Global Health Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges, Adaptations, and Lessons Learned.

Kristina M Krohn,Sarah Kesler,Nasreen S Quadri,Brett Hendel-Paterson,Megan K Shaughnessy,Stephen Dunlop,Michael A Sundberg,Beth Scudder,Tsige H Gebreslasse,Adriana Dhawan,Viviane Tchonang Leuche,Sarah Sponsler,William M Stauffer,Bobbi Pritt,Alma Habib,Hope Pogemiller

doi:10.4269/ajtmh.21-0773

Abstract

ABSTRACT.Global health education programs should strive continually to improve the quality of education, increase access, create communities that foster excellence in global health practices, and ensure sustainability. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the University of Minnesota’s extensive global health education programs, which includes a decade of hybrid online and in-person programing, to move completely online. We share our experience, a working framework for evaluating global health educational programming, and lessons learned. Over the decades we have moved from a predominantly passive, lecture-based, in-person course to a hybrid online (passive) course with an intensive hands-on 2-week requirement. The pandemic forced us to explore new active online learning models. We retained our on-demand, online passive didactics, which used experts’ time efficiently and was widely accessible and well received. In addition, we developed a highly effective synchronous online component that we felt replaced some of the hands-on activities effectively and led us to develop new and innovative “hands-on” experiences. This new, fully online model combining quality asynchronous and synchronous learning provided many unanticipated advantages, such as increasing access while decreasing our carbon footprint dramatically. By sharing our experience, lessons learned, and resources, we hope to inspire other programs likewise to innovate to improve quality, access, community, and sustainability in global health, especially if these innovations can help decrease negative aspects of global health education such as its environmental impact.

Highlights

Global health education programs should strive continually to improve the quality of education, increase access, create communities that foster excellence in global health practices, and ensure sustainability
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the University of Minnesota’s extensive global health education programs, which includes a decade of hybrid online and in-person programing, to move completely online
In 2020, global health education programs, which historically have been highly dependent on international travel, were forced to adapt to sudden restrictions as a result of COVID-19

Summary

Perspective Piece

Global Health Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges, Adaptations, and Lessons Learned. Stauffer,[1,2,4] Adriana Dhawan,[1,2] Hope Pogemiller,[1,2] Viviane Tchonang Leuche,[2] Sarah Kesler,1Tsige H. Alma Habib,[1] Beth Scudder,[1] Sarah Sponsler,[1] Stephen Dunlop,[7] and Brett Hendel-Paterson1,5 1Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota; 2Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota; 3Internal Medicine, Allina Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota; 4Internal Medicine, Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, Minnesota; 5Internal Medicine HealthPartners, St. Paul, Minnesota; 6Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota; 7Emergency Medicine, Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, Minnesota

MOVING INTO THE FUTURE

Drawbacks of online education

Findings

Proposed solutions