Public Health Concepts (Online) PHC4101 Section 3630 Spring 2013 Course Syllabus Instructor: Typhanye V. Penniman Dyer, PhD, MPH Email: typhanye@ufl.edu Office Location: College Park, MD Office Hours: I will generally be available at 10:00 AM-12:00 PM Mondays and Wednesdays. I will also be available by appointment Teaching Assistants: Abenaa Acheampong aacheamp@ufl.edu Xingdi Hu qmshjwhx@phhp.ufl.edu Course Dates: January 7 May 5, 2013 Scheduled Course Time: T 5th R 5th-6th Course Description: This is a 3-credit course that will be conducted solely online via the Sakai Course Management system at http://lss.at.ufl.edu. You must have a valid Gatorlink ID and password. For assistance, call the UF Help Desk at 392-HELP. This is an upper level course intended to introduce undergraduate students in a variety of disciplines to the basic tenets and applications of public health, including integrating public health with other health professions. This course explores the Nation's health challenges, the epidemiologic basis of the public's health, the organization and financing of health services in the United States, and current strategies for advancing the public s health. The course introduces students to a range of topics,
issues, and frameworks to help understand current public health issues and modern public health systems, policies, and practices. In addition, a number of guest speakers will provide insight into their areas of expertise within public health. Students are expected to view all lectures and complete required readings and assignments. Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to identify the basic fields of public health, read public health graphs, understand public health models and health behaviors, compute relative risks and odds ratios, and understand the nation s health care system. The student will also have a thorough knowledge on the differences between health and health care. Successful completion of this course requires a grade of C or better. Prerequisites: Junior class status and one statistics course, or permission of the instructor Course Competencies with Objectives: 1. Identify public health monitoring systems to identify and solve community health problems a. List and describe the core functions of public health b. Describe the three levels of prevention c. List and describe major surveillance and data collection efforts in the US 2. Recognize health problems and health hazards in the community using an ecological framework a. Describe the levels of the ecological model b. Identify the level of the ecological model an intervention is designed to target 3. Identify appropriate methods for assessing the determinants of health problems a. List and describe basic epidemiologic measures (rate, prevalence, incidence, etc.) and quantitative study designs (ecological, cross-sectional, cohort, case control, randomized trial) b. List and describe basic qualitative methods (focus groups, in-depth interviews, etc.) 4. Be familiar with agencies that protect health and ensure safety a. Identify purpose and actions of US public health agencies (EPA, FDA, CDC, etc.) b. Identify reliable sources of public health information In addition, upon completion of this course, students will be able to: 1) Articulate the goal of public health and its integration with other fields. 2) Name and identify various components that comprise the nation s health system. 3) Identify public health models that are essential in population based health studies. 4) Apply and interpret commonly used terminology and findings in public health studies. 5) Discuss the historical contributions of public health to the well-being of the world s population. 6) Recognize the distinction between infectious and chronic diseases and public health s approach to both. 7) Discuss the social determinants of health and how they are related to health disparities. 8) Articulate how federal legislation has supported public health.
WELCOME!!!!! Welcome Public Health Concepts for the Spring 2013 Semester!!!! I look forward to working with you and know that you re going to enjoy the class and online learning environment. To get started: Go to the Syllabus area and download and print the full Course Syllabus The Course Syllabus contains all of the information for the course except for standalone items such as lectures, videos, slides, readings, assignment handouts, and assessments. Videos, slides and related information are found under Weekly Modules link in the left column of the course site. Next, go to the Discussions link and find the first message from me. Reply to it and post a brief bio If you have questions, please feel free to contact Susan White in The Dean s Office for technical assistance. Her e-mail and contact information are located below. You can also contact me through the Mail feature in the class. I hope you have a great learning experience! Typhanye V. Penniman Dyer Online Course Format: This online course is designed to be completed within seventeen weeks. Each week starts on Monday 12: 05 AM and ends on Sunday 11:55 PM (Eastern Time). The 16 th week has a shorter completion time due to the upcoming Final Exam Week during Week 17. Please see the course schedule at the end of this syllabus for due dates and times. Since attendance is asynchronous (not in real time), you may log-in at any time of the day. However, you are expected to participate in the virtual classroom on a weekly basis and complete all readings, discussion requirements, quizzes, assignments, and exams (see Instructor Expectations below for more information). Communicate with me via e-mail if you have any concerns or questions about the course or assignments/exams BEFORE the due date or exam date.
