PHMLearning lessons are rooted in two frameworks:

1.The Ecological Model (Public Health)

2.Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (Education)

  • A framework is like a map or a blueprint that organizes a process. Fields (or disciplines) including science, education, and health use frameworks to make things more efficient. This way, we are not trying to "reinvent the wheel" every time we want to do something new and innovative.

  • Using a framework to design lessons provides a clear, evidence-based structure. It helps focus on key public health topics while allowing flexibility to meet the needs of different learners. Frameworks also support better evaluation, resource use, and cross-disciplinary learning for stronger health literacy outcomes.

  • These frameworks are chosen because they offer a comprehensive approach to teaching and learning. The Ecological Model allows us to understand health from multiple perspectives—individual, relational, community, and societal—helping students see the bigger picture. Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (DOK) framework ensures that tasks are designed to engage students at various levels of cognitive complexity, from basic recall to higher-order thinking. Together, these frameworks create well-rounded lessons that promote deeper understanding and critical thinking, making the learning experience more effective and impactful.

The Ecological Model - Public Health

The ecological model is a foundational framework in public health that explains how society, environments, communities, and relationships all impact an individual’s health. At PHMLearning, we focus on four ecological levels to organize our lessons:

Level 1 Individual: Health starts with you. Your genetics, beliefs, knowledge (literacy), and daily habits all shape your well-being; and every choice plays a role. From the foods you eat to how you manage stress. But personal health doesn’t exist in a bubble. It is influenced by the world around you.

Level 2 Relationships: The people in your life including family, friends, coworkers, and healthcare providers, also help shape your health. Encouraging words from a friend can push you toward healthier choices, while a strong support system can make challenges easier to overcome. Relationships set the foundation for our habits, attitudes, and access to care.

Level 3 Community: Beyond personal connections, the environment around you influences your health. Do you have safe parks to exercise in? Are fresh, healthy foods easy to find and affordable? Communities, through schools, businesses, and local resources, shape the daily choices available to people. Communities contribute to making it easier or harder to live a healthy life.

Level 4 Systems: The large-scale forces at play are broad systems. Systems are the social, economic, environmental, and political factors that impact entire populations. Healthcare policies, economic opportunities, and even urban design affect who has access to a healthy life. The systems we live in create the foundation that determines how individuals, relationships, and communities interact with health.

Webb’s Depth of Knowledge - Education

Webb's Depth of Knowledge (DOK) is a framework that helps us design learning activities and assessments, moving from basic to more complex tasks. It has four levels, each representing a different level of thinking and understanding:

Level 1 Recall and Reproduction: Basic recall of facts or procedures. Tasks involve simple memorization or identifying information without much analysis.

Level 2 Skills and Concepts: Applying knowledge to solve problems or make connections. Tasks require understanding concepts and using critical thinking to solve more complex problems.

Level 3 Strategic Thinking: Involves planning, analyzing, and problem-solving. Tasks require evaluating information, making decisions, and supporting reasoning with evidence.

Level 4 Extended Thinking: Requires deep, creative thinking. Tasks involve research, original ideas, or solving open-ended problems, demonstrating a high level of understanding and innovation.

The DOK framework helps design lessons that challenge students to think critically and deeply, encouraging higher-order thinking and a deeper grasp of content.

Higher-order thinking and a deeper grasp of content lead to better health literacy and more empowered individuals. When students engage with tasks that require critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity, they develop the skills to apply what they've learned in real-world situations. This is especially important in public health education, where understanding complex issues—from individual health choices to broader societal and environmental factors—requires not just memorization, but the ability to analyze, evaluate, and make informed decisions.

In short, promoting higher-order thinking in public health lessons equips learners with the tools to navigate complex health issues, make informed decisions, and become active, engaged members of their communities. This ultimately supports healthier behaviors, stronger communities, and a better quality of life.

PHMLearning Objectives

Objective 1: Recognize that public health involves dynamic elements related to levels of the Ecological Model.

Objective 2: Understand that the health of all living things is connected to our environments.