The Office of Evidence-Based Learning (OEBL) was launched in 2016 in the Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Department (BSHES) at the Rollins School of Public Health. Its mission is to generate scholarship in public health pedagogy and to support faculty and instructors in implementing effective teaching practices as they train future public health professionals. Specifically, OEBL focuses on two main areas:
Developing the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in public health
OEBL aims to position the BSHES department, and by extension the RSPH, as a leader in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in public health. OEBL supports and collaborates with instructors in developing and conducting SoTL projects that contribute to a data-driven knowledge base on how to most effectively train learners to be successful public health practitioners when they graduate.
Supporting faculty and instructor development in teaching
OEBL provides support to instructors through consultations on syllabus development, course preparation, and course revisions; peer observations of classroom teaching; and assistance with in-depth course evaluations such as the implementation of the Group Instructional Feedback Technique.
For inquiries about collaboration on SoTL projects or teaching support in the areas listed above, reach out to OEBL Director, Dr. Liz Walker or Assistant Director, Dr. Robin McGee.
OEBL Projects & Publications
OEBL publishes peer-reviewed papers on the results of SoTL projects and evaluations of innovative pedagogical strategies and curricular approaches for training MPH students, as well as commentaries on conducting and supporting SoTL work in schools of public health.
OEBL's current projects include an evaluation of the uptake and sustained use of the RSPH DEI Course Reflection Tool, an evaluation of a series of courses on addressing racism as a public health issue for MPH students, and ongoing evaluation of the predoctoral T-32 program Training in Advanced Data Analytics and Computational Sciences to End Drug-related Harms (TADA).
Teaching and SoTL in public health
Walker, E.R., Comeau, D., McBride, C., Lang, D.L. (2021). Toward an office of evidence-based learning in public health: Formal support, pedagogical scholarship, and effective teaching. American Journal of Public Health, 110(10), 1741-1745.
Walker, E.R., Lang, D.L., & Woodruff, R.C. (2019). Involving public health graduate students and trainees in the scholarship of teaching and learning. Pedagogy in Health Promotion, 6(2), 85-57.
Lang, D.L. & Walker, E.R. (2019). Innovations in evaluating and valuing public health teaching: The challenge of course evaluations. In L. Sullivan & S. Galea (Eds.), Teaching in Public Health. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion in teaching and learning
Walker, E.R. & McGee, R.E. (2024). Engaging guest speakers and recognizing their valuable contributions to public health classrooms: Evaluation of a pilot program to provide thank you gift cards to guest speakers. Pedagogy in Health Promotion, e-published ahead of print.
Walker, E.R., *Pathak, S., Comeau, D. (2024). Recommendations for integrating antiracist and inclusive pedagogy strategies into doctoral teaching training. Pedagogy in Health Promotion, e-published ahead of print.
Evaluations of innovative pedagogical strategies
Lang, D.L., *Barry, C.M., Ibragimov, U., Rodriguez, J., Walker, E.R. (in press). Lowering the stakes: Quasi-experimental, mixed-methods evaluation of a restructured grading approach in a graduate public health research methods course. Pedagogy in Health Promotion.
McGee, R.E., Walker, E.R., McBride, C.M., Nehl, E.J., Rice, W.S., *Wise, N., *Jones-Harrell, C., Lang, D.L. (2023). Enhancing students’ skills in applying theory through collaborative and active learning: A pre-post evaluation of an innovative theory course for graduate public health students. Pedagogy in Health Promotion, 9(4), 265-274.
Walker, E.R., *Salas-Hernández, L., McGee, R., Lang, D.L. (2023). Answering the question, “How do I deal with these teams?” An approach for supporting effective student teams in health sciences courses. Intersections: The Education Journal of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center.
Talley, C., Comeau, D., German, T., Boykin, B., Walker, E.R. The importance of history in an MPH program: A qualitative evaluation of an Applied History of Public Health course. Pedagogy in Health Promotion, 8(4), 251-260.
Biello, S., Yoss, S., Walker, E.R., Druss, B.G., Lang, D.L. (2022). Addressing Public Mental Health Challenges: A Mixed Methods Evaluation of Problem-based Learning. (2020). Pedagogy in Health Promotion, 8(1), 59-66.
Walker, E.R., Lang, D.L., Caruso, B.A., Salas-Hernández, L. (2019). Role of team dynamics in the learning process: A mixed-methods evaluation of modified Team-Based Learning approach in a behavioral research methods course. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 25(2), 383-399.
Comeau, D.L, Palacios, N., Talley, C., Walker, E.R., Escoffery, C., Thompson, W.W., Lang, D.L. (2018). Community-engaged learning in public health: A mixed methods evaluation of utilization and value of student projects. Pedagogy in Health Promotion, 5(1), 3-13.
Lang, D.L., Walker, E.R., Steiner, R.J., Woodruff, R.C. (2017). Implementation and mixed-methods evaluation of Team-Based Learning in a graduate public health research methods course. Pedagogy in Health Promotion, 4(2), 140-150.
Curricular approaches
Walker, E.R., Lang, D.L., Alperin, M., Vu, M., Barry, C., Gaydos, L.M. (2020). Comparing student learning, satisfaction, and experiences between blended and in-person course modalities: A comprehensive, mixed methods evaluation of five public health courses. Pedagogy in Health Promotion, 7(1), 29-37,
Komro, K.A., Lang, D.L., Walker, E.R., & Harper, P.D. (2018). Integrating structural determinants into MPH training of health promotion professionals. American Journal of Public Health, 108(4), 477-479.