Delivering Modern Global Health Learning Requires New Obligations and Approaches

Ann Glob Health. 2021 Jul 12;87(1):68. doi: 10.5334/aogh.3261. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a new look (or modernization) for both the obligations and approaches to achieve best-practices in global health learning. These best-practices have moved beyond traditional, face-to-face (F2F), classroom-based didactics to the use of innovative online, asynchronous and synchronous instructional design and the information and communication technology (ICT) tools to support it. But moving to this higher level of online in-service and pre-service training, key obligations (e.g., stopping neocolonialization, cultural humility, reversing brain drain, gender equity) must guide the modernization of instructional design and the supporting ICT. To positively impact global health training, educators must meet the needs of learners where they are.

Purpose: We describe a set of multi-communication methods, e-Learning principles, strategies, and ICT approaches for educators to pivot content delivery from traditional, F2F classroom didactics into the modern era. These best-practices in both the obligations and approaches utilize thoughtful, modern strategies of instructional design and ICT.

Approach: We harnessed our collective experiences in global health training to present thoughtful insights on the guiding principles, strategies, and ICT environment central to develop learning curricula that meet trainee needs and how they can be actualized. Specifically, we describe five strategies: 1. Individualized learning; 2. Provide experiential learning; 3. Mentor … Mentor … Mentor; 4. Reinforce learning through assessment; and 5. Information and communication technology and tools to support learning.

Discussion: We offer a vision, set of guiding principles, and five strategies for successful curricula delivery in the modern era so that global health training can be made available to a wider audience more efficiently and effectively.

Publication types

  • Consensus Development Conference
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Education, Distance / methods*
  • Educational Measurement / methods
  • Global Health / education*
  • Humans
  • International Cooperation
  • Learning*
  • Mentoring / methods*
  • Problem-Based Learning / methods*

Grants and funding

This work was supported by 1) Afya Bora Consortium fellowship, which is funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through funding to the University of Washington’s International AIDS Education and Training Center (IAETC) under cooperative agreement U91 HA06801 from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Global HIV/AIDS Bureau and (2) the STAR project funded through Cooperative Agreement No. 7200AA18CA00001 by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The views presented here do not necessarily reflect the views of these funding agencies.