Time Schedule:
William E Daniell
ENV H 510
Seattle Campus
Provides an overview of environmental and occupational health, with major focus on developing countries. Examines a variety of environmental hazards and influential factors, interactions with human health and well-being, and relevance to public health. Considers workplace, community, home, regional, and global problems. Offered: W.
Class description
EnvH 510 provides a graduate level overview of environmental and occupational health, with a major but not exclusive focus on developing countries. The course examines a broad spectrum of environmental hazards and influential factors, their interactions with human health and well-being, and their relevance to the effective assurance and promotion of public health. Workplace, community, home, regional and global problems are considered, with frequent use of case examples. The course stresses examining environmental health concerns in the broader context of public health, and the social, economic and other factors that mitigate the effects of environmental hazards or otherwise influence population health.
This course should allow students to develop fundamental competence in environmental and occupational health, suitable for careers anywhere in the world, including the United States.
Student learning goals
To follow
General method of instruction
There will be big changes in instructional approach in Winter 2013.
1. We will "flip" much of the class...
a) Students' first exposure to subject matter will happen outside the classroom; for example: Reading, with a purpose...guided by "key concept" study questions; relevant websites, videos and other online resources; short video lectures or podcasts by the instructor on key topics.
b) We will use class sessions to explore what students learned outside class...Reinforce key concepts; apply concepts to real or realistic situations; explore relationships between "environment" and other determinants of health.
2. The classroom will be "active."
a) There will be some lecturing...but not much, generally as intermittent "mini" lectures...no more than 10 minutes at a time.
b) Most class sessions will be devoted to discussion as a class or in small groups, often using instructor-guided activities; for example, problem-solving, discussion and mock planning (e.g., "You are the mayor of a small town in Peru, and...").
3. Each week, we will focus on one major theme, such as: environmental change, land use, community environments and urbanization, water and sanitation, air quality, environmental health science and policy, and more.
4. Most weeks, students will have a short writing assignment, based on a real world case.
5. There will be NO lengthy course report (e.g., 10+ page paper).
6. Like last year, students in small groups will produce a "communication product." The product will be suitable for display on the web or an electronic device. Duration, no more than 5-ish minutes. The goal is to communicate essential or noteworthy findings, conclusions or recommendations from one of the weekly cases (or a case chosen by the student group). The product should be suitable for a government representative in the applicable country or region a student-chosen target audience (e.g., donors, children, etc.). Format creativity is encouraged. Time in class will be provided for small group and full class discussion.
Recommended preparation
No pre-requisites, but enrollment is limited to graduate students.
Class assignments and grading
Tentatively:
1. Weekly (total 7) writing assignments, 1-2 pages in length, based on a case study and "question(s) to ponder.
2. Peer review of other students' writings.
3. Online quizzes based on study questions provided to guide reading.
4. One "communication product" produced by students in small groups.
5. The product will include a 1-2 page fact sheet, with references.
6. Peer review of other students' communication products.
7. No final exam. The weekly assignments and online quizzes will serve in place of a final exam.
Details to follow.
