Introduction
I taught a master’s level public health course titled Translating Research to Practice that examined approaches for selecting, adapting, and implementing evidence-based public health programs. The course structure included lectures, seminar-style discussion around peer reviewed literature and case study methodology. I adhered to this structure until the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic reached New York City when classes were converted to hybrid models (O’Byrne and Pytash 2015) that would function online for the rest of the semester. I believed developing a case study around COVID-19 using Google Docs could be an instructional asset for students to analyze critically the growing public health need while also offering a pedagogical tool to encourage discussion and learning among future cohorts (Bonney 2015; Penn et al. 2016; Escartín et al., n.d.).
Overview
During the first online 75-minute session after lockdown, I proposed the class collaboratively write a case study on the novel coronavirus to observe and analyze critically the rapidly changing public health context unfolding before us during Spring 2020. Students had the option to contribute to the collaborative writing project or continue with the planned final assignment; all students chose the case study. To start, I shared a Google Docs link with students. We selected NYU Google Docs as all students had accounts and were familiar with the tool. Four pages of text were generated during the initial 10-minute collaborative writing session wherein students added additional subheaders under which the class would write collaboratively and asychronously in the following weeks. As a process note, students agreed to using the format of their “name”: prior to text they wrote to track contributions (see Figure 1).
After the first week, contributions slowed, prompting me to ask students to share ongoing progress during a synchronous meeting via Zoom. One student shared how she incorporated feedback to improve readability and explore new research. Two students reported how they initiated communication on WhatsApp: one student called the other to expedite speedier and more effective communication, and this engendered trust and enabled them to comment on one another’s sections with more confidence that their commenting and feedback would “be taken the right way.” Reporting back weekly also allowed the class to explore sensitive issues. For example, we agreed to refer to the initial Westchester patient as “Patient one” rather than use their given name which led to a public health ethics discussion on this decision. We additionally agreed upon a timeline to ensure steady progress (Table 1), and roles (Huett and Koch, Jr. 2011), including:
- Drafter – This person does the primary writing.
- Reviewer – This person reads what others have written to identify and examine paragraph focus, idea arrangement, and development.
- Editor – This person does a grammar check, formatting, and review source integration.
Zoom breakout rooms facilitated small group discussions by writing groups (Background, New York State, and New York City) to encourage student-led decision-making. For example, one group decided between two outlines, another group decided to restructure their section in chronological order.
| Benchmarks (Who) | By When |
|---|---|
| Initial drafts of background, NY State, NYC, and case study questions | 2 weeks – April 9 |
| Review above sections (Sonia & Meghan, Jules, [April 3], Alexa) | On Sundays April 5, 12, 19 |
| 2 drafts of background, NY State, NYC, case study questions | 3.5 weeks – April 19 |
| Review above sections (Sonia & Meghan, Alexa) | April 19 (after 4pm) |
| Polish and submit final version | May 5 |
| Each student write and submit a 1-page reflection on the collaborative writing process and overall experience writing a case study as it unfolds | May 9 |
| Submit grades | ~May 13 |
One particular subgroup of students struggled due to a lack of communication outside of the classroom, and in light of the possible emotional toll of the content in the context of individual students’ lives. I communicated that success was “contributing what individual students were capable of” and encouraged those who had access to the bandwidth to contribute additionally as reviewers. Some students focused on a single section while others contributed throughout the document. Allowing students to contribute whatever their capabilities led to a robust product. One student described their experience:
It was a complicated exercise to be doing … on a situation that hits so close home—in your own city, to your own community members. In our previous case study explorations in class, there was a degree of distance we had from the material—of course, we have compassion and insight as students invested in public health, but were not, for the most part, examining situations that had an impact on our own lives.
Student Reactions
Twelve students submitted a one-page reflection on the collaborative writing process and the overall experience of writing a case study even as the event unfolds.
Two students noted discomfort due to unfamiliarity with collaborative writing and to writing about a quickly changing epidemic. Another student commented that the intimacy of writing about, “our communities … infused our collaborative project with a certain kind of intimacy and urgency—laying bare the massive and long standing interlocking aspects of this crisis that will touch our lives as individuals and as professionals moving ahead in our public health careers.” Another student commented, “I learned that writing a case study on a situation that is developing so rapidly is complex and difficult. Especially in the earliest days of the pandemic in New York, information, regulations, and safety protocol was seemingly changing by the hour.” See Appendix B for additional student reflection quotes.
Based on students’ responses, it became apparent that a collaborative writing assignment using Google Docs improved public health students’ learning. When asked about the lessons learned from the assignment, a student was struck by how the collaborative writing assignment enhanced the classroom’s original learning objectives. Another student similarly commented,
the process of collaboratively writing this case study allowed us … to assess in real time some of the most pertinent questions asked in this course: What are the greatest challenges in solving complex public health problems? Which communities get left behind, and why? What does compassionate public health leadership look like in practice? What defines “community readiness” for public health solutions? How do we reach people effectively and with cultural competence?
Students commented on the therapeutic aspects of the assignment as students with a shared goal. One commented, “In a time when the feeling of togetherness was minimal, this collaborative writing experience gave the feeling of community, friendship and a strong support system.” Several students commented on the practical skills learned through the assignment including mitigating COVID-19 in global settings, improving writing skills, and working collaboratively in a remote setting. Four students commented on feeling more prepared for their public health careers, and another student reflected, “I personally felt that I was actually a public health professional and the skills I had gained within these past two years had prepared me to work [on] the case study.”
The assignment also applied technology not commonly used in a public health classroom. Consistent with other web 2.0 mobile learning successes (Cochrane 2014), students reacted positively to the technical tools’ flexibility and observed that these tools accommodated students’ schedules and fostered learning: “I think the process in which one could comment and ask questions [in Google Docs] fostered … learning,” referring to the work of synthesizing data and generating probing questions for discussion among public health students and professionals.
Conclusion
This assignment allowed students to develop six of the eight core competency domains for public health professionals outlined by the Public Health Foundation, including: analytical/assessment, communication, cultural competency, community dimensions of practice, public health sciences, and leadership and systems thinking skills. Research suggests that real tasks supported by technologies, together with resources on the web, have the potential to improve the quality of online learning (Parker, Maor, and Herrington 2013), and also support meaningful learning (Woo and Reeves 2008). After reviewing the students’ comments, I was struck by the value of the assignment beyond these skill sets, and the importance of developing a sense of community and camaraderie. As classrooms abruptly shifted online, isolation was a struggle for students and professors alike. Collaborative writing can foster community and engagement to combat isolation: this is especially relevant as classrooms will likely continue online due to COVID-19 (Ivankova and Stick 2005).
I was most excited by the collaborative work that was happening asynchronously as this encouraged meaningful learning. Students were able to step into different roles to both offer and receive feedback. The collaborative nature of the assignment also allowed students to relate to one another as colleagues, something that simulated how public health work is executed in practice. I intend to use collaborative writing assignments with future students. I hope that instructors at different institutions apply what is outlined here to other pressing social sciences topics: both as a collaborative writing assignment, and as a pedagogical tool using Google Docs to help guide conversations about COVID-19.
