Syllabus

Schedule

Course Dates

Week 1: Oct 30 – Nov 6
Week 2: Nov 6 – Nov 13
Week 3: Nov 13 – Nov 20
Week 4: Nov 20 – Nov 27
Week 5: Nov 27 – Dec 4
Week 6: Dec 4 – Dec 11
Week 7: Dec 11 – Dec 18
Week 8: Dec 18 – Dec 22

The assignment and discussion descriptions mentioned below are summaries. Please make sure to review the full prompts in Brightspace.

Week 1: Introduction to One Health

Learning Outcomes:

• Discuss their current knowledge of One Health
• Discuss the importance of collaborative inquiry
• Select a zoonotic or vector-borne disease for further research throughout the course

Learning Activities:

• Week 1 Acknowledgement of Academic Engagement Quiz
• Week 1 Discussion: Introductions
  • Initial post: Introduce yourself to your classmates and your instructor. Write a brief summary of yourself (e.g., name, where you’re from, your program concentration, your area of interest, a random interesting fact about yourself), and discuss your current understanding of One Health and why you chose to take this course. Share your experience of working on teams (independently and/or collaboratively) and discuss why it may be important for students to think about this as they begin a One Health course.
  • Response post: Read and respond to each other’s posts (minimally two) and get to know those who will be your classmates for the next 8 weeks.

• Week 1 Assignment: Meet with Instructor

  • Meet with your instructor and choose a zoonotic or vector-borne disease for your Key Assessment project.
    Your learning material will focus on zoonotic diseases in week 2 and vector-borne diseases in week 3 of the course. However, to prepare for your week 3 Key Assessment assignment you should begin investigating various zoonotic and vector-borne diseases and select a few that most interest you. To do that, please review the following CDC sites, along with any other resources you find:

    • Zoonotic Diseases (https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/basics/zoonotic-diseases.html)

    • CDC Division of Vector-Borne Diseases (Division of Vector-Borne Diseases (DVBD) | Division of Vector-Borne Diseases | NCEZID | CDC)

  • By the end of week 1, you should schedule a meeting with your instructor to discuss and obtain approval for the zoonotic or vector-borne disease that will be the focus of your Key Assessment project. To facilitate the most comprehensive learning possible, each student must select a different disease for the Key Assessment project.

Week 2: A One Health Perspective on Zoonotic Diseases

Learning Outcomes:

• Investigate systems mapping as a framework for visually representing public health issues
• Create a template to gather and incorporate resources for systems mapping

Learning Activities:

• Week 2 Assignment: Planning Template

  • In week 7, you will create a systems map that represents the complexity of the disease you have chosen for your Key Assessment project. Your assignment this week will introduce you to systems mapping and  provide the framework for that final assignment of your Key Assessment project. After viewing the provided resources, you should create a planning template that you will use to gather the information throughout the course that you will then incorporate into your systems map. You can design this however you choose (and you will likely revise it over the next few weeks), but it should be a tool for keeping track of the various components, resources, and information you will include in your final systems map. 

Week 3: A One Health Perspective on Vector-Borne Diseases

Learning Outcomes:

• Design a control program for a vector-borne disease, in alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
• Evaluate the costs of a vector-borne disease program
• Write a comprehensive review of a zoonotic or vector-borne disease
• Discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequities and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity
• Synthesize and incorporate scientific evidence into professional writing

Learning Activities:

• Week 3 Discussion: Case Study – Economics in One Health
  • After reviewing the Case Study: Economics in One Health write a Discussion post that includes the following:
    • Identify a vector-borne disease (VBD) that has had a significant economic impact in the last 10 years.
    • How would you design a control program for your identified VBD that best responds to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals?
    • What would such a program cost? Who would bear the costs? How would you balance the interacting forces involved?
  • In your response to at least one of your peers, critique the VBD control program recommended and offer an alternate approach.

• Week 3 Assignment: Key Assessment – Comprehensive Review
  • For your Key Assessment assignment this week you will write a comprehensive review of your selected zoonotic or vector-borne disease. Your review should include:
    • Transmission of disease
    • Pathophysiology of disease
    • Upstream causes (from a One Health perspective)
    • Downstream impacts (from a One Health perspective)
  • This should be a 4 – 5 page review (1.5 spacing, 12 point font, AMA format).

Week 4: A One Health Perspective on Pollution

Learning Outcomes:

• Evaluate an anthropogenic pollutant using a One Health perspective
• Apply a transdisciplinary approach to devise solutions to anthropogenic pollutants
• Discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequities and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity

Learning Activities:

• Week 4 Discussion: Case Study – Toxicology
  • After reviewing the Case Study: Toxicology in One Health and considering the critical thinking questions proposed, write a Discussion post that includes the following:
    • Identify an example of an anthropogenic pollutant that is having an impact on human, animal and environmental health.
    • Describe the sources of the pollutant, along with the human, animal and environmental impacts.
    • Suggest a transdisciplinary approach to bringing about real and permanent solutions to the One Health pollution issue you are discussing.
  • In your response to at least one of your peers, critique the transdisciplinary solution presented and suggest ways to evaluate the impact of the success of the suggested transdisciplinary solution.
• Week 4 Assignment: A One Health Perspective on Pollution – Article Evaluation

After completing the readings and lectures from week 4, read this article about noise pollution:

Next, read the primary research publication the article used as its source. Did the popular press article accurately portray the research that was conducted? Did it cover the research study in its entirety or just focus on a portion of the study? If it only discussed a portion of the study, do you think it misleads readers – why or why not?

