Melissa Russell’s scientific contributions

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Publications (1)


Welcome to ‘The Island': A large-scale low-tech simulation to teach public health and epidemiology
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May 2025

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4 Reads

Pacific Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning

Melissa Russell

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Hannah Morgan

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Andrew Lau

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Beauty Tebaa

Imagine stepping into a tropical paradise where public health crises unfold in real-time and you must gain the skills and knowledge to address them. Welcome to 'The Island' - not your typical vacation spot, but a novel educational simulation transforming how we teach public health and epidemiology. Throughout a full-semester subject, students assume the role of 'Interns' at the fictional Island Department of Health. In this immersive environment, they tackle real-world public health challenges through a series of weekly evolving scenarios. This approach was adapted from a similar simulated island concept originally developed to teach statistics (Bulmer M & Haladyn K, 2011). To develop the subject, a constructive alignment approach was utilised, incorporating a flipped classroom model. Each week follows the same structure: Epidemiological scenario: The Secretary of the Department of Health (Subject Coordinator) introduces the weekly problem via a video recording. Online stepped modules: Students engage with weekly online modules presented by 'Experts in the Field'. The modules include written material, quizzes, and short videos, with the design approach based on the four-component instructional design (4C/ID) model (Frerejean et al., 2019). Collaborative problem solving in-class: Students work in collaborative peer groups during the weekly in-class session to tackle the epidemiological scenario posed at the start of the week. Within these groups, students take turns as the 'Chief Health Officer' and in this role organise the small collaborative group and report to the larger class. This approach encourages leadership skills and peer learning. Final review: The week concludes with a Final Review. This takes the form of a question-and-answer session with the Secretary of the Department of Health, allowing students to consolidate their learning and clarify any remaining questions. This structure aligns with cognitive load and social learning theories, fostering student connection through extensive peer interaction (Bandura, 2001; Sweller et al., 2019). Over three years, the subject has consistently received high student satisfaction scores, particularly for engagement and peer interaction. Students value the simulated approach, the clear structure, and opportunities for collaborative problem-solving. Additionally, staff value the opportunity to be creative within the simulation and engage in real-world scenarios with students. The simulation runs as a standard subject without additional costs, demonstrating its potential as a scalable, low-cost educational tool. This case study contributes to scholarship by showcasing a large-scale, low-tech simulation that could be adapted to various disciplines. 'The Island' offers a unique and immersive learning experience that challenges students to apply theoretical knowledge to practical scenarios, enhancing their understanding of public health and epidemiological concepts. References. Bandura, A. (2001). Social cognitive theory: An agentic perspective. Annual Review of Psychology, 52(1), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.1 Bulmer, M., & Haladyn, J. (2011). Life on an island: A simulated population to support student projects in statistics. Technology Innovations in Statistics Education, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.5070/T551000187 Frerejean, J., van Merriënboer, J. J. G., Kirschner, P. A., Roex, A., Aertgeerts, B., & Marcellis, M. (2019). Designing instruction for complex learning: 4C/ID in higher education. European Journal of Education, 54(4), 513-524. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12363 Sweller, J., van Merriënboer, J. J. G., & Paas, F. (2019). Cognitive architecture and instructional design: 20 years later. Educational Psychology Review, 31(2), 261-292. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09465-5

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