Discussions (10%)
Overview
The purpose of the discussion topics is to encourage you to engage with your colleagues on current issues related to population health interventions for preventing disease and promoting health. They also provide an opportunity to comment on or ask questions about issues raised in the weekly readings, and to highlight and discuss current events related to population health interventions. There are ten discussion topics, each of which ends with 2-3 related questions. You are encouraged to post at least once per week in weeks 2-10 (in week 1, please post to the Introduce Yourself discussion topic with your interest in this course).
Participation in the weekly discussions is worth 10% of your final grade. The grade assigned will be based not only on regular participation but also on the quality (e.g., demonstrates critical thinking, made in a respectful tone) of your posts.
When posting, please keep the following points in mind:
- Don’t submit essay-length responses; ideally, a response should be somewhere between a few sentences and a couple of short paragraphs and should address one or more of the questions posed in the topic thread.
- There are no “right” or “wrong” answers to the topic thread questions; the questions are designed to encourage debate/discussion and enable you to think about the strengths and limitations of population health strategies for addressing real world health problems.
- As noted above, responses to posts are welcome, but please respond in a way that respects the opinions of others.
How To Submit Your Assignment
The weekly discussions can be accessed by clicking Connect and then Discussions on the course navigation bar on the Course Home page.
How Your Discussion Posts Will Be Marked
Your participation will be assessed weekly, using the Discussion Rubric. Discussion participation will be marked out of 10 (10 weeks x 1 mark per week).
Marking Scheme
| Marks | Requirements |
|---|
| 0 |
No posts. |
| 0.5 |
One or more posts which: raised relevant and thought-provoking questions/issues; may have shared any relevant professional experiences; may have linked Discussion material in general terms to course material. |
| 1 |
Multiple posts which: raised relevant and thought-provoking questions/issues by building on posts already on the Discussion; shared any relevant professional experiences; linked Discussion material to course material in specific ways. |
Please note that the ultimate goal of the discussions is to generate dialogue around population health theory and practice. This means you should expect to converse back and forth with your classmates throughout the week. Participation criteria for full marks include: being active on the discussions each week (Weeks 2 – 10); raising relevant and thought-provoking questions/issues pertaining to the topic; making sure you read and familiarize yourself with any discussion to-date before posting; linking to what is being discussed in the course material; and bringing in your own relevant, professional experiences.