Education-teaching epidemiology in post secondary settings
An evaluation of the impact of an ‘authentic learning’ cumulative case study assignment in an undergraduate health science introductory epidemiology course Whitney Qualls* Whitney Qualls Travis Salway
Background:
Epidemiology is increasingly a part of undergraduate health science curricula, as described in recent articles in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Goldman, et al. recently proposed case studies as an appropriate pedagogical tool for undergraduate-level teaching; however, the effectiveness of this approach has not been evaluated. Case studies are particularly appealing because they can create ‘authentic learning’, i.e., relating content to students’ everyday lives.
Methods:
In an undergraduate introductory epidemiology course of 179 students (fall 2024), we developed a cumulative case study assignment with a topic of students’ choosing to better understand how the application of ‘authentic learning’ principles impacts their: a) learning of foundational epidemiology concepts and b) perceived relevance of epidemiology to future health science careers. Students are grouped by shared interests to collaborate on a semester-long cumulative case study.
We conducted a survey (Nov 2024) to measure perceived personal connections to the case study topics. We will conduct interviews (Jan-Feb 2025) with a subset of students purposefully sampled for a range of felt personal connection. Lastly, we will analyze reflections from instructors and TAs.
Results:
Most survey respondents (N=130) felt a personal connection with the case study (83%) and indicate that establishing a personal connection with course materials is important (84%) and that it helps them retain what they learned (90%). Interview and reflection data analyses are in progress.
Discussion:
Findings will be used to inform pedagogical innovation in instruction of epidemiology.