Curriculum renewal in undergraduate public health at The University - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Dr Rebecca Tooher, School of Population Health Curriculum renewal in undergraduate public health at The University of Adelaide: increasing coherence, engagement and vocational focus

SPH BHlthSc Working Party • Dino Pisaniello • Paul Rothmore • Annette Braunack-Mayer • Catherine Chittleborough • John Lynch • Gillian Laven • Caroline Laurence • Tanya Wittwer • Emma Miller • Dylan Coleman • Shona Crabb • Jenny Baker • Adriana Milazzo • Vivienne Moore • Rebecca Tooher University of Adelaide 2

Need for curriculum renewal in PH • BHlthSc at University of Adelaide – since 1990 • Broad degree with mixture of population health and biomedical sciences at first year – Then students choose from various majors • Large first year intake – 350 equiv full time student load – Has doubled in last five years (from 110 in 2008 to 290 in 2012) • Retention from first year to second year has been declining – From 94% in 2001 to 56% in 2012 (down to 50% in 2010) University of Adelaide 3

Need for curriculum renewal in PH • All students complete Public Health 1A and 1B in first year – Enrolments in 2013 c. 390 • Far fewer students continue on to second year public health – This has been declining over past 5 years – Thus retention for Public Health specifically is worse than for degree as a whole University of Adelaide 4

Retention in PH at second year 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Level I 109 142 195 209 258 (year prior) Level II 36 47 59 46 58 % retention 33% 33% 30% 22% 22% Program 62% 60% 50% 54% 56% retention PH Sc II 33 38 45 33 44 PH Inq II 26 41 47 36 45 Total (load) 59 79 92 69 89 University of Adelaide 5

Retention in PH at second year PH retention Program retention 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 University of Adelaide 6

Majors in the BHlthSc • Currently 10/12 majors biomedical sciences (anatomy, pathology, physiology, pharmacology, reproductive health, nutrition, neuroscience, biochemistry, microbiology, genetics) • Single PH major (no differentiation) • Proportion of students completing PH majors has been relatively small and declining University of Adelaide 7

Proportion of all majors by Discipline PH major pathology major pharmacology major 40% 35% 30% 25% 22% 20% 18% 15% 16% 12% 12% 10% 5% 0% 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 University of Adelaide 8

SPH BHlthSc Working Party • Convened in late 2011 • Met regularly throughout 2012 and 2013 • Worked to meet University timelines for Program and Course renewal Initial objectives 1. Consider opportunities for expansion/revision of SPH offerings 2. Identify relevant PH courses (existing in SPH, outside SPH; proposed for SPH; other) 3. Map several streams for BHlthSc majors to be coordinated by SPH, in consultation with other schools 4. Recommend new courses (including a vocational course) University of Adelaide 9

SPH BHlthSc Working Party Ultimate objectives 1. Develop new vocationally focused population health majors for the BHlthSc 2. Develop related coursework to feed into the majors 3. Ensure curriculum coherence across the three years of the majors 4. Ensure quality and external validity by mapping curriculum against existing frameworks Context for change: New VC and new Strategic Plan, SPH assumed admin responsibility for BHlthSc in 2012 University of Adelaide 10

Steps in the process Epidemiology Brainstorming what Develop new Health Promotion needed to be done courses Indigenous Health Map curriculum Identify new Introduce new against majors majors in 2014 frameworks • • • To fit with new UG ALTC Threshold Learning New Level II courses • curriculum structures Outcomes New Level III courses • • • To fit with University AQF Reconfiguration of • Program and Course Blooms taxonomy existing capstone/s • approval timelines (long lead RSD framework • time before teaching) ASPH UG Learning Outcomes • CDAMS Indigenous curriculum University of Adelaide 11

Initial brainstorming • Realised that interdisciplinary teaching might not be possible in short term • Recognised urgency of addressing poor retention of PH students especially into the third year – Course enrolments becoming so low that viability coming into question • Concluded that changes to PH curriculum needed to happen sooner rather than later University of Adelaide 12

