As we developed the curriculum for the MPH in Community-Oriented
Public Health Practice (COPHP), it became clear that there were skills and
competencies that might best be taught using traditional lecture or interactive faculty
presentation and discussion methods rather than problem-based learning (PBL). We see
some of these skills as prerequisites to PBL. We try to align these traditional learning
sessions, or seminars, with PBL cases and the faculty who facilitate them. Since
students, through their periodic input, helped to design the overall COPHP, we have
integrated into our program design opportunities for students to take charge of
organizing seminars during the second year.
Keywords: Active learning, Competencies, Curriculum, Lecture, Seminar, Skills,
Student involvement, Teaching methods.
