Models of program and curricular designs for global health education are emerging in universities around the world. The Global Health Education Consortium lists US and Canadian educational institutions who offer a range of learning opportunities. The models are diverse although there are consistencies in terms of content. It is difficult to tell at a glance to what degree communications technologies have been integrated; most are locally-based aside from the practicums that students arrange in far away places.

Coming back to the use of communications technologies to support learning….according to Jeffrey Sachs of the Earth Institute at Columbia University in New York, even the poorest of people in villages in Uganda are now being equipped with cell phones. This he feels will pave the way for village people to connect in ways that previously were not possible. Imagine what it will be like if they can also learn and have access to learning through the use of these cell phones or hand held devices and other communications tools. Perhaps this is not so far off?

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The Faculty of Health Sciences partnered with the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) and three CIHR Institutes to host the 2006 Global Health Symposium at the Wosk Centre for Dialogue in downtown Vancouver. Preparing a New Generation of Public Health Workers for Global Health is a trend across Canada and representatives from numerous universities shared ideas about their programs, curriculum and ideas for collaboration. Provocative key notes and panel presentations raised questions about human resource development, program designs and competencies required by this workforce in the future. Disciplinary content appears to drive program design while design rooted in transdisciplinary, integration and service to communities and peoples seems rare.

Global health programs aim to develop a practitioner with a broad, critical perspective, someone who can think creatively, who can work in partnership at local, community and regional levels with other sectors, governments and cultures. This practitioner must also be able to identify, analyze, synthesize and apply information and knowledge in order to bring about effective change. Program and curricular designs must create learning environments that assist a diverse set of learners to come together, to learn from each other and to work across networks and boundaries. Communications technologies are a powerful strategy to support learning communities across the globe, to foster connections and social interdependencies between learners and to bring about changes in practice throughout the world.
If universities are going to prepare practitioners who transcend boundaries, facilitate intersectoral relationships, develop partnerships among diverse sectors, nations and peoples and who enable others to understand and take action, then program and curriculum designs will have to incorporate real time opportunities for transformation and collective development.

Academics, students and educators restled with program planning ethical issues in particular in relation to the GH practicums that most are offering. These placements tend to take place in poor countries with the “poorest of the poor”. For instance, Who benefits when Canadian (western) universities place students into practicums in poor nations and communities? How can Canadian Universities partner with universities across the world in ways that benefit not only Canada but the partner universities and communities? How can we become involved in outreach models of educational design that enable others in poor nations to learn, develop and obtain their share of resources?

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Facilitating change is familiar to many in health and Canada led the way with the Lalonde Report followed by the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. Now, many years later, we are still having conversations about change - how to do it? who does it? and what makes it happen? A key area of competence in public health is demonstrating leadership. In global health leadership and management of change is described by Foege, W. et al (eds) in their recent book on gobal health.
What does it mean to “make a difference”? Is this different from leadership? How do we design learning situations to ensure students acquire the knowledge and skills they need to “make a difference”? How do we teach this?

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The notion of online learning communities in higher education is gaining momentum. A learning community might be of value to the FHS undergraduate students as well as to the international students and even students doing practicums. Online learning communities can offer a vehicle for students to support each other, share resources, to publish their work and it offers a place for discussions about their experience. Learning communities can also assist students (and faculty) who are transitioning from full time study into the world of work. To learn more about learning communities and how this idea can be developed in FHS turn to: Palloff, R.,M. & Pratt, K. (1999). Building Communities in Cyberspace: Effective strategies for the online classroom. Jossey-Bass, San Franscisco.

One interesting online learning community is the SFU Co-op community .
What do you think about this idea for FHS students?

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Welcome to the test blog for the faculty and staff of the Faculty of Health Sciences! This is a place for exchanging ideas and sharing resources on whatever interests you!
While working with everyone here I have gathered information, tools and best practices on teaching public and population health. Thus, this blog has emerged.

Join me in exploring the use of blogging as a place for learning, having a dialogue or simply posting favourite tools and sources key to teaching and learning in FHS!

Start blogging!

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