Fall 2020 - HSCI 891 G100
Special Topics in Health Sciences (3)
Class Number: 6348
Delivery Method: Remote
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 9 – Dec 8, 2020: Mon, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Charlotte Waddell
cawaddel@sfu.ca
1 778 782-7778
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
Special topics in areas not currently covered within the graduate program offerings.
COURSE DETAILS:
Welcome! This seminar will provide you with an approach to understanding the policy process, viewed through the lens of child health. The goal is to equip you to engage in the policy process – whether as practitioners, advocates, policymakers, scientists or citizens – while also learning how child health underpins the health of populations. Defining policymaking as “collective ethical decision-making” for “the one and the many” we will first cover fundamentals: goals for healthy development for all children; models for understanding the policy process; and methods for policy-relevant writing and research. Then we will work through selected child health policy problems such as: impact of COVID-19 on children; service inequities for children with disabilities; childhood obesity, hunger and food insecurity; challenges implementing mental health research in practice for children; and violations of children's rights historically and currently, including racism, homo/transphobia and colonialism. For each topic we will also examine policy options for progress and reasons for hope – including what we can learn from Indigenous communities.
This online course will be both synchronous (S) using Zoom and asynchronous (AS) using Canvas, with email for sending assignments and receiving feedback. Each week we will cover:
1. Content overviews and case studies (my 45-minute video presentations will be posted weekly) (AS);
2. Readings (2–3 articles will be posted weekly; you will prepare brief written analyses, 4 over the term) (AS);
3. Presentations on “children in the news” (you will prepare brief online videos, 2 over the term) (AS);and
4. Group discussions (reflections on the content overviews, case studies, readings and “children in the news”; 60 minutes each week; Monday afternoons, time to be decided by the group) (S).
Group discussions and individual presentations will help you consolidate your learning. You will also be asked to prepare 3 linked written assignments: 1) proposal for a systematic review on the child health policy topic of your choice; 2) briefing note aimed at persuading policy actors who would disagree with your evidence and/or your conclusions; and 3) final paper. The course will culminate with simulated policy debates(S) that you each will lead.
COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:
After completing this seminar, you will be able to:
- Describe leading child health problems and their importance for the health of populations;
- Explain major influences on the policy process and how to engage in the process constructively;
- Outline effective policy approaches to reducing or resolving important child health problems;
- Identify, critically appraise and rigorously synthesize health research evidence;
- Apply your knowledge in understanding relevant historical and current events locally and globally; and
- Present your ideas effectively in writing and in discussions and presentations and debates.
Grading
- Written analyses on weekly readings (4 over the term; 250 words, no references) 20%
- Presentations on "children in the news" (2 over the term) 10%
- Research proposal (due October 16, 2020; 500 words, 10–15 references) 20%
- Policy briefing note (due November 20, 2020; 250 words, no references) 10%
- Policy debate (during last 2 classes) 10%
- Final research paper (due December 11, 2020; 1,000 words, 10–15 references) 20%
- Engagement in group discussions (throughout the term) 10%
REQUIREMENTS:
Prerequisites: Graduate students in the health sciences or related disciplines from SFU or other BC Universities, or the instructor’s permission.
Materials
MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:
What you will need: Video presentations on topic overviews and case studies will be posted weekly on Zoom and on Canvas; handouts for each presentation will also be posted weekly on Canvas, as will all required readings; weekly group discussions will occur live by Zoom; this course requires internet access sufficient to participate in Zoom video conversations.
REQUIRED READING:
You will be asked to read 2–3 articles each week, starting in week 2, e.g., scholarly journal articles, book chapters, investigative journalism pieces; all readings will be posted on Canvas.
Graduate Studies Notes:
Important dates and deadlines for graduate students are found here: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/current/important_dates/guidelines.html. The deadline to drop a course with a 100% refund is the end of week 2. The deadline to drop with no notation on your transcript is the end of week 3.
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.
Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html
TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2020
Teaching at SFU in fall 2020 will be conducted primarily through remote methods. There will be in-person course components in a few exceptional cases where this is fundamental to the educational goals of the course. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.
Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).