Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health



Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public HealthUniversity of ArizonaCPH 459/559, Section 3: School-based Asthma ResearchFall Semester 2014SYLLABUSCredit Hours:3 credit hoursLocation: Drachman A and area TUSD schoolsInstructor: Lynn Gerald, PhDResearch Specialist: Clara EhrmanArizona Respiratory CenterRoom?2344 Clinical Research Staff csehrman@email.arizona.eduOffice Hours:By appointmentTeaching Assistant:Aimee Snyder, MPHwiggs@email.arizona.eduCatalog Description: This hybrid course provides public health undergraduate and graduate students with research knowledge, training, and practice in school-based asthma management. Students will learn about asthma, school systems, and the research process in the context of a school-based research study, Supervised Asthma Medication in Schools (SAMS). SAMS will take place at 16 TUSD elementary schools, randomized to 8 intervention and 8 1-year delayed-intervention, during the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years. Students in this special topics course will be trained to conduct quantitative interviews with elementary children at the intervention and delayed intervention schools enrolled in the SAMS study. Course Prerequisites: Undergraduates: admission to the major and permission of instructor. Graduates: permission of instructor.Course Learning Objectives: At the end of the course, a student should be able to:1. Describe asthma’s important underlying pathophysiologic and clinical features.2. Recognize the symptoms and signs of an acute asthma exacerbation.3. Describe the current behavioral and pharmacologic treatments of asthma.4. Define the key features of asthma control and asthma exacerbation risk.5. Describe important epidemiologic trends associated with the incidence and prevalence of asthma with emphasis on asthma’s impact among under-represented populations.6. Demonstrate competency in the key ethical concepts of human subject research.7. Demonstrate competency in the collection and management of research data.8. Identify and address challenges in asthma care and educationCourse Competencies Undergraduate: 4. Appropriately incorporate determinants of health (environmental, social, cultural, behavioral, and biological) when studying the causation of disease and access to health services. 5. Provide a biological description for the major causes of communicable and non-communicable diseases and their pathology. 6. Provide an environmental description for the major causes of communicable and non-communicable diseases and their pathology. 11. Construct and evaluate a community level intervention that addresses a current public health issue. 14. Integrate Public Health theories into practice. Graduate: B. 1. Communicates effectively both in writing and orally (unless a handicap precludes one of those forms of communication) B. 2. Interpreting and presenting accurately and effectively demographic, statistical, and scientific information for professional and lay audiences adapting and translating public health concepts to individuals and communities B. 3. Soliciting input from individuals and organizations B. 5. Leading and participating in groups to address specific issues, including ability to work in teams, span organizational boundaries, and cross systems B. 7. Demonstrating cultural competency in all of the above and community development D. 2. Interacting competently, respectively, and professionally with persons from diverse backgrounds D. 4. Developing and adapting approaches to public health problems that take into account cultural differences Course Format and Content: This research service-learning course is a hybrid of direct instruction and data collection (child-interviewing) at TUSD elementary schools. The course will begin with intensive workshops one week in late July. Data collection will take place Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for 2-3 hours in August and November.Course Notes: A webpage has been created for this class using the Desire 2 Learn (D2L). The course website contains the syllabus, assignments, and readings/additional resources. Required Text and/or Reading: Any additional required reading will be provided via D2L. Course Requirements: Background Check:Any student who does not have a criminal background check must remain under the supervision of a study staff member at all times at the schools. Students may obtain a fingerprint clearance card if they would like to take on a leadership role in the school-based interview visits. Fingerprint clearance cards must be in hand by August 1st. Summer Workshop:Students will attend a 3-day, intensive workshop in late July for the direct instruction and practice interviews. One day of the workshop will take place at a TUSD school. The workshop will end with a performance assessment role-playing a child-interview with a classmate. CITI Training:Each student will be required to complete CITI Training for human subjects’ research prior to beginning their research participation activity (no exceptions).Asthma Basics:Students will complete the American Lung Association’s Asthma Basics online module, view the associated videos and attachments listed below, and pass the quiz with at least 80%. Asthma Basics (~50 minutes) Learning Objectives (see 1-5 of course learning objectives)Identify characteristics and symptoms of asthmaRecognize asthma triggers and control strategiesDemonstrate familiarity with asthma medications and devicesUnderstand the value and use of an Asthma Action PlanRespond to a breathing emergencyVideos:Asthma AnimationPeak Flow Meter VideoInhaler demonstration videos (Aerolizer, Diskus, Flexhaler, Twisthaler)Metered-dose Inhaler with and without spacer videosBelly Breathing VideoQuizAttachments:Asthma Action PlanEnvironmental Control GuideNebulizerTrends in Asthma Morbidity and Mortality (Required for grad students only)Asthma Basics Online Course Evaluation (link will be emailed to you by ALA)Research Participation:Students will conduct quantitative child-interviews at 8 of the 16 schools during the months of August and November. Teams of approximately six students and one or two study staff members will conduct interviews at two schools a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, for the four weeks of August and November. Students will also attend make-up data collection visits to conduct interviews with absent children from the previous week’s schools. This will equal roughly 10 hours a week for 8 weeks. Reflection:Complete a concise 2-page reflection including:What: Brief observations from your school-based research training and practice Objective facts about the experienceHow were you trained, Where did you go, what population did you encounter, who did you work withSo What: Connections on a personal AND public health levelAnalyze the experienceWhat did you learn from the experience? Skills gained?How did you apply your public health knowledge?Are there pressing needs of the community?How does this course benefit you and the community?Now What: Next steps on a personal AND public health levelFuture impact of the experience on you and populationHow will you use what you learned from this experience in your future?What is needed to meet the needs of the