Learning with, about, and from COVID-19: An interprofessional global comparison of pandemic responses

Background and purpose: University of Kentucky developed a fully virtual course to educate global health learners about the COVID-19 pandemic and compare country responses to it. Educational activity and setting: Forty-three students participated in 13 weeks of synchronous interprofessional group meetings via Zoom (Zoom Video Communications, Inc) and asynchronous modules. Interprofessionality was intentional yet implicit, and a flipped classroom was utilized. Assessment was accomplished with one instrument measuring learning outcomes associated with select Consortium of Universities of Global Health Interprofessional Global Health Competencies, Association of American Colleges and Universities Global Learning Value Rubric competencies, and course satisfaction and effectiveness utilizing a retrospective pre−/post-methodology. Findings: Positive pre−/post-change was observed in 10 survey items. Evaluation results concerning course structure and experience were uniformly high, with the key informant interview rated most helpful. Items with significant improvement included a better understanding of the student's place in the world; improved interprofessional communication skills; population health data skills; and understanding of health systems and entities that influence global health and development. Learners appreciated the value of interprofessional teamwork and gained a deeper understanding of the roles and training of colleagues from other programs, leading to a deeper understanding of the actions those professions may take within health systems. The pivot to all online global health education was a viable solution to addressing the pause in global travel and study abroad experiences at University of Kentucky.