13 April 2018

Building public health capacity through a short course professional development programme: A guide

The School of Public Health (SOPH) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) has been hosting continuing professional development short course programmes since its inception in 1992. In the past few years we have often been asked by colleagues in schools of public health and similar institutions, both in South Africa and in other parts of the continent, what it takes to set up and continue running such a large and sustained programme in an academic institution; why interest does not wane; and how we manage the focus, substance and logistics of this programme. This guide endeavours to respond to these questions – to assist those university colleagues who are considering the development of similar continuing professional development programmes in the health and related social sectors, both in South Africa and further afield.
28 July 2017

Guide on transitioning to distance teaching and learning in postgraduate education in public health

The School of Public Health (SOPH) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) hosted a two-part workshop series with sister institutions in Africa and the global South in May and October 2015 to explore emerging opportunities for expanding access to, and delivery of, post-graduate training in public health for people working in or managing health services/systems. Various distance-based delivery modes were explored, including web-based and e-learning technologies, with focus on workplace-based learning and creating authentic learning opportunities for students.
This Guide is geared towards public health researchers and educators, specifically those focused on post-graduate public health education, who are developing courses and their accompanying resources for blended and distance learning. However, the process that is outlined is generic and can be used and/or adapted for other fields.
We ask that you acknowledge the original source in line with the OER guidelines described on page 2 and that you share your adaptations with us in the interest of refining and developing this as a useful resource for all. Feedback about your own experiences can be emailed to the School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape at: soph-comm@uwc.ac.za.​