Please keep a copy of all assignments and work submitted. Sakai will issue an email receipt when assignments are submitted. Please check your submission to be sure it was properly submitted and that you attached the correct file. Print the syllabus for your reference. It is your responsibility to be aware of all assignments, due dates and guidelines. Instructor Expectations: Welcome! I'm looking forward to working with you, learning about what you're doing and how you may want to use the course sometime in the future. Students generally appreciate it when their online instructor is clear and direct with them about expectations for course requirements and procedures. Here are a few expectations I would like you to know about as we begin this course. Simply be yourself. We bring different kinds of experiences to the online environment. Each of you will have different needs, expectations, concerns, and agendas. As your instructor, it will be easier to help meet your needs if you communicate them directly and sincerely. I am very learner centered. I hope you'll always find that I am responsive and supportive. Posting Responses: You should make the commitment to post your responses for exercises, assignments and discussions on the due dates each week. The classroom should be active all week -- not just on weekends. Pacing your work earlier in the week will give you more time for larger projects when you need it. Your postings should incorporate responses to your peers, your opinions, pertinent information from things that you ve read, and examples from your experience. Your responses should include more than phrases such as "I agree with that" or "Interesting comment." The distinguishing feature of a well done posting might include an objective and critical analysis of what you read, what you experienced; or, possibly a short synopsis of a chapter or a related assignment from another course. Your posts should feature good writing, correct spelling and mechanics. We often assess one another substantially by the quality, clarity and depth of writing. Communication should be professional and use good netiquette. In the spirit of scholarly discussion, I expect responses that agree and disagree with others as long as they apply to the topic and are respectful. In our learning model, the heart of active learning occurs through the discussions that help you test your ideas, reinforce what you have learned, and share resources with others in the class. Responses to your Postings: I will be in the online classroom at least four days per week. I will respond to questions within 48 hours. All work will be graded within seven days of the original due date. Put my name in postings to me, Typhanye Penniman Dyer
Do the same for responses to everyone else. No messages are private - so please expand on any topic. If you want me to call you, please send an email with your phone number and best time to reach you, including night s and weekends. Please be sure to give me enough time to see your email before expecting a call. Of course, you can send email. If after reading the assignment, you do not understand what to do, please email me immediately so that I can explain the assignment. This is much better than turning in an assignment that is not done correctly and losing points. Thank you for your thoughtful reading of the expectations; I welcome your comments. Have a great learning experience! University of Florida Administrative and Technical Contact for this Course: Susan White swhite@phhp.ufl.edu Required Resources: Introduction to Public Health, 3 rd edition, 2010 Mary-Jane Schneider. Jones & Bartlett Publishers ISBN: 978-0-7637-6381-7 Technology/Equipment Requirements: Computer with audio capabilities Internet connection preferred browsers: FireFox, Explorer, Safari Microphone Webcam (preferred, but not required) Grading: Grades are assigned based on the following criteria (see below). All work will be graded within seven days of the due date. A full explanation of content, discussion questions, assignments and other course components are completely described in the appropriate weekly pages of this syllabus. All grades will be posted on the course website. If a student notices a discrepancy in any grade as it appears online, s/he must contact the course instructors within one week of the posting date in order to have the problem addressed. Students may not wait until the end of the semester to contest a grade. The grading scale for this course consists of the standard scale below:
93-100% = A 73-76% = C 90-92% = A- 70-72 = C- 87-89% = B+ 67-69%= D+ 83-86% = B 63-66%= D 80-82% = B- 60-62 = D- 77-79% = C+ Below 60% = F Grade Components: Midterm Exam 25% Final Exam 35% Project 20% Weekly Quizzes 10% Participation 10% Breakdown of Points for Each Assignment/Exam: 1. Discussion and Interaction (Participation) 4 points for initial discussion responses each week: total 40 points Please see the Discussion Rubric for further information on grading policies. 2. Midterm Exam 100 points for midterm Exam: total 100 points 3. Research Project 200 points for Research project total 200 points 4. Quizzes 10 points for each quiz: total 100 points 5. Final Exam 160 points for Final Exam: total 160 points Summary: 600 points possible for all course components Tentative due dates for all grade components are listed on the course schedule at the end of this document, and additional information and specific instructions will be posted on the course website, under the Assignments tool. Please check Sakai regularly for updates to the syllabus that may affect due dates.
