1. Humanitarian Engineering Design for Health Challenges: An Inter-faculty Service Based Learning Model.
- Author
-
Najem, Yara, Elhajj, Imad H., Dawy, Zaher, Germani, Aline, Ghattas, Hala, Zaman, Muhammad H., and Yazdi, Youseph
- Subjects
- *
SERVICE learning , *ENGINEERING design , *ACTIVE learning , *BLENDED learning , *DESIGN thinking - Abstract
The study introduces and evaluates a unique inter-faculty service learning course as a pedagogical model that enhances students' learning and knowledge of health problems and associated engineering intervention design for populations affected by protracted crises. A protracted crisis is defined as a situation affecting the basic needs of a large population for an extended or unexpected period of time. Background: With an increase in humanitarian protracted crises around the world, due to conflict and natural disasters, we are in need to reinvent how we educate, train, and conduct research in these environments. Engineering and Health Sciences disciplines, individually and collectively, have been working to fill the gaps and address pressing public health issues. However, courses merging those disciplines and focusing on emerging humanitarian challenges have been limited. To meet this need, and to expose the complexity of refugee health and well-being, the Humanitarian Engineering course "Design of Engineering Solutions for Health Challenges in Crisis" was launched in July 2017. Intended outcomes: The contribution is a set of elements that can serve as a foundation for developing an inter-faculty service learning course model through which students of any major acquire skills in design thinking, interdisciplinary approaches, and contextualized innovation to create practical solutions that impact populations in need. Application design: Through a literature review and an iterative course development process, the different components of the course model were developed and assessed to ensure students accomplished learning outcomes and professional skills. Findings: The study recommends a set of five elements that could be used as a foundation for developing an inter-faculty service learning model. Those include modular learning, intermittent session types, participatory active learning, intensive learning, and teamwork. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF