Students

HSYP801 – Foundations of Public Health

2017 – S1 Block

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Alexandra Bhatti
Contact via alexandra.bhatti@mq.edu.au
By appointment only
3pm-5pm Wednesdays
Credit points Credit points
4
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MPH
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This Unit provides the foundations for understanding the discipline of public health. It introduces students to public health history, current population health issues both locally and globally, and public health ethics. It also introduces systems thinking as a means of recognising the nonlinear and dynamic nature of public health problems. Two one-day workshops will bring together the above learning in the areas of public health ethics and systems thinking as well as building communication skills that will equip students with practical skills essential to moving forward in their studies and future public health practice.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Define public health, explain its value and reflect on its role in everyday life.
  • Discuss and reflect on major events in the history and development of the public health profession and their relevance for practice in the field.
  • Appraise social, political, and economic structures that have shaped patterns of disease.
  • Comment on international/national/state/regional priority health problems relevant to specific populations/communities.
  • Illustrate the interdisciplinary, cross-cutting, and multifaceted character of public health and the contributions of a range of disciplines and professions to improving health.
  • Explain and apply principles of public health ethics and how it is used in health research.
  • Demonstrate foundational knowledge of systems sciences how it is applied to public health.
  • Demonstrate effective written and oral skills and strategies for communicating with different audiences and stakeholders in the context of professional public health activities.

General Assessment Information

Information concerning Macquarie University's assessment policy is available at http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html. Grade descriptors and other information concerning grading requirements are contained in Schedule 1 of the Macquarie University Assessment Policy, which is available at: http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/schedule_1.html

To pass this unit, students must demonstrate sufficient evidence of achievement of the learning outcomes and attempt all assessment tasks.

Further details for each assessment task will be available on iLearn, including marking rubrics.

All final grades in the department of Health Professions are determined by a grading committee and are not the sole responsibility of the Unit Convenor.

Students will be awarded one of these grades plus a Standardised Numerical Grade (SNG). The SNG is not necessarily a summation of the individual assessment components. The final grade and SNG that are awarded reflect the corresponding grade descriptor in Schedule 1 of the Assessment Policy.

Extensions for Assessment tasks

Applications for assessment task extensions must be submitted via www.ask.mq.edu.au. For further details please refer to the Disruption to Studies Policy available at http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/  disruption_studies/policy.html

Late Submission of Work

All assignments which are officially received after the due date, and where no extension has been granted by the course convenor or tutor, will incur a deduction of 10% for the first day, and 10% for each subsequent day including the actual day on which the work is received. Weekends and public holidays are included. For example:

Due date Received Days late Deduction Raw mark Final mark
Friday 14th Monday 17th 3 30% 75% 45%  

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Online reflection activity 20% No Week 4
Written assignment 20% No Mid-recess week
Oral Presentation 10% No Week 12
Written Assignment 50% No Week 13
Student Portfolio Reflection 0% No Continuous; Weeks 7, 9-11

Online reflection activity

Due: Week 4
Weighting: 20%

Online reflection activity providing evidence of learning and development from overall online contributions.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Define public health, explain its value and reflect on its role in everyday life.
  • Discuss and reflect on major events in the history and development of the public health profession and their relevance for practice in the field.
  • Appraise social, political, and economic structures that have shaped patterns of disease.
  • Illustrate the interdisciplinary, cross-cutting, and multifaceted character of public health and the contributions of a range of disciplines and professions to improving health.

Written assignment

Due: Mid-recess week
Weighting: 20%

Students will select a public health intervention and use an essay format to assess the intervention using a public health ethics framework.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain and apply principles of public health ethics and how it is used in health research.

Oral Presentation

Due: Week 12
Weighting: 10%

Students will prepare and deliver a five-minute individual oral presentation related to the content of the Week 13 written assignment.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate effective written and oral skills and strategies for communicating with different audiences and stakeholders in the context of professional public health activities.

Written Assignment

Due: Week 13
Weighting: 50%

Written assignment where students will identify a major communicable or non-communicable disease relevant to a specific population or community and comment on the prioritisation of the disease as a public health issue. You will be asked to consider the issue from a local and global perspective as well as how historical, political and economic structures have affected the disease.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Discuss and reflect on major events in the history and development of the public health profession and their relevance for practice in the field.
  • Appraise social, political, and economic structures that have shaped patterns of disease.
  • Comment on international/national/state/regional priority health problems relevant to specific populations/communities.

Student Portfolio Reflection

Due: Continuous; Weeks 7, 9-11
Weighting: 0%

Students will be asked to reflect with particular tasks throughout the unit and you are encouraged to submit these reflections to your portfolio. 

Specifically, students will be asked to reflect on the content provided in Module 4 and provide a discussion of the rationale for adopting a systems approach to addressing population health issues and the challenges to adopting a systems approach in public health. 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate foundational knowledge of systems sciences how it is applied to public health.

