Online, Interactive Training in Occupational/Environmental Health

1. Online, Interactive Training in Occupational/Environmental Health Linda Forst University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health USA

2. Acknowledgment This presentation was supported by CDC/NIOSH grant #T42/CCT522954-02, World Health Organization Occupational Health group, and Fogarty International. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of NIOSH, WHO, or Fogarty International.

3. Problem: Need for Training • Dr. Eliza Esteli is a doctor that cares for many injured workers • Has no training in OM • There are no local universities with program • Cannot leave work for training • Does not have funds for courses

4. Course Types Deliver short courses Classroom-based Short courses Long-term Students Travel Teachers Travel Stand-alone courses Text and graphic Webcast Interactive Courses Text/graphics type Audio-visual Nobody Travels

5. Overall Goal To determine the potential for teaching a 15-week, interactive, online course in Principles of Environmental & Occupational Health (EOH) to international students in their home countries

6. Questions • What are the hardware needs (esp. connectivity)? • What technical support is required? • How do students perform? • What are problems with completing the course? • What pedagogical techniques are successful?

7. EOH Online: Course Objectives At the end of the course, the student will be able to: 1. Describe the disciplines of environmental health professionals and the approaches by which they identify, analyze, and solve problems. 2. Identify environmental and occupational safety and health hazards, including biological, chemical, physical, mechanical and psychological hazards 3. Describe pathways of exposure, routes of absorption, basic distribution, storage and mechanisms of toxicity for important occupational and environmental exposures

8. EOH Online: Course Objectives 4. Discuss hazard identification, exposure assessment, risk assessment, risk management, and risk communication techniques 5. Investigate exposure factors in the workplace and general environment that lead to adverse health outcomes 6. Critically evaluate, write about, present, and discuss scientific articles, current events, and popular literature on environmental health issues at the regional, national, and global levels 7. Find and utilize resources on environmental and occupational health

24. Student Workload: 8-12 hrs/wk • Log on at least five times weekly for 15 weeks • Read chapter and additional materials each week • Complete quiz or written work every week • Participate in Discussion Board at least once per week

25. Activities • Complete online mini courses (Envirorisk and Toxicology Tutor) • Read and take quizzes • Read news & journal articles and discuss • Debate- create position in group and rebut a partner group • Complete exercises (epidemiology, determining radiation risk, make table of energy sources—advantages and disadvantages, take an occupational history, risk assessment)

26. Link to Short Courses on the Web • Toxicology Tutor • U.S. National Library of Medicine • http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/Tox/ToxTutor.html • 3 modules • Self-assessment questions • Complete in 2 hours

27. www.uic.edu/sph/cade/envirorisk

28. Methods • Two Fall Semesters--2003, 2004 • 14 international students enrolled • Along with 55 U.S. public health students • Recruited by WHO Collaborating Centers • BA degree or higher (1/2 medical doctors) • Occupations: clinical practice, ministry of health, university • Countries: Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Senegal, Ghana, S. Africa, Poland, Turkey, Costa Rica (put on map with dots)

29. Results: Student Performance • 6/14 completed the entire course • 5/14 completed at least half • 3/14 dropped out early • Written work, discussion, quizzes indistinguishable from US students • Few students requested technical assistance frequently

30. Results: Post-Course Evaluation • All connected through telephone line • Few students printed all of their materials • All worked at office, some at home, too • Those who completed said: 15 weeks appropriate time commitment • Reason for dropping out: time commitment too great • All who completed requested additional courses

31. Discussion: Value of course • Accessible internationally • Classmates from different countries—different perspectives • Computer hardware and software less expensive than traveling for courses • Students work at their convenience • Students can continue to work in home country • Can reach large audiences • Online pedagogy has special potential

32. Discussion: Limitations • Connectivity—telephone disconnected • Local issues difficult to integrate into course • Cost of textbook and printing • High dropout rate (3/14) • Students have other obligations • US semester does not correspond to other countries’ schedule

33. Discussion: Potential of DBL in EOH • Can fill educational gaps • Local expertise can be nurtured to address local problems • Can enhance learning with special pedagogical techniques • Fosters international collaboration in EOH • Fosters harmonization of workplace and environmental standards

34. Hopes/Dreams Free, online university that: • Grants internationally recognized credit • Involves teachers from all over the world • Team teaching • Covers local issues • Is incorporated into existing, local programs

35. Recommendations 1 Develop an international consortium to: 1. Conduct a needs assessment • Course Development • Course content • Accreditation/administration • Access • Student issues

36. Recommendations 2 Develop an international consortium to: 2. Conduct an assessment of potential delivery • Which instructors are willing to teach • Who will grant credit • How collaborations can be developed (for example, overall course instructor teams up with local instructors)

37. Want to collaborate? Linda Forst University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health Telephone: 312-355-2836 Forst-L@uic.edu