IP 5: Global Health
The concept of health is complex, multifactorial and exists on many levels. In the above image, I have provided a visualization of the relationships that exist between an individual’s health and their environment. This environment extends beyond the physical body to potentially the furthest corner of the world. The Covid 19 pandemic not only illustrated how connected we are to the world on a global level and to each other, but it also highlighted and amplified the complexities and barriers that exist in our health care and educational system. As illustrated above, it was an accelerant, adding fuel to an existing flame. Although this global health crisis showcased the pre-existing inequities in education and potentially furthered them, it was also a mechanism for investigating our current teaching and learning structures and creating meaningful change (Boys, 2021).
What is global health and how does it connect to educational technology?
Global health focuses on improving health outcomes for all people worldwide and achieving health equity (Koplan et al., 2009). When faced with global health concerns, technology allows us to connect, creates access, and enhances collaboration despite the physical distance that separates us. We are all connected and can be affected by external factors that impact our health; however, the solutions to global health challenges often come from our community public health systems (Campbell et al., 2012). Closely linked to our public health systems and community well-being is that of our education system, which is, in turn, closely linked to technology in this rapidly evolving world. The creation of the COVID Education Alliance is evidence of how global health, education and technology impact each other. This alliance was created during the pandemic to address the challenges of digital transformation in the educational system due to the COVID-19 pandemic (COVID Education Alliance, 2020). Their goal was to address the shortcomings of the current education systems made evident by the COVID-19 pandemic and help systems adapt to the requirements of a rapidly changing world.
What lessons were learned from this most recent global health event?
There were many lessons learned during the Covid 19 pandemic specific to education. As a result of the immediate need to create physical distance to prevent viral spread, a rapid and extensive shift in pedagogy unfolded resulting in a near-total dependence on technology to sustain educational activities (McCready, 2024). This pivot to online learning revealed much about who can and cannot access education and how technology interacts with, and at times distances itself from, human experience (McCready, 2024). It was speculated that the pandemic would lead to unequal opportunities for learners with limited access to technology and parental support; however, yet research showed little evidence of this inequality when compared to pre-pandemic times (Kuhfled et al., 2020). Boys (2021) highlights how preexisting unconscious biases have always existed with face-to-face learning, and technology merely adds to this. The lesson highlighted here is that the pandemic emphasized inequities that have always existed but likely made these inequalities more visible.
Boy (2021) also discusses how the pandemic allowed for a deeper understanding of the gaps between what the teacher assumes and what the learner understands. His article discusses the perception that in-person learning is preferable and the underlying assumptions that can exist within this learning environment. For example, the student who shows up to class prepared is often coined the ideal learner as it is assumed this learner possesses preferred character traits (Boys, 2021). This bias has trickled into virtual learning, with assumptions being made about learners with their cameras off, for example. The lesson or, more accurately, the question posed, is does face-to-face interaction needs to exist to allow for effective learning?
The pandemic also allowed academics to connect online in various ways and share ideas on how to improve curriculum, resources, teaching methods, and student experiences (Boys, 2021). The lesson? We all have a lot to learn and can learn from each other.
The final lesson I will highlight is that to prepare learners for the future, major changes are needed in what we learn, how we learn, and how we teach (COVID Education Alliance, 2020). The COVID Education Alliance (2020) recognized how technology can facilitate access to online educational content, resulting in richer educational experiences both online and in schools. By leveraging educational technology tools, we can build knowledge, character, judgment, resilience and social awareness (COVID Education Alliance, 2020).
References
Boys, J. (2021). Exploring inequalities in the social, spatial and material practices of teaching and learning in pandemic times. Postdigital Science and Education, 4(1), 13-32.
Campbell, R.M., Pleic, M., & Connolly, H. (2012, June 2). The importance of a common global health definition: How Canada’s definition influences its strategic direction in global health.Links to an external site. Journal of Global Health, 2(1).
COVID Education Alliance. (2020). COVID Education Alliance (COVIDEA): Adapting education systems to a fast changing and increasingly digital world through the use of appropriate technologies. Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability (FOGGS) and Platform for Transformative Technologies. https://www.foggs.org/covidea/
Koplan, J. P., Bond, T. C., Merson, M. H., Reddy, K. S., Rodriguez, M. H., Sewankambo, N. K., Wasserheit, J. N., & Consortium of Universities for Global Health Executive Board. (2009). Towards a common definition of global health. The Lancet, 373(9679), 1993–1995.
Kuhfeld, M., Soland, J., Tarasawa, B., Johnson, A., Ruzek, E., & Lewis, K. (2020, December 3). How is COVID-19 affecting student learning? Question 2. Brown Center Chalkboard, Brookings.
McCready, S. (2024). Module 5: Global health [MOOC]. Univeristy of British Columbia. https://canvas.ubc.ca/courses147974/pages/.global-health?module_item_id=7126882