Final Project Instructions & Ground Rules
How to know where to start, if you're doing it right, and what to do if something goes wrong
Collaborative public health
Instead of term papers, we will be spending the term creating a public-facing website that will support science education around these really important topics. They are brand new. What should the public know?
During the process, we will be working as collaborative scientists to bring out the best in each other's work. You won't be graded until the very end, but you will have lots of opportunity to see examples and offer peer review before you submit.
How it works, in a nutshell
Self-directed
You pick the topic and create the content for a page on the site that is all your own. Use the grading rubric to make sure you have all the components.
Use our class Environmental Health website to identify topics or lenses of interest for your final project.
Weeks 1-8
Collaborative Architecture
As a class, we'll come up with site architecture, key images that will define our site, as well as overall format and themes to make the site look its best. We'll do this early so you can incorporate it into your page design.
That also means that once the themes and architecture are chosen, please do not change them or move your page, as it may disrupt others' work. Read contingency plans below.
Weeks 3-7
Peer Review
Science is peer reviewed, which offers scientists a way to ask questions, clarify confusing points, and offer suggestions to improve the work.
Students submit their website content in Week 9, which is then peer reviewed (2 sites assigned, 2 of your choosing). You'll submit your peer reviews via Qualtrics for points toward your final project grade. Your work is NOT graded during this step.
Weeks 9-10
Response to Reviewers
Before publication, scientists have to respond to peer reviews, point-by-point. We will do the same here. You don't have to make every suggested change, but you do have to describe your rationale.
Your response to reviewers and final site are then graded. Use the peer review process to make sure you have everything you need for a great final project.
Week 11
How it's graded, using a scoring rubric
No surprises, here's how you'll be graded on your final project, which comprises 30% of your grade in the class.
What's included
Writing. Written content on a webpage. There is no required length. Instead, make sure you include an introduction, a description of the issue, a summary of research around the issue, analysis of proposed solutions, and citations for your work.
Summary video. A video you create that introduces or summarizes the issue. Videos should be <5 minutes in length. Think big picture. You may include other videos not developed by you.
Peer review. Four reviews of strengths and areas for growth. You are not grading peers' sites. No grading is associated with this step, except for getting points for having something on time for peer review.
Response to Reviewers. Respond point-by-point to reviewers' feedback. Include your rationale for including changes or deciding against them.
Public Health Competencies
It is our hope that this project will help you achieve the following public health competencies:
CPH01. Apply epidemiological methods to the breadth of settings & situations in public health practice
CPH02. Select quantitative & qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context
CPH03. Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming and software, as appropriate
CPH04. Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice
CPH05. Compare the organization, structure and function of health care, public health and regulatory systems across national and international settings
CPH06. Discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequities and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity at organizational, community and societal levels
CPH07. Assess population needs, assets and capacities that affect communities’ health
CPH08. Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design or implementation of public health policies or programs
CPH09. Design a population-based policy, program, project or intervention
CPH10. Explain basic principles and tools of budget and resource management
CPH11. Select methods to evaluate public health programs
CPH12. Discuss multiple dimensions of the policy-making process, including the roles of ethics and evidence
CPH13. Propose strategies to identify stakeholders and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health outcomes
CPH14. Advocate for political, social or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations
CPH15. Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity
CPH16. Apply principles of leadership, governance and management, which include creating a vision, empowering others, fostering collaboration and guiding decision making
CPH17. Apply negotiation and mediation skills to address organizational or community challenges
CPH18. Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors
CPH19. Communicate audience-appropriate public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation
CPH20. Describe the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content
CPH21. Perform effectively on interprofessional teams
CPH22. Apply systems thinking tools to a public health issue
At the end of the term, we'll ask you where you felt you had the most growth related to these competencies.
More about the Process
Interested in knowing more about any of the steps in the process? Click on any of the drop-down topics to learn more.
Picking a topic
Getting started
We'll talk generally about the final project in Weeks 1-3. You can start thinking in broad terms about a final project topic that interests you. It can be any intersection of COVID-19 and Environmental Health. Use our class website to help brainstorm topics or lenses of interest.
Use our class forums on Sakai (OHSU's course management system) to propose your topic and get feedback from the class.
It is possible that two students may have a similar idea for a project. The forums will help us to define each student's niche within an area. Remember, this is a collaborative site, so there are lots of opportunities to work together.
Ultimately, you will be responsible for your own topic and page content. If you want to work together around a topic, let's talk more.
