Adapting online learning for Canada's Northern public health workforce
Background . Canada's North is a diverse, sparsely populated land, where inequalities and public health issues are evident, particularly for Aboriginal people. The Northern public health workforce is a unique mix of professional and paraprofessional workers. Few have formal public health...
Published in: | International Journal of Circumpolar Health |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2013
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v72i0.21345 https://doaj.org/article/14072e8457e343cd9201c498a6bdcd49 |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:14072e8457e343cd9201c498a6bdcd49 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:14072e8457e343cd9201c498a6bdcd49 2023-05-15T15:16:30+02:00 Adapting online learning for Canada's Northern public health workforce Marnie Bell Karen MacDougall 2013-08-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v72i0.21345 https://doaj.org/article/14072e8457e343cd9201c498a6bdcd49 EN eng Taylor & Francis Group http://www.circumpolarhealthjournal.net/index.php/ijch/article/download/21345/pdf_1 https://doaj.org/toc/2242-3982 doi:10.3402/ijch.v72i0.21345 2242-3982 https://doaj.org/article/14072e8457e343cd9201c498a6bdcd49 International Journal of Circumpolar Health, Vol 72, Iss 0, Pp 1-7 (2013) e-learning professional development continuing education core competencies for public health Skills Online paraprofessional north or northern Aboriginal Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 article 2013 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v72i0.21345 2022-12-31T01:37:16Z Background . Canada's North is a diverse, sparsely populated land, where inequalities and public health issues are evident, particularly for Aboriginal people. The Northern public health workforce is a unique mix of professional and paraprofessional workers. Few have formal public health education. From 2009 to 2012, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) collaborated with a Northern Advisory Group to develop and implement a strategy to strengthen public health capacity in Canada's 3 northern territories. Access to relevant, effective continuing education was identified as a key issue. Challenges include diverse educational and cultural backgrounds of public health workers, geographical isolation and variable technological infrastructure across the north. Methods . PHAC's Skills Online program offers Internet-based continuing education modules for public health professionals. In partnership with the Northern Advisory Group, PHAC conducted 3 pilots between 2008 and 2012 to assess the appropriateness of the Skills Online program for Northern/Aboriginal public health workers. Module content and delivery modalities were adapted for the pilots. Adaptations included adding Inuit and Northern public health examples and using video and teleconference discussions to augment the online self-study component. Results . Findings from the pilots were informative and similar to those from previous Skills Online pilots with learners in developing countries. Online learning is effective in bridging the geographical barriers in remote locations. Incorporating content on Northern and Aboriginal health issues facilitates engagement in learning. Employer support facilitates the recruitment and retention of learners in an online program. Facilitator assets included experience as a public health professional from the north, and flexibility to use modified approaches to support and measure knowledge acquisition and application, especially for First Nations, Inuit and Metis learners. Conclusions . ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Circumpolar Health First Nations International Journal of Circumpolar Health inuit Metis Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Canada International Journal of Circumpolar Health 72 1 21345 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
e-learning professional development continuing education core competencies for public health Skills Online paraprofessional north or northern Aboriginal Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 |
spellingShingle |
e-learning professional development continuing education core competencies for public health Skills Online paraprofessional north or northern Aboriginal Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Marnie Bell Karen MacDougall Adapting online learning for Canada's Northern public health workforce |
topic_facet |
e-learning professional development continuing education core competencies for public health Skills Online paraprofessional north or northern Aboriginal Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 |
description |
Background . Canada's North is a diverse, sparsely populated land, where inequalities and public health issues are evident, particularly for Aboriginal people. The Northern public health workforce is a unique mix of professional and paraprofessional workers. Few have formal public health education. From 2009 to 2012, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) collaborated with a Northern Advisory Group to develop and implement a strategy to strengthen public health capacity in Canada's 3 northern territories. Access to relevant, effective continuing education was identified as a key issue. Challenges include diverse educational and cultural backgrounds of public health workers, geographical isolation and variable technological infrastructure across the north. Methods . PHAC's Skills Online program offers Internet-based continuing education modules for public health professionals. In partnership with the Northern Advisory Group, PHAC conducted 3 pilots between 2008 and 2012 to assess the appropriateness of the Skills Online program for Northern/Aboriginal public health workers. Module content and delivery modalities were adapted for the pilots. Adaptations included adding Inuit and Northern public health examples and using video and teleconference discussions to augment the online self-study component. Results . Findings from the pilots were informative and similar to those from previous Skills Online pilots with learners in developing countries. Online learning is effective in bridging the geographical barriers in remote locations. Incorporating content on Northern and Aboriginal health issues facilitates engagement in learning. Employer support facilitates the recruitment and retention of learners in an online program. Facilitator assets included experience as a public health professional from the north, and flexibility to use modified approaches to support and measure knowledge acquisition and application, especially for First Nations, Inuit and Metis learners. Conclusions . ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Marnie Bell Karen MacDougall |
author_facet |
Marnie Bell Karen MacDougall |
author_sort |
Marnie Bell |
title |
Adapting online learning for Canada's Northern public health workforce |
title_short |
Adapting online learning for Canada's Northern public health workforce |
title_full |
Adapting online learning for Canada's Northern public health workforce |
title_fullStr |
Adapting online learning for Canada's Northern public health workforce |
title_full_unstemmed |
Adapting online learning for Canada's Northern public health workforce |
title_sort |
adapting online learning for canada's northern public health workforce |
publisher |
Taylor & Francis Group |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v72i0.21345 https://doaj.org/article/14072e8457e343cd9201c498a6bdcd49 |
geographic |
Arctic Canada |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Canada |
genre |
Arctic Circumpolar Health First Nations International Journal of Circumpolar Health inuit Metis |
genre_facet |
Arctic Circumpolar Health First Nations International Journal of Circumpolar Health inuit Metis |
op_source |
International Journal of Circumpolar Health, Vol 72, Iss 0, Pp 1-7 (2013) |
op_relation |
http://www.circumpolarhealthjournal.net/index.php/ijch/article/download/21345/pdf_1 https://doaj.org/toc/2242-3982 doi:10.3402/ijch.v72i0.21345 2242-3982 https://doaj.org/article/14072e8457e343cd9201c498a6bdcd49 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v72i0.21345 |
container_title |
International Journal of Circumpolar Health |
container_volume |
72 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
21345 |
_version_ |
1766346806049898496 |