Effective communication is a core skill that nearly every health professional will need and use during their careers. Yet, few health professionals receive even basic training in how to design communications to be clear and successful. As “foundational skills,” the content in this course can be applied to both oral and written communication, within and beyond health.
Foundational Skills for Communicating About Health
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Foundational Skills for Communicating About Health
Instructor: Brian Zikmund-Fisher
21,554 already enrolled
Included with 
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.7
(116 reviews)
Beginner level
No prior experience required
Flexible schedule
Approx. 14 hours
Learn at your own pace
96%
Most learners liked this course
What you'll learn
Define and collect important information about a target audience in order to make appropriate decisions about the communication effort
Select an audience-appropriate communications goal
Craft a clear, concise core message for a communication effort
Deploy at least two different types of narrative structures to support communications about health topics
Details to know
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Assessments
22 assignments
Taught in English
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There are 5 modules in this course
In Week 1, we will consider how knowing your audience and your specific goals are the critical first steps to designing effective communications.
What's included
8 videos4 readings5 assignments1 discussion prompt
In Week 2, we will focus on developing clear takeaway messages so that communications can achieve their objectives.
What's included
6 videos2 readings8 assignments1 plugin
This week, we focus on using plain language to avoid jargon, and continue to practice finding a clear central message.
What's included
4 videos2 assignments1 peer review
In Week 4, we will learn how to use narrative forms to tell the story of science and how to think about the larger macro-structures of messages, especially when your message is designed to advocate for your central point.
What's included
13 videos3 readings2 assignments1 peer review
In Week 5, we will learn oral presentation skills, create a final written assignment summarizing a scientific article for a different audience, and (optionally) create a short video presentation for a public audience.
What's included
2 videos6 readings5 assignments1 peer review
Instructor
Instructor ratings
4.8 (41 ratings)Offered by
Recommended if you're interested in Public Health
Imperial College London
The State University of New York
University of California San Diego
Coursera Instructor Network
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Taking this course by University of Michigan may provide you with a preview of the topics, materials and instructors in a related degree program which can help you decide if the topic or university is right for you.
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Frequently asked questions
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