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© 2008 BirthNet

Outline of College Class Presentation

(Based on BirthNet's presentations to Women's Studies Classes)

1. Pop quiz (10-15 minutes)
   Engages the class in a dialogue and gets them thinking about what they believe.  Have them filling it out as the class is entering and give about 5 minutes to finish.  Then discuss.  We collect these to compare them to the survey at the end.
   
2. Film:  Suzanne Arms' Giving: Birth Challenges & Choices (35 minutes)
   This is an excellent film that is just brief enough to cover all the materials and provide them with something they never see -- a normal birth.  Suzanne Arms's web site,www.birthingthefuture.com, has ordering information and the professional version includes a teaching guide.  We try to provide time for the students to respond to the film right afterward (10 minutes).
   
3. Other Information (15 minutes or so)
   Building on what the film covers, we also discuss basic information about BirthNet and what we do as well as the maternity care system:
   • Basic statistics, myths and misconceptions about maternity care including the problems and who is affected
   • The normality of birth and what maternity care can & should be.  Focuses on the Midwives Model of Care, the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative, out-of-hospital birth, and doulas
   • Consumers & advocacy and what the students can do -- particularly to educate themselves and others
     
4. Discussion (remaining time)
   We provide time to answer questions and go over things the students want more information about regarding the film or other materials.
   
5. Use surveys
   We ask students to complete the survey to see how much they've digested and considered the material.
   
6. Provide handouts
   We put together handouts, which the school copies, for students to take home.  Even if some throw them out and others just file them away, we've planted that seed for future use.

See also:  Cleeton, Elaine R.  "Attitudes and Beliefs about Childbirth among College Students: Results of an Educational Intervention," Birth, 28:3, September 2001, p. 192-201.