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Using distance learning technology to enhance health education competencies among undergraduate college students-A southern experience
The mission of National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) is to enhance the professional practice of Health Education by promoting and sustaining a credentialed body of Health Education Specialists. The Seven Areas of responsibilities set forth by the (NCHEC) assesses competencies and sub competencies defining the role of health education specialists. These competencies were verified by 2010 Health Educator Job analysis report and are the basis of conducting the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) examination. The purpose of the current study was to assess mastery of these competencies using a distance learning (100 %) online course over two semesters. A cross-sectional survey was deployed in an online environment among a self-selected sample (n=70) of undergraduate college students at a Southern University. A pretest-postest single group design was used with a senior level health education planning and evaluation online course as an intervention. Preliminary results indicated that the increase of knowledge scores from pretest to posttest were highest in Area II (61.2 % vs 70.3 %), Area III (90.32 vs 96.2 %) correct responses. Additionally a useful gain in scores was seen for Area VII (71 vs 74 %). Areas I, II and IV didn’t show any change in the scores which possibly may be due to students having baseline competent skills assessing those areas. Implications of this study in enhancing competencies and sub competencies among students will be discussed. Future recommendations suggest using more in-depth surveys and enhanced methodological design to assess student learning of health education competencies.
Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health educationPublic health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Assess student learning of competency-based health education principles
Identify diverse areas of responsibilities for emerging health education specialists as outlined by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing
Keyword(s): College Students, Distance Education/Learning
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am an Assistant Professor and Health Education Emphasis area advisor in the Department of Health, Human Performance and Sport Management at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.