Wdyt (What Do You Think): A case study in using web 2.0 applications in the online classroom

The Career MPH program at the Rollins School of Public Health is an online MPH program which offers a course called PRS 501D: Technology Tools for Public Health. Using case studies, this course provides an overview of technology tools used to facilitate and enhance collaboration, communication, instruction, productivity, and social networking. Grounded in Everett Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations theory, students in the course are exposed to variety of web 2.0 applications such as blogs; wikis; instant and text messaging; Skype; Twitter; VoiceThread; podcasts; web conferencing; web-based workspaces; and many others. As students progress through the course, each unit has three components: Research It!; Talk About It!; and Do It! which allows the students to not only explore the different technologies from a theoretical basis, but to also have hands-on experience using many of the technologies. For example, to collaborate on their case studies, small groups use four different collaboration methods (real-time technologies, wiki, VoiceThread, Twitter). Individual students also maintain a personal eJournal (blog); create a podcast; follow a public health leader via Twitter; and develop an electronic portfolio. By exploring different technology tools, students are able to assess the tools' effectiveness for the practice of public health. This presentation will describe the PRS 501D course and explain how web 2.0 applications are incorporated into the course.