Description
Book SynopsisClear, concise, engaging writing is critically important to public health practice. The Covid-19 pandemic has repeatedly thrown this fact into stark relief. No matter how hard we try, with the best intentions and evidence, public health professionals and researchers have struggled to communicate clear messages to the many audiences looking for information. The result has often been resistance, miscommunication, and deepening political division. Teaching Public Health Writing is a call to action for schools and programs of public health. Jennifer Beard, drawing on her interdisciplinary background in population health and the humanities, argues that writing practice and mentoring need to be central components of the graduate and undergraduate public health curriculum. Public health students are learning to translate complex technical content from a wide array of disciplines into engaging documents for vastly different audiences. This learning experience can be time-consuming and anxiety-inducing. Teaching Public Health Writing--the first book in the new Teaching Public Health instructor series--prompts educators at every level to rethink the place of writing in public health education. Using composition and public health theory, narrative examples, and detailed instructions from writing assignments used in public health classrooms across many disciplines and genres, Teaching Public Health Writing offers instructors a helpful guide to refresh or redesign in-course writing instruction and assignments. It ensures the next generation of public health professionals have the tools they need to communicate confidently and effectively.
Trade ReviewThis book is a fantastic application of the social-ecological model to writing! Jennifer Beard speaks clearly to public health instructors by using familiar approaches like harm reduction and student-centering in developing a road map for engagement with writing-learners. Her self-effacing narrative style makes Teaching Public Health Writing a fun must-read for teachers in the field. * Sara Mackenzie, Teaching Professor Emeritus, University of Washington *
Writing the story of a population's health is our collective obligation. This essential book aims to prepare graduates to be competent writers and fulfill this critical duty. A priceless faculty resource! * Laura Magaña, President and CEO, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health *
Table of ContentsSeries Foreword Preface Acknowledgments Introduction PART 1: THEORY AND PRACTICAL STRATEGIES CHAPTER 1. Writing Across the Life Course CHAPTER 2. When You Can't Remove the Pump Handle, Reduce Harm CHAPTER 3. Designing Writing Assignments for Public Health Classes CHAPTER 4. Assessment Involves Much More Than Assigning a Grade PART 2: ANTHOLOGY OF WRITING ASSIGNMENTS CHAPTER 5. Examples of Public Health Writing Assignments Epilogue