schools/community?Graduate Activity: Questionnaire Design Assignment:Students will analyze and critique the purpose of the SAMS questionnaires and the method of delivery in a research paper. Then using what they learned from the class and their analysis, students will apply those lessons learned to a different field of their choice by identifying a research question/study objective and a short, congruent questionnaire. Format: No more than 6 pages, double-spacedPage 1-2: SAMS Analysis and Critique Were the items fitting to the study objectives? Give examples.Was the method of data collection standardized and valid? Give examples.Page 3-5: Questionnaire DesignWhat is your research question/study objective?Who is the population you would question?Do any related questionnaires already exist? Are they relevant to your population/field? Can they be tailored to fit? How?Should they be delivered in a specific way? Does it matter?Page 6: Identify your questionnaire items (at least 5). Explain the rational for the questionnaire (any changes made or any not made) and the items’ objective/s.Grading/Student Evaluation: Undergraduate students:Completion of Workshop Activities20 pointsPerformance Assessment 20 points Data Collection at TUSD schools40 pointsReflection 20 pointsGraduate students:Completion of Workshop Activities15 pointsPerformance Assessment 15 points Data Collection at TUSD schools40 pointsWritten assignment30 pointsFinal grades are based on the traditional grading cut points of A = 90-100%, B = 80-89%, C = 70-79%, D = 60-69%, E < 60%.The instructor reserves the right to revise the course requirements, allocation of points and the grading scale.Class Attendance/Participation: Attendance and active participation is expected in the 3-day, intensive workshop. Students must honor the schedule set by the school and study staff to maintain the professionalism and partnership between the University of Arizona, and the school. All holidays or special events observed by organized religions will be honored for those students who show affiliation with that particular religion. Absences pre-approved by the UA Dean of Students (or Dean’s designee) will be honored.Course Schedule: The schedule will be updated as needed on D2L. July 22-243-day workshop-Safe Conduct of Human Subjects Research-Asthma Overview-School Health System-Existing School Asthma Programs/Policies-Research Methodology-School Nurses/Health Aid Panel QA-Data Collection Procedures-Data Collection Practice at TUSD schools-Data Collection Performance AssessmentHomework: Asthma Basics and CITI certificationAugust 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, 26, 28 Data Collection at 8 SAMS elementary schools October 28Data Collection Refresher and PracticeNovember 4, 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27Data Collection at 8 SAMS elementary schools December 10Dropbox written assignment/sRequired Statements:Communications: You are responsible for reading emails sent to your UA account from your professor and the announcements that are placed on the course web site. Information about readings, news events, your grades, assignments and other course related topics will be communicated to you with these electronic methods. The official policy can be found at: Accommodation: ?If you anticipate issues related to the format or requirements of this course, please meet with me.? I would like us to discuss ways to ensure your full participation in the course.? If you determine that formal, disability-related accommodations are necessary, it is very important that you be registered with Disability Resources (621-3268; drc.arizona.edu) and notify me of your eligibility for reasonable accommodations.? We can then plan how best to coordinate your accommodations. The official policy can be found at: Integrity: All UA students are responsible for upholding the University?of Arizona Code of Academic Integrity, available through the office of the Dean of Students and online: The official policy found at: Behavior: (Statement of expected behavior and respectful exchange of ideas)The Dean of Students has set up expected standards for student behaviors and has defined and identified what is disruptive and threatening behavior. This information is available at: are expected to be familiar with the UA Policy on Disruptive and Threatening Student Behavior in an Instructional Setting found at: and the Policy on Threatening Behavior by Students found at: Policy:? Should a student feel he or she has been treated unfairly, there are a number of resources available. With few exceptions, students should first attempt to resolve difficulties informally by bringing those concerns directly to the person responsible for the action, or with the student's graduate advisor, Assistant Dean for Student and Alumni Affairs, department head, or the immediate supervisor of the person responsible for the action. If the problem cannot be resolved informally, the student may file a formal grievance using the Graduate College Grievance Policy found at: Appeal Policy: Changes:? Information contained in the course syllabus, other than the grade and absence policies, may be subject to change with reasonable advance notice, as deemed appropriate. Laptops and Electronic Devices (including cell phones): Laptops and other electronic devices can interfere with class, so please turn them off. Phones can be left on vibrate if needed, but no phone calls or texting are allowed during class. Laptops should not be used during the class period, unless there is a documented need for their use. For most lectures, hard copies of presentations are provided. You may use your laptops prior to the beginning of class or during the break. Other General Notes Regarding Graduate CoursesPlagiarism: Plagiarism can occur when a student copies text word-for-word without quoting, fails to paraphrase, or fails correctly reference materials used for preparing a written assignment. This includes fictitious or incorrect references. If plagiarism is detected on an assignment, it will result in automatic failure for that assignment. A second offense will result in automatic course failure. All these actions will be reported to the Section Chair, the Dean of the College of Public Health, and the Dean of Students. This policy is in place for this class because scientific writing is a fundamental skill at both the undergraduate and graduate level in this field, and for this course. If you feel you are unsure as to what might constitute plagiarism, there are numerous resources at the University of Arizona, including the writing lab, to help you avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism: What counts as plagiarism?Copying and pasting information from a web site or another source, and then revising it so that it sounds like your original idea.Doing an assignment/essay/take home test with a friend and then handing in separate assignments that contain the same ideas, language, phrases, etc.Quoting a passage without quotation marks/citations so that it looks like your own. Paraphrasing a passage without citing it, so that it looks like your own.Hiring another person to do your work for you, or purchasing a paper through any of the on- or off-line sources. ................
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