During this summer 1 session of 2009, I taught another semester of my African American Health: MPH 6005 course for graduate students in the Department of Public Health at ECU and at other universities in the state. Since I transitioned this course to online last year, I have enjoyed another avenue in teaching this course. Using the online blackboard tools and software, I have found that teaching this African American course within the 5 1/2 weeks not only challenging but also far more engaging, interacting and practical than ever before.
For those who are interested in this course, here are the major course objectives:
1. Describe African American health care issues, including its unique and important features.
2. Apply principles derived from ethnic health and health disparity planning, implementation, and evaluation.
3. Critique and evaluate African American public health intervention programs.
During this 5 1/2 weeks, students receive their lectures via podcast and webcam format. The podcast and webcam lectures highlights the major key points from the designated readings during each week. Students also receive a set of discussion questions each week along with the opportunity to participate in a weekly chat session in the early evenings. This online technology and format allows for constant engagement and interaction of practical African American health issues to be discussed, debated and resolved.
Along with the weekly activities, students are also required to complete a fieldwork project or a proposed fieldwork project. I think that these fieldwork projects captures the practical and cultural health focus of this course. Students investigate and solve the African American issues that they want to do — not what I want to. Thus this course (like all of my courses) is student driven and focused. By the end, if the student is truly motivated, interested and passionate about their topic, it shows in their final fieldwork project or proposal.
Interestingly, I have been teaching this course for 10 years (traditional format) and I still get surprised and excited to read the excellent African American health fieldwork projects submitted.
Here is a list of some of the projects completed by students this summer 1 2009 session:
African American Female Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions of Sexual Health
A School and Church Medical Anthropology Fieldwork Proposal on Childhood Obesity in Wilson, NC
Heart Disease and Stress among African American Women
A Perspective on Recommendations for Policy Change and Interventions for Reduction/Elimination of HIV/AIDS in the African American Male
Spirituality and Health Care Seeking in Maysville
Reasons for Physical Inactivity in African American Women in Onslow County
The Life Expectancy of the African American Black Male
As you can see, these fieldwork projects/proposals were fantastic, investigative, practical and addressed a number of “real” health issues in the local African American communities in a culturally competent approach. That’s the major goal and outcome of this course each and every time that I teach it.