Table 1 Overview of the course

Description of the course

Students will gain familiarity with fundamental principles and general areas of knowledge that are important to the broad field of environmental health. Students will learn about approaches and tools used to recognize, assess, and manage environmental and occupational health hazards. This course also aims to expose students to numerous environmental and occupational health issues and to encourage critical thinking and reflection on these issues; we will consider what can be done about environmental and occupational health issues to ultimately protect and promote health and well-being. Finally, this course aims to inspire interest in the role of the environment in promoting and maintaining the health of populations in both local and global settings.

Online learning modules from NextGenU DOOHICHE ¹:

Module 1:

Introduction to environmental and occupational health

Module 2:

Environmental and occupational hazards and their effects on human health and ecosystems

Module 3:

Principles of exposure assessment

Module 4:

Toxicology and epidemiology in environmental health

Module 5:

Risk assessment: Concepts and application

Module 6:

Risk management, communication, and regulation

Module 7:

Susceptibility, vulnerability, and inequality in environmental health

Module 8:

Environmental and occupational health case studies

Module 9:

Emerging perspectives in environmental health

Learning activities used during class time:

Module 1:

Linking thinking for environmental health

Module 2:

Exposure assessment in action

Module 3:

Shipbreaking in Alang, India

Module 4 and 5:

Toxicology, epidemiology, and risk assessment problem set

Module 6:

Class debate- Should Canada apply the precautionary principle in environmental health policy and decision-making

Module 7:

A closer look at Air Quality Guidelines

Module 8 and 9:

Presentation and discussion of environmental health case studies

Evaluation:

Final grades were based on:

1) A final exam consisting of multiple choice and short answer application questions

2) Four graded reflective responses written throughout the semester

3) In-class and online participation

4) A final group project exploring a selected environmental or occupational health issue