Immersing Online Public Health Students through Role-Play, a Case Study, and Group Work

Our session will describe three gamifying aspects of an online undergraduate Environmental Health and Quality course. We employed a three-pronged approach to engage students: a real-world case study; role-playing; and small group work. We chose a case study on rainforest deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon from human and planetary health perspectives. We assigned each student to a five-person team and to a specific role, and required them to work through the course materials while staying in character. This approach stimulated student engagement in the learning process and promoted problem-solving from multiple perspectives.

Outcomes: Get techniques for adding gamifying elements to your course * Assess whether a case-study or role-playing approach is appropriate for your course * Evaluate whether small student groups working synchronously online is workable for your course