Launching the new MPH Core Curriculum During a Year of Remote Instruction

AUTHORS

• Olivia van Brunt, Office of the Dean, School of Public Health, UW Seattle
• India Ornelas, Health Systems and Population Heath, School of Public Health, UW Seattle

ABSTRACT

The UW SPH launched a new core curriculum for MPH students in the 2020-2021 academic year. The curriculum consisted of six new courses during their first year and addressed competencies required for the degree. Instructor teams from different disciplines used student-centered learning strategies, case studies and inclusive teaching practices. Due to COVID-19 all courses were online. We aimed to evaluate the new curriculum using data from stakeholders across SPH, as well as students. Our comprehensive evaluation design includes the program overall, each of the courses, instructors, and teaching assistants (TA). We collected feedback from students, faculty, TAs, and staff throughout the academic year. Methods used to collect feedback were mid quarter and course evaluation surveys, student focus groups, debrief sessions with TAs, and instructor peer observations. All assessments were analyzed and summarized by the program manager except the student focus groups, which were conducted and analyzed by course TAs. Results indicated that students learned a variety of public health skills but wanted a clearer connection between the courses. Mid-quarter feedback allowed instructors to make changes in real time to the course and was especially important in the context of the pandemic. Observing other courses was beneficial to instructors to learn about course organization, teaching styles, and to get to know the cohort. The results led to recommendations for the following year and were shared with instructor teams and programs. Implementing a robust evaluation plan can help guide changes made by faculty and staff to courses and involve students’ in course updates. Other programs implementing new curricula can learn from our evaluation approach.

SUMMARY

RESEARCH QUESTION

We aimed to evaluate the new MPH core curriculum using data from stakeholders across SPH, as well as students to learn how the courses were going throughout the academic year as well as how they fit together within the whole program.

RESEARCH METHODS / SCHOLARLY BASIS

Our comprehensive evaluation design includes the program overall, each of the courses, instructors, and teaching assistants (TA). We collected feedback from students, faculty, TAs, and staff throughout the academic year. Methods used to collect feedback were mid quarter and course evaluation surveys, student focus groups, debrief sessions with TAs, and instructor peer observations. All assessments were analyzed and summarized by the program manager except the student focus groups, which were conducted and analyzed by course TAs.

RESULTS

Results indicated that students learned a variety of public health skills but wanted a clearer connection between the courses. Mid-quarter feedback allowed instructors to make changes in real time to the course and was especially important in the context of the pandemic. Observing other courses was beneficial to instructors to learn about course organization, teaching styles, and to get to know the cohort.

APPLICATION

The results led to recommendations for the following year and were shared with instructor teams and programs. Implementing a robust evaluation plan can help guide changes made by faculty and staff to courses and involve students’ in course updates. Other programs implementing new curricula can learn from our evaluation approach.