Geographic Information and Health: Integrating a Course Journal into Public Health Learning

Abstract

This new journal, Insights and Advances in Geographic Information and Health was launched to address a need to align current coursework that focuses on the interface of geography and population health, with modern pedagogy and andragogy practice that aim to empower students to learn in ways that are more self-directed, participatory, experiential, and applied. Although existing courses that cover Geographic Information Systems in Population Health and Health Geography may vary considerably in their goals, content, and teaching/learning approaches, a course journal – a journal that motivates and engages students in documenting and sharing their skills, accomplishments, and reflections as they advance through coursework – may enhance overall course learning objectives and contribute to broader scholarship. In particular, I distinguish between the concept of a course journal and its more common counterpart, the course project assignment or term paper. I describe changes made to the Geographic Information Systems and Public Health course at the University of Washington to integrate the benefits of a course journal, and the open-source software and recent advances in digital archiving and publishing that collectively enable small-scale course journals. I also discuss issues related to equity, diversity, and inclusion in adopting a course journal.