• • Rosa P, Koper N. Impacts of oil well drilling and operating noise on abundance and productivity of grassland songbirds. Journal of Applied Ecology. 2021;59(2):574-584. doi:10.1111/1365-2664.14075 

Consider the issue from a One Health perspective.

• • What are the upstream causes of the noise pollution issue discussed (think deeply and broadly)? 
  • How could the noise pollution discussed impact the local human, animal (beyond birds) and environmental health? Describe all inter-relationships among these.
  • Suggest a transdisciplinary solution to the noise pollution issue discussed. Identify the roles and responsibilities of everyone needed to ensure the solution is meaningful and permanent.

This assignment should be 1-2 pages (1.5 line spacing, 12 pt font) independent of references, which should be cited following AMA formatting. Be sure to check the rubric for grading criteria.In addition to submitting your assignment to your instructor for grading, please also share with your classmates in the Week 4 Article Evaluation Sharing Forum. 

• Week 4: Article Evaluation Sharing Forum

  • Collaboration and the exchange of research is a key component of One Health’s transdisciplinary approach. In this discussion, please share your Week 4 Assignment (One Health Perspective on Pollution – Article Evaluation) for your classmates to read. Responses are optional, but you should take advantage of this opportunity to read others’ evaluations of the same research articles.

Week 5: One Health in Agriculture and Food

Learning Outcomes:

• Evaluate issues in the food industry with negative impacts on human, animal, and environmental health
• Apply a transdisciplinary approach to devise solutions to challenges in agriculture and food industries
• Prepare a solution to the selected zoonotic or vector-borne disease, including identifying stakeholders and planning for implementation and evaluation
• Discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequities and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity
• Synthesize and incorporate scientific evidence into professional writing

Learning Activities:

• Week 5 Discussion: Case Study – Food in One Health
  • After reviewing the Case Study: Food in One Health and considering the critical thinking questions proposed, write a Discussion post that includes the following:
    • Identify one aspect within the food industry that is negatively impacting human, animal and environmental health.
    • From a One Health perspective (i.e. consider the health of animals and the environment along with the human population you identified), discuss upstream causes and downstream consequences of the issue you identified.
    • Suggest a transdisciplinary approach to bringing about real and permanent change and discuss how human, animal and environmental health will be improved.  
  • In your response to at least one of your peers, critique the causes, consequences and solutions discussed and suggest ways to evaluate the impact of the success of the suggested transdisciplinary solution.
• Week 5 Assignment: Key Assessment – Propose a Solution

  • Through your research you have become an expert on your specific zoonotic or vector-borne disease.  You will now propose a solution to mitigate the impact of the disease.  Your solution should be focused on one or more specific populations and it should result in a measurable positive impact. This Key Assessment assignment should include the following:

    • A description of the target population including a justification for why they were chosen.
    • A detailed description of your solution.  This should be a multi-faceted, transdisciplinary solution that includes the One Health approach you are learning about in this course.
    • A discussion outlining who will be involved in implementing and evaluating the impact of  the solution.
    • A comprehensive plan describing how your solution will  be evaluated – both short- and long-term.

    This should be a 4 – 5 page plan  (1.5 spacing, 12 point font, AMA format).

• Week 5: Article Evaluation Sharing Forum

  • Collaboration and the exchange of research is a key component of One Health’s transdisciplinary approach. In this discussion, please share your Week 5 Assignment (One Health in Agriculture and Food – Article Evaluation) for your classmates to read. Responses are optional, but you should take advantage of this opportunity to read others’ evaluations of the same research articles.

Week 6: A One Health Perspective on Poverty

Learning Outcomes:

• Evaluate the impacts of poverty on human, animal, and environmental health
• Discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequities and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity
• Apply a transdisciplinary approach to devise solutions to mitigate the impacts of poverty

Learning Activities:

• Week 6 Discussion: Case Study – Poverty and Spatial Health
  • After reviewing the Case Study: Poverty and Spatial Health and considering the critical thinking questions proposed, write a Discussion post that includes the following:
    • Identify a current example of how poverty is impacting the health of a specific population (this can be anywhere in the world).
    • From a One Health perspective (i.e. consider the health of animals and the environment along with the human population you identified), discuss upstream causes and downstream consequences of the issue you identified.
    • Suggest a transdisciplinary approach to bringing about real and permanent change and discuss how human, animal and environmental health will be improved.
  • In your response to at least one of your peers, critique the causes, consequences and solutions discussed and suggest ways to evaluate the impact of the success of the suggested transdisciplinary solution.
• Week 6 Assignment: A One Health Perspective on Poverty – Article Evaluation

  • After completing the readings and lectures from week 6, read this article about the United Nations’ recognition that a healthy environment is a right.

