1. Using blogs for critical
reflection in the MPH class
Allison Stevens
2013

2. Why blog?
• Additional learning not afforded by other
techniques
• opportunity to interact and learn from
colleagues, get additional insights from
lecturers
• Most students in literature say that it is useful
Literature cited in Dr Cheryl Brown and Prof Dick Ngamabi e/merge virtual
conference presentation in 2012.

3. Learning about the
Microeconomics of the
health sector
Two compulsory
assignments
One compulsory
seminar
presentation
Blog – optional
participation

4. Reflection
• Becoming aware of and assessing taken for
granted assumptions in order to construct a
more valid belief (Mezirow 1991)
• Its about the “you plus course material” (Ross
2012)
• The kind of thinking that consists of turning a
subject over in the mind and giving it serious
and consecutive consideration (Burnett and
Lingam 2007)

5. Critical reflection
• Involves giving reasons for decisions or events,
which takes into account the broader
historical, social and/or political contexts
(adapted from Hatton and Smith, 1995)

6. Critical reflection
• Challenge assumptions
• Contextual awareness
• Imaginative speculation
• Question universal truths or unexamined
patterns of interaction
Literature cited in Dr Cheryl Brown and Prof Dick Ngamabi e/merge virtual
conference presentation in 2012.

7. Blogging
• Online journal that users can update in their
own words (Matheson 2004)
• Enables reflection
• Research suggests use of blogs positively
affects depth and breadth of learning (Stiler
and Phileo 2003)

8. Reflection in our module
• Closed blogs on Vula
• Use as learning journals
• Participation in the blog is optional
– 4 meaningful blog contributions over the ….
period
– Read and comment on 2 or 3 other blogs
– Teachers will comment and prompt thinking in
your blogs

9. Why participate?
Comments from MPH students in the U.S. who
opted to use blogs:
• “….I found it a good way to discuss concepts
and participate in further discussion. It also
allowed the sharing of up-to-date information
that would not have been possible in lecture
time”
• “Learning is for ourselves, not just for marks”
Source of quotes: Williams, J.B. Jacobs, J. 2004. Exploring the use of blogs as learning spaces in the higher education sector. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology. 20(2)m 232-247

10. Example
• MPH student in the U.S. criticall reflects on course material
in his blog:
A New England Journal article recently addressed “The
Asthma Epidemic.” Most of the environmental causes of the
recent increase are unknown, but the authors do recommend
“[a]voidance of passive and active exposure to smoke,” as
smoke exposure is thought to be causally linked to asthma
onset. As a pediatrician who works at a community health
center with a large percentage of Dominican patients, I think
this approach is ideal for many of the health problems
affecting my patients. A perfect example would be obesity. An
effective strategy needs to be culturally sensitive, community-
motivated, collaborative, and educational.
Adapted from http://seminardemo.blogspot.com/

11. Global Symposium on
Health Systems Research
• Supports blogging and social media
intervention for emerging public health and
health care professionals
• http://www.ev4gh.net/EV2012-details.html

12. What to blog about
• You critically reflect on what you learnt from lecture
/ reading / assignment [explain critical reflection]
[examples ?]
– Your classmates comment on your postings –
discuss concepts online - Comments from
colleagues – learn from each other
– Bonus: Insights from John
– Another bonus: The student whose blog
demonstrates the most critical reflection will get
the opportunity to write a blog for the HEU, which
we will disseminate to all our contacts

13. How to blog?
• Writing style does NOT have to be academic
• Personal style
• Informal

14. Acknowledgements
Thank you to UCT’s 2012 e/merge virtual
conference for prompting the attempt to
blogs in the MPH class (in particular the
presentation by Dr Cheryl Brown and Prof
Dick Ngamabi)