Online course offerings have emerged as a valuable option for University of New Mexico students seeking flexible learning opportunities, allowing them to balance academic pursuits with work and personal commitments while accessing educational content from anywhere with an internet connection.
A maternal and child health course at UNM’s College of Population Health has received the university’s prestigious Golden Paw certification of excellence in online education, in recognition of a unique collaborative teaching approach that spans nearly a decade of development.
The course, PH 471/571 Introduction to Maternal & Child Public Health, co-taught by Stephanie Chambers, MPH, and Pamela Sedillo, MPA, demonstrates a steady evolution from grant-funded project to sustainable academic offering. The Golden Paw certification acknowledges the course's achievement in meeting rigorous standards for online teaching excellence established by UNM's Center for Teaching and Learning.
"The journey of this course reflects a truly collaborative spirit," said Chambers, who was the original instructor when the course was first developed under a Health Resources and Services Administration grant in 2014.
"What makes this particularly special is that my co-instructor, Pam Sedillo, was actually among our first cohort of students, for the purpose of experiencing the curriculum from a student perspective."
The course took shape as new approaches for online academic programming were developed. Following its initial four-year grant funding period, Chambers and Sedillo transformed the course into a sustainable offering in 2019, which led to its incorporation into the Maternal and Child Health minor and certificate programs. The eight-week online course additionally serves as an interprofessional education (IPE) certified offering, attracting students from various academic backgrounds and career stages.
"We've created an environment where sophomore undergraduates can learn alongside PhD students and postdoctoral fellows. This diversity in academic perspectives enriches the learning experience for everyone involved."
The course gained additional recognition when it received a grant through the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR) to develop anti-racism and structural racism curriculum models, which are now part of APTR's permanent reference library.
"Through continuous refinement and student feedback, we've developed content that's not just academically rigorous but practically applicable to our students' lives and careers," Chambers said. The course fulfills requirements for public health and maternal and child health minor and certificate programs, IPE certification and nursing electives.
The Golden Paw certification process involved multiple rounds of rigorous evaluation by university reviewers, who evaluated course content and teaching methodologies against UNM's Online Learning Excellence Framework. The certification requires courses to demonstrate both foundational elements and advanced strategies in online education.
The newly certified course debuted in Summer 2024, representing the culmination of years of collaborative development between Chambers, whose background includes extensive public health research, and Sedillo, who brings more than 30 years of management experience in public and private sectors.
"This certification validates our commitment to creating an engaging, inclusive learning environment that prepares students for real-world challenges in maternal and child health," Sedillo said.
Looking ahead, both instructors will continue teaching the course for at least three subsequent semesters, a requirement of the Golden Paw certification, while maintaining their commitment to continuous improvement and innovation in online education.