Teaching Public Health Topics Online

The following is a discussion based activity we developed for an Epidemiology for Practice online course. The module focused on sources of data for use in Epidemiology and this activity asked students to apply and intergrate measures of morbidity, mortality and descriptive epidemiology into their graph/map interpretations.

This activity allows students to create the content for discussion. By allowing them to explore the given CDC websites they were given the opportunity to choose a topic area and create a graph/image based on their own personal interest.

Explore the following websites. Please spent at least 10 minutes on each site before choosing a graph or map.

https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html

https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/databases.html

2. On one of these sites, find a graph or map that interests you.  Here is a tutorial on how to save your graphs or maps in order to post them to the discussion board. Try not to use a graph or map that someone else has already posted.  If possible, I hope to look at 16 unique images.

3. We will then have a graph or map interpretation discussion.   When posting to the discussion board, you will post your image and INTERPRET your graph or map.  In doing so, you will apply measures of morbidity, mortality and descriptive epidemiology that you have been learning.   Try to be as concise as possible and focus on the MAIN POINT of the graph.  Please watch this second tutorial BEFORE posting your graph the discussion board.

4. Please respond to two of your classmates’ interpretations.   Your response will be in the form of a collegial critique. Do you have the same interpretation as your colleague on their particular graph? If so, why/why not?  What is the strength of their piece?  Offer at least one suggestion to your colleagues on their graph interpretation.