    • The UN officially recognised the right to a healthy environment. Here’s what that means. Greenpeace International. Accessed September 22, 2022. https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/55098/un-resolution-right-healthy-environment-legal-historic/‌

    Next, read the UN resolution. Did the popular press article accurately portray the resolution? Did it cover it in its entirety or just focus on a portion of the resolution? If it only discusses a portion of the resolution, do you think it misleads readers – why or why not?

    Consider the issue from a One Health perspective.

    • What are the upstream causes that led to the need for the resolution (think deeply and broadly)?
    • Do you believe the resolution will have a significant impact on human, animal, and/or environmental health? Describe all inter-relationships among these.
    • Suggest ways in which the UN resolution could be used by One Health professionals, especially those focused on the impact of the environment on the most vulnerable populations throughout the world. 

    This assignment should be 1-2 pages (1.5 line spacing, 12 pt font) independent of references, which should be cited following AMA formatting. Be sure to check the rubric for grading criteria. In addition to submitting your assignment to your instructor for grading, please also share with your classmates in the Week 6 Article Evaluation Sharing Forum.

• Week 6: Article Evaluation Sharing Forum

  • Collaboration and the exchange of research is a key component of One Health’s transdisciplinary approach. In this discussion, please share your Week 6 Assignment (A One Health Perspective on Poverty – Article Evaluation) for your classmates to read. Responses are optional, but you should take advantage of this opportunity to read others’ evaluations of the same research articles. 

Week 7: A One Health Perspective on Climate Change

Learning Outcomes:

• Evaluate the impacts of natural and environmental disasters on human, animal, and environmental health
• Discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequities and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity
• Apply a transdisciplinary approach to devise solutions to mitigate the impacts of environmental disasters
• Apply a systems thinking tool to visually represent a public health issue in a format other than a standard narrative

Learning Activities:

• Week 7 Discussion: Case Study – Disaster Management
  • After reviewing the Case Study: Disaster Management and considering the critical thinking questions proposed, write a Discussion post that includes the following:
    • Identify an environmental disaster that is occurring more frequently as a result of climate change. 
    • From a One Health perspective (i.e. consider the health of animals and the environment along with the human population you identified), discuss upstream causes and downstream consequences of the type of disaster you identified..
    • Suggest a transdisciplinary approach to preparing for and dealing with the consequence of the disaster you are discussing.
  • In your response to at least one of your peers, critique the preparation and mitigation plans  discussed and suggest ways to improve both.
• Week 7 Assignment: Key Assessment – Systems Map

  • This week you will create a systems map that visually depicts all aspects of your Key Assessment Project (i.e. Transmission, Upstream Causes, Downstream Impacts, Solutions). You should be creative and design a unique visual representation. For ideas and inspiration, examples and suggestions are provided in Brightspace; you can also search Systems Mapping on various sources (e.g. Google, Pinterest).

    You can use any tool you want to create your systems map. Some tools to consider include: Kumu.io and InsightMaker.com

    Submit your Systems Map as a PDF, including references in AMA format. You will also share your systems map with your peers in the Week 8 Discussion forum. Be sure to check the rubric for grading criteria.

Week 8: One Health and Chronic/Non-Communicable Diseases 

Learning Outcomes:

• Apply a systems thinking tool to visually represent a public health issue in a format other than a standard narrative
• Synthesize and incorporate scientific evidence into professional writing
• Evaluate chronic and non-communicable diseases using a One Health perspective

Learning Activities:

• Week 8 Discussion: Key Assessment Systems Map and Summary

  • In your Discussion post this week, you should share the systems map you created and provide a brief written summary of what it represents. No response posts are required this week; however, you are encouraged to review your fellow students’ posts to learn about the vector-borne diseases that are represented. 

    Please submit your initial post by Friday at 11:59 pm EST; responses are optional. 

• Week 8 Assignment: One Health and Chronic/Non-Communicable Diseases – Article Evaluation

  • After completing the readings and lectures from week 8, identify a recent (published in the last year) lay press article (e.g., website, newspaper, blog) about a chronic non-communicable disease that fits into the One Health framework.

    What are the upstream causes of the disease discussed? 
    How does the disease impact human, animal and/or environmental health? Describe all inter-relationships among these.
    Suggest a transdisciplinary solution for prevention and/or treatment to the disease discussed. Identify the roles and responsibilities of everyone needed to ensure the solution or treatment significantly mitigates the impact of the disease.

    This assignment should be approximately one page (1.5 line spacing, 12 pt font) independent of references, which should be cited following APA formatting. In addition to submitting your assignment to your instructor for grading, please also share with your classmates in the Week 8 Article Evaluation Sharing Forum. 

• Week 8: Article Evaluation Sharing Forum 

  • Collaboration and the exchange of research is a key component of One Health’s transdisciplinary approach. In this discussion, please share your Week 8 Assignment (One Health and Chronic/Non-Communicable Diseases – Article Evaluation) for your classmates to read. Responses are optional, but you should take advantage of this opportunity to read others’ evaluations of the same research articles. 

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