Developed by:
S. Bryn Austin, ScD – Professor, Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital
Holly C. Gooding, MD, MS – Assistant Professor, Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital
Lori Garg, MD, MPH – Consultant in MCH Field Practice, Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital
Chris Dede, PhD – Professor, Technology, Innovation, and Education Program, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Megan Kipp, MEd – Instructional Designer, Consultant to Boston Children’s Hospital
Using this Innovative Teaching Award (ITA), the STRIPED team (Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders) developed 1 of 2 e-modules designed to engage learners in real-world dilemmas, problem solving, and teamwork to tackle current, high-impact issues in eating disorders prevention. This ITA-supported e-module is titled “Who’s Calling Me Fat? or, How Columbia Got Its Obesity Prevention Campaign Back on Track”. It is designed not for self-instruction but for use with a group of at least 10 learners who take part in the e-module together during a set 3-week period of instruction. During this time, learners are able to interact with the instructor and fellow online learners and will complete a small-group project within teams of 3 or so other participating learners. During the 3-week period, learners will be able to access the e-module and complete the reading and writing assignments at any time that is convenient to them during the day or evening, weekday or weekend. The expected total time commitment for learners over the 3-week period is approximately 12 hours. For more information about or to participate in the e-module, contact Erin Gibson, MPH at [email protected].
Story Synopsis: Gisele Rodriguez, MPH, moved back to her hometown, East Point, in the fictional U.S. state of Columbia, after graduate school and joined the Columbia Department of Public Health (CDPH). Working with a marketing firm, Gisele and colleagues set out to create an obesity prevention campaign; however, the resulting product is met with community and national backlash for its stigmatizing messages and images. At the end of the story, CDPH releases a request for proposals to invite applications from community agencies to develop a new campaign that is both evidence-based and solicitous of community ideas and input, thus more likely to be effective and engender community-wide acceptance and support.
Skills: Through this case, learners develop skills in designing a social marketing campaign that is informed by the evidence and attentive to ethical concerns in both its design and evaluation plan.
Screen 1: The e-module will be conducted in the fall using Canvas, Harvard’s learning management system. The learner cohort will consist of practitioners/students from across the country.
Screen 2: This e-module focuses on public health program development using the case-based teaching method.
Screen 3: Learners will first develop a context for recognizing weight-based stigma in public health campaigns. They are encouraged to apply their own experiences to gain a personal connection with the concepts and to learn from their peers.
Screen 4: Learners will then see the issues in action in the form of a case scenario. Learners will read the case, then revisit the case in an interactive format.
Screen 5: The interactive case brings the story to life through engaging images and media format.
Screen 6: Learners are also encouraged to interact with the case through guided response opportunities.
Screen 7: The e-module uses social constructivist methods including discussion with peers and instructors, dialogues, and team-based activities that allow students to practice the programming methods presented.
