Structured Public Health Scenario Analyses Promote Critical Thinking in Undergraduate Students

Abstract

Critical thinking is an important skill for students and public health practitioners alike, but ensuring and measuring its development beyond a theoretical framework is challenging. In this article, we describe the development and implementation of our undergraduate public health program’s signature assignment–the Scenario Analysis (SA). SAs are team-based problem-oriented simulations structured using Elements of Thought from the Paul-Elder critical thinking model. Through deliberate design and evaluation, this assignment allows student efforts to reflect critical thinking standards in a practical and measurable format. The SA assignment is highly adaptable to specific course content and topics and has utility beyond public health curricula. The purpose of this article is to highlight the value of ensuring critical thinking development within public health education and to offer an innovative assignment and pedagogical approach designed to meet this objective.