Document Type
Poster
Presentation Date
6-14-2016
Abstract
Background:
Despite the evidence that shows the pedagogical benefits of experiential education, epidemiology instructors rarely utlize experiential activities to teach epidemiological concepts and skills.
Poster presented at 8th annual 2016 Thomas Jefferson University Faculty Days.
Recommended Citation
McIntire, MPH, PhD, Russell K.; Day, MS, Kathleen; and Dyer, BS, Sean, "Using a Smartphone App to Teach Students Practical Epidemiological Skills" (2016). Thomas Jefferson University Faculty Days. Paper 31.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/tjufacultydays/31
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Higher Education Commons, Medicine and Health Sciences Commons
Comments
Left to right: Sean Dyer, Kathleen Day and Russell McIntire.
This presentation describes the design and use of a smart phone application (ObserveSmoking) to teach students in the Thomas Jefferson University College of Population Health (JCPH) Master of Public Health program how to collect data for a real world epidemiological study. Researchers from JCPH and staff members from the TJU Center for Teaching and Learning create the ObserveSmoking App for use by students in PBH 606 Advanced Epidemiology to collect observational data on smoking behavior in Philadelphia parks with hand-help electronic devices. The App was developed using rapid prototyping and designed with the most simplistic interface to collect the desired data. Both qualitative and quantitative student feedback showed that students found the App easy to use, and the data collection activities to be a successful method of teaching epidemiological skills.