Delivery and Resources

Unit Organisation

This is a four credit point unit run over a 13 week session.  There are lectures, tutorials and full day workshops.  Further information is available via the HSYP801 online Learning Management System (LMS) iLearn http://ilearn.mq.edu.au

 

Attendance

All lectures and tutorials are scheduled in your individual timetable. In most cases lectures are recorded however, attendance is expected at both lectures and tutorials, as this is where the majority of learning occurs. Failure to attend may impact your final results. It is the responsibility of the student to contact their tutor by email to inform tutors if they are going to be absent. The timetable for classes can be found on the University web site at: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au/.

 

Textbooks 

A prescribed chapter specific reading will be found in the following book. Copies will be held in library reserve. 

  • Chapter 1 'Global health: an introduction' from the book 'Global Health: an introduction to current and future trends. Routledge. Kevin McCracken and David R Phillips; 2012. 

Readings

The readings for each tutorial will be listed in the tutorial worksheets available on ilearn. For readings that are journal articles available electronically thorough the library it is your responsibility to find and download these. For readings that are chapters from a textbook and meet copyright restrictions they will be available on e-reserve as a PDF.

 

Technology and equipment

On-campus

Teaching rooms are equipped with state of art audio-visual and ICT equipment including iPads, internet connection, high quality video cameras and multiple LCD screens. 

Off-campus

To study optimally when off campus you will need to have access to a reliable internet connection to retrieve unit information & at times to submit assessment tasks via iLearn.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html​

Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html

Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

PG - Capable of Professional and Personal Judgment and Initiative

Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Explain and apply principles of public health ethics and how it is used in health research.
  • Demonstrate foundational knowledge of systems sciences how it is applied to public health.
  • Demonstrate effective written and oral skills and strategies for communicating with different audiences and stakeholders in the context of professional public health activities.

Assessment tasks

  • Oral Presentation
  • Student Portfolio Reflection

PG - Discipline Knowledge and Skills

Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Define public health, explain its value and reflect on its role in everyday life.
  • Discuss and reflect on major events in the history and development of the public health profession and their relevance for practice in the field.
  • Appraise social, political, and economic structures that have shaped patterns of disease.
  • Comment on international/national/state/regional priority health problems relevant to specific populations/communities.
  • Illustrate the interdisciplinary, cross-cutting, and multifaceted character of public health and the contributions of a range of disciplines and professions to improving health.
  • Explain and apply principles of public health ethics and how it is used in health research.
  • Demonstrate foundational knowledge of systems sciences how it is applied to public health.

Assessment tasks

  • Online reflection activity
  • Written assignment
  • Written Assignment
  • Student Portfolio Reflection

PG - Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Discuss and reflect on major events in the history and development of the public health profession and their relevance for practice in the field.
  • Appraise social, political, and economic structures that have shaped patterns of disease.
  • Comment on international/national/state/regional priority health problems relevant to specific populations/communities.
  • Explain and apply principles of public health ethics and how it is used in health research.
  • Demonstrate foundational knowledge of systems sciences how it is applied to public health.

Assessment tasks

  • Online reflection activity
  • Written assignment
  • Written Assignment
  • Student Portfolio Reflection

PG - Research and Problem Solving Capability

Our postgraduates will be capable of systematic enquiry; able to use research skills to create new knowledge that can be applied to real world issues, or contribute to a field of study or practice to enhance society. They will be capable of creative questioning, problem finding and problem solving.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Appraise social, political, and economic structures that have shaped patterns of disease.
  • Explain and apply principles of public health ethics and how it is used in health research.
  • Demonstrate foundational knowledge of systems sciences how it is applied to public health.

Assessment tasks

  • Online reflection activity
  • Written assignment
  • Written Assignment
  • Student Portfolio Reflection

PG - Effective Communication

Our postgraduates will be able to communicate effectively and convey their views to different social, cultural, and professional audiences. They will be able to use a variety of technologically supported media to communicate with empathy using a range of written, spoken or visual formats.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Comment on international/national/state/regional priority health problems relevant to specific populations/communities.
  • Demonstrate effective written and oral skills and strategies for communicating with different audiences and stakeholders in the context of professional public health activities.

Assessment tasks

  • Written assignment
  • Oral Presentation
  • Written Assignment

PG - Engaged and Responsible, Active and Ethical Citizens

Our postgraduates will be ethically aware and capable of confident transformative action in relation to their professional responsibilities and the wider community. They will have a sense of connectedness with others and country and have a sense of mutual obligation. They will be able to appreciate the impact of their professional roles for social justice and inclusion related to national and global issues

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Explain and apply principles of public health ethics and how it is used in health research.
  • Demonstrate effective written and oral skills and strategies for communicating with different audiences and stakeholders in the context of professional public health activities.

Assessment tasks

  • Written assignment
  • Oral Presentation