Teaching critical thinking about health information and choices in secondary schools: human-centred design of digital resources

Abstract

Background: Learning to thinking critically about health information and choices can protect people from unnecessary suffering, harm, and resource waste. Earlier work revealed that children can learn these skills, but printing costs and curricula compatibility remain important barriers to school implementation. We aimed to develop a set of digital learning resources for students to think critically about health that were suitable for use in Kenyan, Rwandan, and Ugandan secondary schools.

Methods: We conducted work in two phases collaborating with teachers, students, schools, and national curriculum development offices using a human-centred design approach. First, we conducted context analyses and an overview of teaching strategies, prioritised content and collected examples. Next, we developed lessons and guidance iteratively, informed by data from user-testing, individual and group interviews, and school pilots.

Results: Final resources include online lesson plans, teachers' guide, and extra resources, with lesson plans in two modes, for use in a classroom equipped with a blackboard/flip-chart and a projector. The resources are accessible offline for use when electricity or Internet is lacking. Teachers preferred the projector mode, as it provided structure and a focal point for class attention. Feedback was largely positive, with teachers and students appreciating the learning and experiencing it as relevant. Four main challenges included time to teach lessons; incorrect comprehension; identifying suitable examples; and technical, logistical, and behavioural challenges with a student-computer mode that we piloted. We resolved challenges by simplifying and combining lessons; increasing opportunities for review and assessment; developing teacher training materials, creating a searchable set of examples; and deactivating the student-computer mode.

Conclusion: Using a human-centred design approach, we created digital resources for teaching secondary school students to think critically about health actions and for training teachers. Be smart about your health resources are open access and can be translated or adapted to other settings.

Keywords: critical health literacy; critical thinking; educational design; health education; human centred design; infodemic; informed decision making; secondary school.

Figure 1.. Phases of the work.

Figure 2.. Single development cycle.

Figure 3.. Overview of the three development cycles.

Figure 4.. Final version of the “Be smart about your health” resources.

Contents include Teachers’ guide, Blackboard lesson plans, Projector lesson plans, and Extra resources.

Figure 5.. Lessons designed in two modes: Blackboard mode for use in classrooms equipped with a blackboard or a flipboard, and Projector mode for use in classrooms with a projector.

Figure 6.. Lesson plan content.

Each lesson plan includes an Overview, Lesson, and Background section for teachers. Each Lesson has three parts: Introduction, Activity, and Wrap-up.

Figure 7.. Teachers’ guide includes: Introduction, Overview of the lessons, Using the resources, Background for teachers, Development and evaluation, and Other relevant resources.

Figure 8.. Teacher training materials.

Figure 9.. The examples collection provides alternative health actions or health problems/goals for each lesson or Key Concept in the resources.