title: Global health education: a pilot in trans-disciplinary, digital instruction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The development of new global health academic programs provides unique opportunities to create innovative educational approaches within and across universities. Recent evidence suggests that digital media technologies may provide feasible and cost-effective alternatives to traditional classroom instruction; yet, many emerging global health academic programs lag behind in the utilization of modern technologies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We created an inter-departmental University of Southern California (USC) collaboration to develop and implement a course focused on digital media and global health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Course curriculum was based on core tenants of modern education: multi-disciplinary, technologically advanced, learner-centered, and professional application of knowledge. Student and university evaluations were reviewed to qualitatively assess course satisfaction and educational outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  'New Media for Global Health' ran for 18 weeks in the Spring 2012 semester with N=41 students (56.1% global health and 43.9% digital studies students). The course resulted in a number of high quality global health-related digital media products available at http://iml420.wordpress.com/. Challenges confronted at USC included administrative challenges related to co-teaching and frustration from students conditioned to a rigid system of teacher-led learning within a specific discipline. Quantitative and qualitative course evaluations reflected positive feedback for the course instructors and mixed reviews for the organization of the course.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The development of innovative educational programs in global health requires on-going experimentation and information sharing across departments and universities. Digital media technologies may have implications for future efforts to improve global health education.
authors: USC Institute for Global Health, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. hwipfli@usc.edu
authors: Heather
authors: H
authors: Wipfli
authors: David J
authors: DJ
authors: Press
authors: Virginia
authors: V
authors: Kuhn
mesh_terms: D002140:California; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004521:Educational Measurement; D014943:Global Health; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007858:Learning; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016730:Program Development; D014495:Universities
keywords: academic programs; digital media; education; global health; multimedia learning; technology
references: N Engl J Med. 2013 Jan 3;368(1):78-9
references: 23281981
references: Acad Med. 2008 Feb;83(2):154-64
references: 18303361
references: Lancet. 2011 Apr 30;377(9776):1473-4
references: 21333350
references: Am J Pharm Educ. 2009 Dec 17;73(8):154
references: 20221347
references: IEEE Trans Vis Comput Graph. 2007 Nov-Dec;13(6):1121-8
references: 17968055
references: J Dent Educ. 2012 Jan;76(1):142-53
references: 22262557
references: Science. 2009 Jan 2;323(5910):89-93
references: 19119226
references: Acad Med. 2008 Feb;83(2):165-72
references: 18303362
references: Acad Med. 2008 Feb;83(2):134-42
references: 18303357
references: Acad Med. 2008 Feb;83(2):185-91
references: 18303367
references: Radiol Technol. 2011 Nov-Dec;83(2):112-9
references: 22106386
references: Lancet. 2011 Feb 12;377(9765):599-609
references: 21269678
references: Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2011 Sep;25(3):575-92, viii
references: 21896359
references: Lancet. 2011 Apr 9;377(9773):1238; author reply 1238-9
references: 21481703
references: Lancet. 2010 Dec 4;376(9756):1923-58
references: 21112623
references: Acad Med. 2008 Feb;83(2):128-33
references: 18303356
references: Acad Med. 2008 Feb;83(2):143-7
references: 18303358
references: Acad Med. 2008 Feb;83(2):173-9
references: 18303363
references: Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2011 Jun;25(2):385-98
references: 21628053
references: Acad Med. 2008 Feb;83(2):148-53
references: 18303359
references: Am J Public Health. 2006 Jan;96(1):62-72
references: 16322464
references: Acad Med. 2008 Feb;83(2):122-7
references: 18303355
references: Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2011 Sep;25(3):499-509, vii
references: 21896355
references: Lancet. 2010 May 1;375(9725):1504-5
references: 20435214