Finalizing project topic
You can submit your final project topic for review anytime before or up to Week 6. Use Sakai forums for brainstorming ("Final Project -Brainstorming").
When you're ready to finalize, use the forum: "Final project proposal - for Instructor Review" to submit your proposed topic.
Once you get the green light, you'll be able to start populating your page on the website. Make sure you read "Creating Content" and "Contingency Plans" below before you begin.
Sharing permissions, authorship, and risks
Sharing Permissions
At the time of submitting your final project topic, you will also be able to describe your sharing permissions for your page on the final site (public sharing; future class-only sharing; no sharing beyond this class).
While it is our hope that everyone will give permission for their page to be shared publically, we recognize that you may not want yours featured and/or your name shared.
Pages with full sharing are published at the end of the term. Others are archived and removed from the site.
Authorship
You do not have to include your name on your specific page, though you are welcome to do so.
If you prefer, you can be indicated as an author and editor on the "About" page, so you can include the site on your CV (Curriculum Vita).
If you prefer, you may use a pseudonym known only to the instructional team. This pseudonym can be used throughout the development, review, and/or publishing process.
Potential Risks and Mitigation
Privacy. Placing your name or contact information on a public facing website identifies you in known and unknown ways. If you would like for your content to be shared without your identity being associated, we fully support you. We can use pseudonyms or credit you more generally, rather than with a specific page. You do not have to include your email address or any contact information. Videos do not need to include your face or name. File metadata can be removed from documents.
Pre-term Publishing. This page is planned to be published as an overview in Week 3. We don't intend to re-publish an updated version of the site until the very end -- either for peer review or the final site -- we can talk about this more as a class. Since there are so many of us, it is possible that one of us may accidentally hit re-publish in advance. This will show your draft content early, including your name if you included it (see Privacy above). Options to mitigate risk can be to hide pages from navigation, which still allows them to be edited. In addition, we have turned off the ability for search engines to find the site; only those with the direct link will be able to find the site. At the end of the term we will remove non-sharable pages to archive and then re-publish the site to be publicly-searchable.
Bias. Your sharing and authorship decisions do not impact your grade. We want to support you. Please consider using a pseudonym if you would like anonymity in your peer reviews (see Privacy).
Ultimately, we want to work with you around this process. Talk with us or use the anonymous course feedback site to offer suggestions.
Creating content
Helpful guides to get you started
Google Site Help Forum (click on the various tabs depending on what you need help with). These Google forums are extremely helpful. https://support.google.com/sites/?hl=en#topic=7184580
Videos on creating Google Sites (overarching overview of Google sites)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnr-_0UC50Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-0O2ZOIpZA
Video on editing Google Sites (tutorial on how to create your own Google class page) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lx1XcaSSno
Googling is also beneficial. You can typically just Google your question or problem and some sort of help will come up.
Accessing the research
EBSCO (Academic Premier through Portland State) - search peer-reviewed publications, newspaper, & video
Scopus (through OHSU library) - It has so much; filter my most cited to follow science conversations
SciHub is an option for accessing articles if you know the DOI
PubMed is the classic biomedical search engine
Don't forget pre-print servers like BioRxiv and MedRxiv, pre-peer reviewed science just released
Getting images
Make sure your images are able to be shared. There are lots of use restrictions.
Look for images with a Creative Commons license -- find them here
Other images are older and in the public domain - find pubic domain collections here
Unsplash (license free images)
British Library (millions of old images)
Smithsonian (open access; millions)
Resources for making videos
Adobe Spark
Animaker (animated videos; free for first five)
Powerpoint (you can narrate each slide as a voiceover and export as a video)
What do I include?
Each student gets access to the site to edit their page over the course of the term.
Use the project rubric to make sure you have everything included on your site. The rubric can be found in Week 11 Resources on Sakai.
Everything should include cited, reputable sources. You want the public to be able to re-trace your steps to learn more. Include peer-reviewed scientific sources. You may also want to include summarized sources, including from media agencies and blogs. You can check for potential bias of your sources via Media Bias/Fact Check.
Make sure your site links are accessible (for IT and for screen readers)
What do I not include?
Try to be brief. Think about the main point(s) you're trying to convey. Long does not equal better.
NEVER, EVER ALTER ANOTHER STUDENT'S PAGE. If you want to give feedback informally, please use forums on Sakai.
About plagiarism
It is expected that you create your own content, including sentence structure. If someone describes something perfectly, it can be perfectly fine to use their wording as long as you use quotations and cite the source.
