About this Research Topic
In association with AAC&U, George D. Kuh – who founded Indiana University’s Center for Postsecondary Research and the National Survey of Student Engagement – outlined a set of ten high-impact educational practices (HIPs) in 2008 that address the often-fragmented undergraduate learning experience and that result in increased rates of student retention and student engagement. In 2017 Dr. Kuh recommended expanding the original list of HIPs to eleven, including: capstone courses and projects, collaborative assignments and projects, common intellectual experiences, diversity/global learning, ePortfolios, first-year experiences, internships, learning communities, service learning/community-based learning, undergraduate research, and writing-intensive courses. Authentic and intentional assignments are fundamental to HIPs and encourage “integrative learning,” both a simple and complex approach to pedagogy. High-impact practices invariably target written and oral communication, teamwork, ethical decision-making, critical thinking, and the application of knowledge – skills uniformly valued in recent employer surveys.
In 2015, a Frontiers in Public Health Research Topic (Undergraduate Education for Public Health in the United States) addressed the evolution of undergraduate public health education in the United States. The aim of this Research Topic is, in part, to follow that effort and derive a confluence of initiatives and priorities evident today in higher education. The purpose of this Research Topic is to examine the role of effective high-impact practices within the curriculum of undergraduate public health programs - through original research, reports, and reviews - that contribute to a prepared public health workforce, align with the LEAP initiative, promote integrative learning experiences, and enable the development of transferable skills desired by employers. We intend for this curated collection to address all aspects of the design, implementation, and assessment of authentic and intentional pedagogical practices at both 2- and 4-year institutions – at course, program, and institutional levels - beneficial for college students from many backgrounds who enroll in one of the nation’s fastest-growing majors.
Keywords: high-impact practices, integrative learning, student engagement, undergraduate public health education, workforce development
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.