Introduction
This project would not have been possible without funds from the Teaching Innovation Fund (TIF) grant (Centre for Teaching and Learning, Ontario Tech University) and the eCampusOntario Virtual Learning Strategy (VLS, Round 2).
These materials would not have been possible without the knowledge and expertise of Ontario Tech University faculty collaborators, including: Drs. Robert Balogh, Laura Banks, Adam Cole, Manon Lemonde, Mika Nonoyama, Elita Partosoedarso, Syed Qadri, and Otto Sanchez. Additional eCampusOntario VLS collaborators included Drs. Sarah West, Robin Kay, Mary Chiu, and Lynn Zhu. Their ability to provide feedback and synthesize new ideas contributed to the final version of this publication.
We are grateful to all project coordinators and assistants, including Brenda Barth, Shanelle Racine, Chante Hamilton, Nicole Corbett, and Andrew Marysyuk, for leading case study development. We are also thankful to Ms. Jill Thompson, an Indigenous Cultural Advisor at Ontario Tech University, for providing guidance related to the development of our case study family. Lastly, we would like to acknowledge Sarah Stokes and staff from the Open Education Lab at Ontario Tech University, for their assistance in the preparation and publication of this project as an open educational resource.
Family Tree
Legend
Background
In 2020, our team of six (6) faculty collaborators Ontario Tech University received a Teaching Innovation Fund (TIF) grant to develop a multi-course approach to case-based learning in the health sciences. In 2022, we were awarded additional funding through the eCampusOntario Virtual Learning Strategy competition to expand these case studies and translate a subset of them into French. Case studies may prepare students for their future careers by connecting theoretical concepts to community practice with the application of knowledge.
Our team has developed ten (10) interconnected, multidisciplinary cases exploring health and disease across the lifespan in an extended family living in Canada. These cases have been designed for use in multiple undergraduate courses to facilitate scaffolding of student knowledge with increasingly complex case analyses. This novel approach may enable students to apply critical knowledge from a biological, behavioural and sociological perspective into unified clinical situations. As students review the cases, several perspectives should be considered, including:
Biological Perspectives
- Normal anatomy and physiology
- Pathophysiology
- Growth, development, and aging
Behavioural Perspectives
- Health behaviours
- Mental health
- Health-related quality of life
Sociological Perspectives
- Social determinants of health
- Age
- Sex and gender
- Sexual orientation
- Race
- Cultural norms
- Intersectionality
Content Organization
These case studies have been organized with the following resources available for use:
- Ten (10) multi-disciplinary case study readings and presentations
- Academic content with links to peer-reviewed publications
- Multimedia resources with links to online videos
- Teaching notes (in progress)