3 new majors • Epidemiology • Health Promotion • Indigenous Health • Related to identified workforce planning needs and aligned with the core strengths of the SPH University of Adelaide 13

Structure of new majors • To comply with new UG curriculum structures – All majors at UoA to be 24 units across three year levels with at least half at the highest level • In practice: – 6 units (0.25 EFTSL) at Level I – 6 units at Level II – 12 units at Level III University of Adelaide 14

Structure of new majors • Level I – Public Health 1A and 1B (each 3 units) • Level II – Essentials of Epidemiology (compulsory for all Pop Hlth majors) – Social Foundations of Health – Investigating Health and Disease in Populations • Level III – Specialist 3 units course: Epi in Action, Health Promotion III, Indigenous Health III – 6 unit capstone course: PH Internship or PH Theory and Practice – 3 units of PH electives: Evaluation III, Rural PH, International Health or one of the other specialist courses University of Adelaide 15

Structure of new majors Level I PH1A and PH1B Social + or Essentials of Epi Investigating Hlth Level II Foundations PH Theory & or Level III + Epi in Action Hlth Prom III Practice or or PH Internship Indig Hlth III Other PH electives University of Adelaide 16

Development of new courses • Year level attributes – First year - enabling, inspiring and introductory – Second year - focused content – Third year - pre-professional and advanced topics/methods • Core competencies for PH graduates – Well developed research literacy – Well developed data numeracy and literacy – Highly developed communication skills • Mapped curriculum against frameworks to ensure coherence and identify any gaps University of Adelaide 17

Mapping the curriculum • First compared various pedagogical/curriculum frameworks for congruence – ALTC Threshold Learning Outcomes for Health Science – Australian Qualifications Framework – Blooms taxonomy – Research Skills Development framework – American Schools of Public Health UG Learning Outcomes – Council of Deans of Australian Medical Schools Indigenous curriculum University of Adelaide 18

Reference to Threshold Learning Outcomes (FHS Strategic Plan) Threshold learning ASPH domains AQF Blooms RSD outcomes descriptors taxonomy Level Personal & social Purpose 6 5 Professional behaviours responsibility Application Knowledge Skills 1,2,3,4,5,6 2,3 Assess health status and Intellectual & practical skills formulate mgmt plans Integrative & applied learning Knowledge Skills 3,4,5,6 4,5 Promote health and Intellectual & practical skills Application welfare of ind/pop Integrative & applied learning Personal & social responsibility Intellectual & practical skills Skills 4,5 3,4 Retrieve, critically evaluate Integrative & applied learning Application and apply evidence Knowledge Application 1,2,3,4,5,6 4,5 Deliver safe & effective Intellectual & practical skills healthcare Personal & social responsibility Personal &social responsibility Knowledge 1,2,3,4,5,6 ?NA Reflexive practice Integrative & applied learning Application University of Adelaide 19

Mapping against ASPH UG Learning Outcome • Satisfied that there was congruence between different frameworks • Concluded that ASPH UG Learning Outcomes most useful for our purposes – Clearly differentiate the requirements of UG – Ensured program quality against international benchmark – Process used to derive ASPH domains thorough and transparent • Detailed process of comparing each of our existing courses against the ASPH domains University of Adelaide 20

ASPH domains 1. Knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world as it relates to individual and population health 2. Intellectual and practical skills 3. Personal and social responsibility 4. Integrative and applied learning University of Adelaide 21

Results  Across all four domains we were able to map coverage of almost all learning outcomes across the available public health courses (including first and second year)  We did identify some gaps – In our current offerings there is limited coverage of environmental health and hazard management (a bit in first and second year but no third year course with this focus) – Relationship between human rights and health, and fundamental right to health and health services not clearly articulated – We were not covering the reciprocal relationships among literature, the arts and public health – We were not ensuring students had opportunities to be advocates for evidence-based social change to improve health of communities University of Adelaide 22