The Office of Evidence-Based Learning (OEBL) was launched in 2016 in the Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Department (BSHES) at the Rollins School of Public Health. Its mission is to generate scholarship in public health pedagogy and to support faculty and instructors in implementing effective teaching practices as they train future public health professionals. Specifically, OEBL focuses on two main areas:
1. Developing the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in public health
- OEBL aims to position the BSHES department and by extension the RSPH, as a leader in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in public health. Its goal is to support and collaborate with faculty, instructors, and trainees in developing and conducting SoTL projects that will contribute to a data-driven knowledge base on how to most effectively train learners to be successful public health practitioners when they graduate. Below is a list of OEBL peer-reviewed publications, commentaries, and thoughts pieces on pedagogy in public health authored by Rollins faculty along with Masters and Doctoral, and postdoctoral trainees.
2. Supporting faculty and instructor development in teaching
- OEBL provides support to faculty, instructors, and doctoral students with syllabus development and course preparation, course revisions as well as peer observations of classroom teaching and assistance with in-depth course evaluations such as the implementation of the Group Instructional Feedback Techniques.
For inquiries about collaboration on SoTL projects or teaching support in the areas listed above, reach out to OEBL Director, Dr. Liz Walker or Assistant Director, Dr. Robin McGee.
OEBL Publications
OEBL has published peer-reviewed manuscripts on the results of SoTL projects and evaluations of innovative pedagogical strategies and curricular approaches for training MPH students, as well as commentaries on conducting and supporting SoTL work in schools of public health.
Talley, C., Comeau, D., German, T., Boykin, B., Walker, E.R. The importance of history in an MPH program: A qualitative evaluation of an Applied History of Public Health course. Pedagogy in Health Promotion, e-pub ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F23733799221108128.
Biello, S., Yoss, S., Walker, E.R., Druss, B.G., Lang, D.L. (2022). Addressing Public Mental Health Challenges: A Mixed Methods Evaluation of Problem-based Learning. (2020). Pedagogy in Health Promotion, 8(1), 59-66.
Walker, E.R., Comeau, D., McBride, C., Lang, D.L. (2021). Toward an office of evidence-based learning in public health: Formal support, pedagogical scholarship, and effective teaching. American Journal of Public Health, 110(10), 1741-1745..
Walker, E.R., Lang, D.L., Alperin, M., Vu, M., Barry, C., Gaydos, L.M. (2020). Comparing student learning, satisfaction, and experiences between blended and in-person course modalities: A comprehensive, mixed methods evaluation of five public health courses. Pedagogy in Health Promotion, 7(1), 29-37,
Walker, E.R., Lang, D.L., Caruso, B.A., Salas-Hernández, L. (2019). Role of team dynamics in the learning process: A mixed-methods evaluation of modified Team-Based Learning approach in a behavioral research methods course. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 25(2), 383-399.
Walker, E.R., Lang, D.L., & Woodruff, R.C. (2019). Involving public health graduate students and trainees in the scholarship of teaching and learning. Pedagogy in Health Promotion, 6(2), 85-57.
Lang, D.L. & Walker, E.R. (2019). Innovations in evaluating and valuing public health teaching: The challenge of course evaluations. In L. Sullivan & S. Galea (Eds.), Teaching in Public Health. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Comeau, D.L, Palacios, N., Talley, C., Walker, E.R., Escoffery, C., Thompson, W.W., Lang, D.L. (2018). Community-engaged learning in public health: A mixed methods evaluation of utilization and value of student projects. Pedagogy in Health Promotion, 5(1), 3-13.
Komro, K.A., Lang, D.L., Walker, E.R., & Harper, P.D. (2018). Carrying on the legacy of the Health Impact Pyramid: Integrating structural determinants into MPH training for the next generation of health promotion professionals. American Journal of Public Health, 108(4), 477-479.
Lang, D.L., Walker, E.R., Steiner, R.J., Woodruff, R.C. (2017). Implementation and mixed-methods evaluation of Team-Based Learning in a graduate public health research methods course. Pedagogy in Health Promotion, 4(2), 140-150.