We will be spot checking content throughout the site. Please do not plagiarize. Cite your images.
Plagiarizing content will give you a zero on the assignment and you will be referred to School of Public Health administration.
Peer review
All pages are anonymously peer-review by fellow students.
Pages are initially due in Week 9 for peer review (at the time of class). You will NOT be graded on your work-to-date, nor will peer reviewers be grading your final projects. Instead, it is an opportunity to offer each person feedback around two things: 1) strengths and 2) areas for growth. What is clear?, what is unclear?, where could additional clarification be given?
Support each other and use the opportunity to make your pages better. Remember, you can use this site (and your page) in your professional portfolio. Use this opportunity. Practice the skill of peer review -- you will need it in science.
You will review four pages: two will be assigned; two will be of your choosing.
You will be sent a Qualtrics survey link to submit your official peer reviews. You may prepare your peer reviews in advance using a simple word document (and upload them later) by using the following process: page title, author name/pseudonym, strengths, and areas for growth. There is no word limit, though please offer the type of constructive feedback that you would like to receive yourself.
You may also offer informal advice anytime; the recommended approach is via forums in Sakai.
NEVER, EVER ALTER ANOTHER STUDENT'S PAGE.
Collaborative site architecture and common content
Look and feel of the site
Google sites makes it super easy to create websites -- but pages between sites are required to use the same theme, so please do not change the "Theme" as you create your own page.
If you want an alternate theme, let's discuss as a class. We can use flinga.fi to nominate and anonymously upvote our favorites.
We will lock down the theme early.
Site architecture
The instructional team will define the site architecture in collaboration with the class. Please do NOT reorganize the site. We want to do this together so we can be mindful of the site's organization and flow.
Ultimately, the instructional team will make these architectural changes.
Key content
We will have common sections that may need text. There is no set process for how this will go to support flexibility and innovation. If needed, the instructional team will draft these sections. Though if you are inspired, we welcome crowdsourcing the content.
We will want images to highlight on the site. Please nominate your favorite pictures and then we'll upvote our favorites for final use.
For Main Page Pictures: If you see any great ones, upload them to a photos gallery for class consideration. Please make sure to include the web link address as text below the picture (“copy image address” upon right click of mouse). We will upvote them via Flinga.
Contingency plans
With so many site editors, there is a potential for someone’s page to get accidentally changed or deleted. It is our sincere hope this doesn't happen. To minimize chances and potential impact, we will use two strategies:
Process for you
Create a shadow site (where you’re simply copying and pasting what you’re creating on the project site.
You can do this via: 1) a word document, another google site that you made as back up, or any other way that allows you to save your work in case something gets accidentally deleted or changed.
This backup will allow you to easily copy and paste back in easily. If late in the term, this backup will serve as evidence of work completed. If something gets deleted or worse, the entire page, I will allow you to submit this backup work to show that you've completed the final project in extenuating circumstances. If you do not have shadow documentation, it is much harder for me to give you full credit for your work. Please keep back ups.
We can also refer to version history, but please DO NOT REVERT TO A PRIOR VERSION of the site because you may accidentally delete someone's work. Instead, please try to re-create what was lost (again, why we care about back ups).
Process for us
We will create themes and site architecture early. Your page may shift around in the beginning as we solidify page organization. (Again, please keep back ups)
We'll confirm throughout the term that content is being populated. If you don't have anything populated for a while, we may check in with you to make sure things are OK and things are on time for peer review.
We will work with you if something goes awry. Please talk with us.
Response to reviewers
You will be sent anonymous comments from your peers in Week 10.
Prepare a response to reviewers, which lists the comments (strengths/areas for growth) from each reviewer.
Please respond to each point raised/suggested. You do not need to make all of the suggested changes, though you do need to respond to each point – simply indicate what you changed/ didn’t/change and why.
Goal: What is most important about this “Response to Reviewers” assignment is the process of communicating professionally about your science with peer reviewers (fellow students) and the editors (course faculty and teaching assistant).
Risk and mitigation of risk:
Unequal workload. Since students are allowed to pick two pages of their choice to peer review, it is possible that some students may have more reviewers to respond to than other students. As you are being asked to respond point-by-point, some students may have additional work during this step. We can consider only responding to the first four peer reviews, though it really is good practice to be mindful of all perspectives. Let's discuss this as a class. It is on our mind.
Help
Something may come up. If so, reach out to our amazing teaching assistant.
As part of your process, PLEASE implement contingency plans, described above.