Alignment of Epidemiology Practice and Academic Competencies through Effective Collaboration

Area of Science:

• Public Health Education
• Online Learning Technologies
• Epidemiology Curriculum Development

Background:

• Online learning in postgraduate education often focuses on clinical settings, leaving a gap in applied public health agency-academic partnerships.
• Models for collaboration between public health agencies and academic institutions to create online learning opportunities for graduate public health courses are underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and pilot online, asynchronous epidemiology modules for graduate students.
• To introduce students to public health issues and hands-on data analysis using state health department resources.
• To facilitate the connection between public health theory and practical application through student-created projects.

Main Methods:

• East Tennessee State University (ETSU) and the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) collaborated to create three online epidemiology modules.
• Modules were designed for an interdisciplinary graduate audience and piloted during the 2015-2016 academic term.
• Content delivery varied, including recorded webinars and self-guided instruction, with students producing a final project for TDH.

Main Results:

• The partnership involved conference calls and in-person meetings for module critique and edits.
• Modules incorporated diverse learning tools, including those from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and TDH-specific data.
• Student projects were designed as practical learning products for potential use by the TDH.

Conclusions:

• This innovative partnership demonstrates the value of collaborations between state health agencies and academic institutions.
• Such collaborations are crucial for enhancing public health education by connecting classroom learning with real-world practice.
• Preparing students for practical application is key to bridging the gap between public health theory and practice.