Assessments: There will be a total of 11 online quizzes in this course. They will be delivered in Sakai each week over the course of the semester, unless otherwise noted. Each quiz will be comprised of ten or fewer questions, and you will have 30 minutes to complete each one. The quizzes will be based on in-class lectures and reading assignments. The quizzes will collectively constitute 10% of your final grade and will be conducted through Sakai s Tests & Quizzes tool. Quizzes must be completed before by the last day of the week (Sunday). Except for Quiz 11, which has an early close date of Friday, April 26 th. The lowest quiz score will be dropped. Please note: you should take each quiz either in the library on a computer hardwired to the Internet or on your own computer while hardwired to the Internet. Wireless connections can be unreliable and can cause you to be kicked out of your quiz due to a dip in signal strength. You will not be allowed to retake the assessment, despite time running out due to technical problems. Research Proposal Project: You will design a research project addressing a public health concern of interest to you. This assignment will consist of several components and deadlines throughout the semester. A separate assignment sheet, attached in the Assignment tool in Sakai, describes the details of each component. Exams: There will be two online exams during the semester comprised of multiple choice and short answer questions, each worth 25% of your class grade. Both exams will be conducted within the testing center in the Communicore Building of the UF Health Sciences Center, Room CG-28. They will be online exams, which you will be permitted to take only once, and must be completed during the allotted two hour exam time. Attendance Policy: As an online course, you may view your lectures, do your readings, and complete your assignments on your own time. There are strict due dates for assignments and quizzes. All exams (midterm and final) will be conducted on the same day and time as noted in the course schedule at the end of this syllabus. The online course system tracks student participation. This participation data will be analyzed for students who are not advancing in the course at an appropriate pace. Make-up Exams and Work: If you miss an exam or submission of an assignment for an acceptable reason (as noted below) and have given prior notification to the instructor and TAs, when possible, you will be given adequate time to make up any coursework missed. All other missed or late work will receive a grade of zero. Make-up exams will be provided only in cases of excused absences or conflict during final exams per University policy (more than three final exams scheduled on one day or two exams scheduled at the same time) and MUST be discussed with the instructor in advance. Make-up exams will differ from those regularly scheduled. Note: Only for excused absences will students be allowed to make up missed in class activities. Acceptable reasons for tardy or missed work, with documentation, include illness, serious family emergencies, special curricular requirements (e.g., judging trips, field trips, professional conferences), military obligation, severe weather conditions, religious holidays and participation in official University activities such as music performances, athletic competition or debate.
Absences from class for court-imposed legal obligations (e.g., jury duty or subpoena) must be excused. Remember that, when possible (i.e. extracurricular activities, official University activities, and religious holidays), prior notification of absence is required if the student plans to be given an extension on assignments or be excused from a class deadline. This notification must be sent to both the instructors and TAs. University Honor Code: We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity. On all work submitted by students at the University, the following pledge is implied: "On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment." Plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses and will be dealt with as such; any student found plagiarizing or cheating on coursework or exams will receive a failing grade on the assignment and potentially in the course, and will be routed through the appropriate judicial process through the Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution office. Students are expected to complete all coursework on their own, unless specifically instructed to do otherwise. More information about plagiarism and proper citation will be presented in class. We will use turnitin.com for some written projects in this class. If you have questions, please see the course instructors. Online Conduct: We hope to engage the class in discussions and encourage you to ask questions of the instructor via our discussion boards. Please keep all personal discussion conversations confined to the Social Discussion board. Ask for technical assistance via the Technical Assistance discussion board. Please treat all individuals in the online class with respect at all times, including fellow students, instructors, and guests. Discussion postings that are deemed inappropriate will be removed from the course site. Use of laptops, tablets, cell phones, etc. is not permitted during exams or quizzes. Online courses require a lot of student organization to keep on task due to the lack of a pre-set class meeting. Please be sure to print this syllabus and plan adequate time each week to view your lectures, read, complete your assignments, and study for your exams. All deadlines and course requirements are expected of online students in the same self-responsibility model as a campus course. Please plan your time accordingly and ask questions if you are not clear on a lecture or assignment before they are due, versus after it is due. Please do not wait until the last day to submit your assignments as something will inevitably come up to prevent your submission and you will have no time to correct the situation. Such as you didn t charge your laptop and now it is dead, your DSL keeps dropping because of the storm outside, the dog ate your electrical cord, your friend took your thumb drive home instead of theirs, etc. Stuff happens, so please submit EARLY! Please verify that you submitted (1) the right assignment paper (not your biology assignment paper, or version 1 of the assignment; (2) that you submitted ANY attachment to your assignment. You may go into the Assignment tool and check this immediately after you submit an assignment. Submitting the wrong assignment paper, or no paper attachment, will not waive the late penalty for assignments. So check once, check twice, if you have to, but be sure you sent in what you intended to send in.
