Christine’s project focused on three areas:
- Communication – informing public about health conditions
- Research – researching a common health issue
- Thinking – anticipating questions people may have about the health issue
The driving question for this project was:
How can we communicate health issues to the general population?
Christine Miller
Students chose from a list of common health issues. They researched their chosen disorder and then created a pamphlet or poster with the purpose of informing the public about that disorder. Pamphlets needed to include graphics, text, a list of references, and an FAQ section. Since the course was delivered virtually, students shared their pamphlet in a discussion forum – they had to post their own pamphlet, and then read and comment on three other student’s work.
Project Highlights:
- Students who had interest in extra topics asked permission to do these. These requests often stemmed from personal and family health histories.
- Students used lots of different resources to learn about their musculoskeletal disorder (textbooks, library, online searches).
- Students created very visually appealing pamphlets using simple language. Many reported sharing their pamphlets with their family members – they were very proud of their work.
Students have a lot of choice in the topics they choose. From mitochondrial disease to birth control, digestive system disorders to cardiovascular issues. Some students even asked to complete their project on health issues in their own families. This high level of flexibility in topic really helped students engage with the assignment.
Christine Miller
Challenges:
- Having students use a program to create the pamphlet
- Reliable vs. unreliable sources of information
- Plagiarism