Focused Discussions
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
The Great Transition: Pedagogical Initiatives in Online Communication Studies Instruction
Focused Discussion Ashiyan Rahmani Shirazi
As a result of restrictions following the COVID19 pandemic in March 2020, universities globally carried out a mass transition to online instruction, or what might be called the 'Great Transition'. Traditionally bricks and mortar institutions, in many cases moved to 100% delivery of classes, facilitated by various online learning systems (Moodle, Blackboard etc.), and complemented by videoconferencing platforms, such as zoom etc. With this transition, for some, extensive investment was made in 2 broad areas, online instructional pedagogies, as well as equity, diversity and inclusion training initiatives. Looking specifically at online pedagogical techniques, this position paper presents initiatives, in particular for communication and media studies, but applicable in other disciplines, in primarily online Zoom based synchronous classes. Such techniques include individual news summaries in live sessions, group project presentations and use of Google docs for live free-write activities connected to breakout room discussions. Common challenges shared in the months following March 2020, included loss of sense of community with online transition, however this paper argues that this transitional challenge has now been replaced with a new norm of online classes, and which, given effective pedagogical techniques, has indeed enhanced student interaction engagement and sense of community alongside greater flexibility, in particular for non-traditional students, who are increasingly making up a greater proportion of the student population in the US, as a result of the demographic cliff, as well as enhanced preparation for careers that have, in many cases transitioned to working with remote teams, and with online presentations.
Population Health: An Outcry from Public Health View Digital Media
Focused Discussion Rachel Ellison
The graduate certificate in Population Health at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette was implemented with improving access to all populations in mind. In the United States, as well as globally, the lack of quality healthcare, to the most vulnerable populations is becoming a rising concern. This has become more evident as the Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the lack of access and quality of healthcare services provided by all levels. The program was implemented to educate healthcare professionals on population health data, management, and help solve healthcare problems by implementing quality-driven initiatives based on proven theories and practices. The purpose of the program is two-fold: to educate students on population health and to prepare those professionals to step into the important roles needed in public health, population health, and healthcare governance. The project is on-going, the certificate program is taught once a year and will attempt to track students on their educational and professional journey into a role in population health, public health and/or healthcare governance. Data will be collected via email; students will be contacted to complete graduate/exit interviews. Students will be informed of the project at the beginning of each course in the certificate program. The implications of research are clear. The Covid-19 pandemic made it very obvious that minority individuals, those in low-socioeconomic groups, and populations in rural areas do not have the same access or quality healthcare services. Public health professionals can make a positive change in how all populations receive and access healthcare.
