Assessment | Public Health - Education Emphasis

Assessment for the Public Health Education Emphasis is under development. The plan is to assess student achievement of learning objectives for this emphasis primarily through course-embedded evaluations given in the public health courses required for the emphasis.  These evaluations will be a combination of test questions, short essays, and the required capstone paper of the Public Health Management Course (PUBH 5500). Additional assessment modalities will be an evaluation form completed by the suprvisor of each Public Health Education intern, and a survey of graduates.  Given the range of Public Health Education Internship experiences and the flexibility in choosing capstone paper topics, not all sub-objectives will be assessed every year.  However, because there are multiple sub-objectives of each major learning objective, we are confident that it will be possible to continually assess each student’s progress.

The courses and assessment items that will be used to assess the Public Health Education Emphasis are: 

  • PUBH 3120 - Family and Community Health
    • Focuses on health aspects of various population groups within the community. Particular emphasis placed on guidelines for optimal family health.
    • Assess using exam questions and short essays, and in-class discussion questions
  • PUBH 4000 - Public Health Field Experience
    • Field experience in the practice of public health education.
    • Assess with a survey (evaluation of sub-objectives from supervisor’s perspective using a 1-5 scale).
  • PUBH 4030 - Communicable Disease Control
    • Comprehensive study of communicable diseases, including etiological agents, reservoirs of infection, and mechanisms of transmission, control, and prevention.
    • Assess using exam questions and short essays
  • PUBH 4040 - Fundamentals of Epidemiology
    • Introduction to the study of the distribution and causes of communicable and non-communicable diseases of humans and other animals.
    • Assess using exam questions and short essays
  • PUBH 5000 - Public Health Seminar
    • Participant seminar on current problems in public health.
    • Assess using scoring rubric of presentation
  • PUBH 5500 - Public Health Management
    • Presentation of basic organizational and financial management tools that students will utilize in written and oral reports on an educational, environmental, or occupational health problem of their choice.
    • Assess using scoring rubrics of written capstone paper and presentation to class

The learning objectives and associated sub-objectives were all developed from National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) standards. The objectives and the associated courses that address each of them are:

1. Be able to assess needs, resources, and capacity for health education/promotion

  • Plan assessment process for health education/promotion – PUBH 4000, 5500
  • Access existing information and data related to health – PUBH 3120, 4000, 4030, 4040, 5000, 5500
  • Collect primary data to determine needs – PUBH 4000, 5500
  • Analyze relationships among behavioral, environmental, and other factors that influence health – PUBH 3120, 4000, 4030, 4040, 5500
  • Examine factors that influence the process by which people learn – PUBH 3120, 4000, 5500
  • Examine factors that enhance or impede the process of health education/promotion – PUBH 3120, 4000, 5500
  • Determine needs for health education/promotion based on assessment findings – PUBH 4000, 5500

2. Be able to plan health education/promotion

  • Involve priority populations, partners, and other stakeholders in the planning process – PUBH 3120, 4000
  • Develop goals and objectives for the education/promotion program – PUBH 3120, 4000, 5500
  • Select or design strategies/interventions – PUBH 3120, 4000, 5500
  • Develop a plan for the delivery of health education/promotion – PUBH 4000, 5500
  • Address factors that influence implementation of health education/promotion – PUBH 3120, 4000, 5500

3. Be able to implement health education/promotion

  • Coordinate logistics necessary to implement plan – PUBH 4000, 5500
  • Train staff members and volunteers involved in implementation of health education/promotion – PUBH 4000
  • Implement health education/promotion plan – PUBH 3120, 4000, 5500
  • Monitor implementation of health education/promotion – PUBH 3120, 4000

4. Be able to conduct evaluation and research related to health education/promotion

  • Select, adapt and/or create instruments to collect data – PUBH 4000, 4040, 5500
  • Collect and manage data – PUBH 3120, 4000, 4030, 4040, 5000, 5500
  • Analyze data – PUBH 3120, 4000, 4030, 4040, 5000, 5500
  • Interpret results – PUBH 3120, 4000, 4030, 4040, 5000, 5500
  • Apply findings – PUBH 4000, 4030, 4040, 5000, 5500

5. Be able to administer and manage health education/promotion

  • Manage technology resources – PUBH 4000
  • Manage relationships with partners and other stakeholders – PUBH 4000, 5500
  • Gain acceptance and support for health education/promotion programs – PUBH 4000, 5500
  • Demonstrate leadership – PUBH 4000, 5500
  • Manage human resources for health education/promotion programs – No Course to assess this

6. Be able to serve as a health education/promotion resource person

  • Obtain and disseminate heath related information – PUBH 4000, 5000, 5500

7. Be able to communicate, promote, and advocate for health, health education/promotion, and the profession

  • Identify, develop, and deliver messages using a variety of communication strategies, methods, and techniques – PUBH 4000, 5000, 5500
  • Engage in advocacy for health and health education/promotion – PUBH 4000, 5000, 5500
  • Influence policy and/or systems change to promote health and health education – PUBH 5500
  • Promote the health education profession – PUBH 5000, 5500