HS 472—Health Communications
Welcome to Class
In this class, you will create a health/wellness communications campaign. The premise behind a wellness campaign is that the best defense is a good offense. Informing and educating people gives them the tools they need to make better choices. The more health issues we can prevent, the better off everyone is. Not smoking is better than treating cancer, brushing your teeth is better than having to fix cavities, early detection raises the chances of survival and so on. This idea is not new. The principle that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" (Benjamin Franklin) is the basis for the well-known parable. "The Ambulance Down in the Valley" by Joseph Malins, published in 1895, portrays this idea through a modern parable.Outcomes
- Students will create various educational materials directed to different types of learners on current health issues.
- Students will host/present a workshop to communicate health information to a peer group.
- Students will research and implement needs assessments to determine the most effective ways of educating the given audience.
- Show will access current information on various health communications sites and looking to leaders in the health field.
- Develop effective, visually appealing materials, focused to a target audience to communicate health information to the public.
- Create a quality presentation with coordinated and focused communication materials within a restrictive timeline.
Description
In this class, students will acquire, develop, and apply communications skills specific to health awareness and promotion campaigns. They will conduct research to create a needs assessment to support their choice of topic for their health campaign. They will use the needs assessment to choose the target audience for their campaign. Students will then develop printed materials, presentations, videos, social media alerts, and newsletters to effectively communicate health information to a public audience. These materials will then be used in either their public health display or their group health campaign. The presentations will first be proposed for approval by the leaders of the group or organization where they hope to present. Students will submit their topic and campaign presentation ideas to the instructor for approval. Then students will present their campaign to the approved group that is in charge of their chosen location of presentation. Health displays will be exhibited in an approved public location such as a college campus, health fair, or public access area.
Learning Model Architecture
- PREPARE—Researching current public health campaigns,creating individual versions of handouts, posters, videos, email alerts and PowerPoints.
- TEACH ONE ANOTHER—Collaborating on a group newsletter, group displays, workshops, and health promotion campaigns.
- PONDER AND PROVE —Through public presentations of promotion campaign and health display.
Pre-Requisites
HS 390 is highly recommended.Required Materials:
- Programs in which to create advertising material such as Word, Paint, or Publisher (free download with the student Microsoft Office Suite). PDFs are the ideal file types for printables such as posters, handouts, and newsletters. You will also be editing video footage to create public service announcement videos. Macs come with I-Movie and PCs come with Windows Movie Maker. There are several other free editors you can find online including WeVideo. Pages or other Mac-specific formats are not acceptable.
- A webcam or other device you can use to broadcast to Google Hangouts On Air. This could be one built into your computer.
- A microphone to capture the sound for your workshop is also required. Keep in mind you will be presenting, so one built into your computer may not be enough depending on your plan for your presentation.
- A digital camera or smart phone to take clear photos of your health campaign and public health display.
- Recording equipment to capture what you will need to create your Public Services videos.
Note: As there is not a text required for this class, you should set some funds aside to print, create, and obtain the things you will need to complete the required projects in this class. This will depend on your location and campaign materials choices.
For students in the United States, $60 is an average cost of materials.
Groups
There are two different "groups" you will sign up for in the class. You may work with the same people in each group, but it is not required:
1) Workshop Presentations Partner – you sign up for a partner to present with for your class workshop presentation.
2) Health/Wellness Campaign**- This includes all group activities not listed above.
**If you live close enough to someone that you would like to do the campaign and the group display projects together then this is the group you would sign up together in. You do not need to live near all members of this group (or any members of this group) as it is not required that everyone presents together. Finding someone near you is just an option to consider when choosing which Health/Wellness Campaign group to sign up in.
Grading Policies
Group Projects
Health/Wellness Promotion Campaign…………………..……………….310 pts
Public Group Display …………....……...........…………….………….…....50 pts
Public Service Videos ...................…...................………….……………....50 pts
Newsletter ………………………….………………………….....……....…..100 pts
Partner Assignments
Workshop Class Presentation ……..……………………….….………..... 100 pts
On your own
Attend Workshops/Peer review………………....……………………........100 pts
Giveaway....................................……………………………………..…......50 pts
Poster .........................................................................................................50 pts
Public Service Radio Ads for target audiences………..…….……....…..60 pts
PSA PowerPoint ........................................................................................50 pts
Email/Social Media Alert ...................………………………….…………...50 pts
Discussion Boards.......................................................................................100 pts
TOTAL POINTS………………..…………………………………...........…....1,070 pts
Grade Scale
A 93-100
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 73-76
C- 70-72
D+ 67-69
D 63-66
D- 60-62
F 59 or below
Workshop Class Participation
You will be required to attend nine workshops throughout the class. You can attend the live session (recommended) or watch a recording of the workshop through the links to the recordings posted by other students. You will turn in a peer evaluation for your assigned workshop each week for weeks 3-13 of the class, and you will get attendance credit for the week you present your workshop.
Workshops are 30 minutes long, and the dates and links for them will be posted each week in the class under Workshop week # Group A and B.