Goldie Instructs Orientation Course

CHDS Faculty Director Sue J. Goldie’s novel online course, “Foundations for Public Health,” welcomed more than 700 students beginning their graduate studies at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The course introduces students to the fundamental principles of public health and provides a framework to understand and tackle population health challenges. Goldie told students, “One of the features of our field is that we don’t just identify the problems and investigate them, we also ask, ‘How do we respond to them?’”

Goldie emphasizes that understanding public health challenges requires consideration of both health conditions (diseases, injuries, and physiologic states like pregnancy, etc.) and the “conditions” for health (social, economic, political, and environmental factors that influence health). She challenges students to consider the interconnections between biology, population, society, and the environment.

Goldie credits the ongoing work at the CHDS Media Hub and the Global Health Education and Learning Incubator (Harvard University) as the “engines” that drive much of the multimedia prototyping in the “Foundations for Public Health” course. Efforts in the two centers, both directed by Goldie, are collaborative and synergistic. While GHELI has supported many of the companion materials to build course scaffolding for students, the CHDS Media Hub has integrated techniques from the arts, film, and strategies based on evidence from the learning sciences to create digital learning spaces that promote social connection without physical presence. Read more in an article published in the Harvard Chan School’s news.

As part of Orientation Week, Goldie welcomed students back and shared advice to support the students in their learning journey. She highlighted the ways in which the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to shape Harvard as an institution, faculty, and students in many ways. Having an increased understanding of the challenges each group faces will be critical as Harvard Chan School adapts to today’s ever-changing public health situation.

More about the CHDS Media Hub

The CHDS Media Hub combines a physical brainstorming space with a laboratory-like digital environment to prototype, pilot and produce educational multimedia for teaching, learning and policy translation.