detail the essential concepts and skills needed to teach students. Health equity educators (HEEs; n = 4) were then consulted on how to address knowledge gaps through pedagogy and educational resources. Community partners provided a list of areas that students should be educated in to enrich their health equity understandings. Recommendations were generated for integrating those concepts/skills into course teaching plans. The four-step CRRM in health equity education provides an opportunity for public health programs to engage in systematic mapping and critically reflective review processes to address curricular gaps and overlap. Mechanisms to receive real-world knowledge on health equity from a variety of stakeholders are essential to ensure real-word practical learning. The CRRM identifies systematic, responsive curricular mapping and review in public health as essential for meaningful, real-world equity education in disciplines beyond public health and health promotion.