Communicating with Instructors and Teaching Assistants: Students who have questions should post them on the appropriate discussion board so that these questions may be answered for everyone s benefit at the same time. Do not email course-work based questions to the instructor. Email, via the Mail tool in the course should only be used for correspondence of a personal nature. Please do not post comments or questions about your grade or your absences or personal situations on the course discussion boards. This is when the Mail tool should be used. Be sure to click on the Send to outside email box when posting an email to get the quickest reply. Do not send emails to All participants as this would be better via the discussion board. You may request a phone meeting with the instructor. Please send an email with an outline of your concern, the days and times it would be best to reach you, and a phone number. Please be aware that you should allow 2 business days for a response to such inquiries. Please be sure to always use your Sakai email tool rather than UF Webmail. You should address emails to All Instructors and Teaching Assistants. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Support services for students with disabilities are coordinated by the Disability Resource Center (http://dso.ufl.edu/drp/) in the Dean of Students Office. All support services provided for University of Florida students are individualized to meet the needs of students with disabilities. To obtain individual support services, each student must meet with one of the support coordinators in the Disability Resources Program and collaboratively develop appropriate support strategies. Appropriate documentation regarding the student's disability is necessary to obtain any reasonable accommodation or support service. University Counseling and Mental Health Services: Students are encouraged to utilize the various group and individual programs and services available at the Counseling Center and Student Mental Health. University Counseling Services: P301 Peabody Hall, 392-1575 http://www.counsel.ufl.edu/ Student Mental Health Services: Student Health Care Center Room 245, 392-1171 http://shcc.ufl.edu/smhs/
Week Dates Topic Readings Assignment 1 Jan. 7 13 Course Introduction 2 Jan. 14 20 History of Public Health and PH Structure Ch. 1-3 Library Resources 3 Jan. 21 27 Intro to Epidemiology Ch.4, 5 Research Question Activity 4 Jan. 28 Feb. 3 Observational Study Designs 2 lectures (pg. 65-70) Ch. 5, Epiville Modules Ch. 6, Epiville Module Quiz1 due 1/20 before Project Topic due 1/23 before Quiz2 due 1/27 before Quiz3 due 2/3 before 5 Feb. 4 10 Experimental Study Designs/Clinical Trials Research Question due 2/6 before Designing a study Quiz4 due 2/10 before 6 Feb. 11 17 Infectious Disease 2 lectures Ch. 9,10 Quiz5 due 2/17 before Guest Lecture 7 Feb. 18 24 Chronic Disease 2 lectures Ch. 11 Quiz6 due 2/24 before 8 Feb. 25 Mar. 3 Social and Behavioral Health Ch. 13, Background due 2/27 14 before Health Disparities Quiz7 due 3/3 before Guest Lecture 9 Mar. 4 10 Spring Break 10 Mar. 11 17 Midterm Exam 3/14 at 11:45-1:40 Midterm Review available 3/18 11 Mar. 18 24 Environmental Health 2 lectures Ch. 19, 20 Quiz8 due 3/24 before 12 Mar. 25 31 Global Health 2 lectures Ch. 24 Study Design due 3/27 before 13 Apr. 1 7 Global Health 1 lecture Guest Lecture Global Health Movie- They Go To Die 14 Apr. 8-14 Public Health Surveillance Guest Lecture Public Health Message Activity 15 Apr. 15 21 Health Policy and Management Public Health Law and Ethics Ch. 25 Quiz9 due 4/7 before Quiz10 due 4/14 before 16 Apr. 22-28 Public Health Preparedness Ch. 29 Research Project due
4/26 before 17 Apr. 29 May 5 Final Exam 4/30 at 5:45-7:45PM