Students

HLTH2000 – Contemporary Health Issues

2023 – Session 2, Online-flexible-In person assessment, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Sophie Osborne
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
40cp at 1000 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit provides an introduction to the multidisciplinary field of health studies. You will learn about the social and environmental determinants of health that result in inequalities both between and within countries. Specific topics you will cover include the leading causes of mortality and morbidity; impacts of globalisation on health; and how population health is increasingly affected by the natural and man-made environment.

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:

  • ULO1: Define and describe the key terms, agencies and sources of information for current major health issues, nationally and globally
  • ULO2: Identify the leading causes of death and disability, nationally and globally
  • ULO3: Identify the major determinants of health
  • ULO4: Critically analyse the political, biological, socio-economic and environmental contexts of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity
  • ULO5: Describe global trends relating to globalisation and environmental conditions and their impact on the changing health status of different areas around the world
  • ULO6: Critically analyse academic writings on health issues available through peer-reviewed publications
  • ULO7: Describe a major health issue in terms of its size, nature, determinants and opportunities for prevention

General Assessment Information

Grade descriptors and other information concerning grading are contained in the Macquarie University Assessment Policy.

All final grades are determined by a grading committee, in accordance with the Macquarie University Assessment Policy, and are not the sole responsibility of the Unit Convenor.

Students will be awarded a final grade and mark which must correspond to the grade descriptors specified in the Assessment Procedure (clause 128 and 129).

To pass this unit, you must demonstrate sufficient evidence of achievement of the learning outcomes, meet any ungraded requirements, and achieve a final mark of 50 or better.

Further details for each assessment task will be available on iLearn.

Late Submissions

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (OF THE TOTAL POSSIBLE MARK) will be applied each day an assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern. 

 For example:

Number of days (hours) late

Total Possible Marks

Deduction

Raw mark

Final mark

1 day (1-24 hours)

100

5

75

70

2 days (24-48 hours)

100

10

75

65

3 days (48-72 hours)

100

15

75

60

7 days (144-168 hours)

100

35

75

40

>7 days (>168 hours)

100

-

75

0

 

For any late submissions of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Mid-session quiz 25% No Week 6
Critical reflection presentation 35% No Week 8
Final Examination 40% No MQ Exam period

Mid-session quiz

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Week 6
Weighting: 25%

 

This quiz is based on the content covered in the first half of the session

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Define and describe the key terms, agencies and sources of information for current major health issues, nationally and globally
  • Identify the leading causes of death and disability, nationally and globally
  • Identify the major determinants of health

Critical reflection presentation

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: Week 8
Weighting: 35%

 

Individual video presentation reflecting on personal experiences of health and how this relates to the concepts taught in this unit and your future role as a health professional.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Define and describe the key terms, agencies and sources of information for current major health issues, nationally and globally
  • Identify the leading causes of death and disability, nationally and globally
  • Critically analyse the political, biological, socio-economic and environmental contexts of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity
  • Describe global trends relating to globalisation and environmental conditions and their impact on the changing health status of different areas around the world
  • Critically analyse academic writings on health issues available through peer-reviewed publications
  • Describe a major health issue in terms of its size, nature, determinants and opportunities for prevention

Final Examination

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: MQ Exam period
Weighting: 40%

 

Final examination to assess what has been taught throughout the session.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Define and describe the key terms, agencies and sources of information for current major health issues, nationally and globally
  • Identify the leading causes of death and disability, nationally and globally
  • Identify the major determinants of health
  • Critically analyse the political, biological, socio-economic and environmental contexts of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity
  • Describe global trends relating to globalisation and environmental conditions and their impact on the changing health status of different areas around the world
  • Critically analyse academic writings on health issues available through peer-reviewed publications
  • Describe a major health issue in terms of its size, nature, determinants and opportunities for prevention

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

As a student enrolled in this unit, you will engage in a range of online learning activities, including: readings, online tasks, videos and lectures. Details can be found on the iLearn site for this unit.

Unit Organisation

This is a ten credit point unit run over a 13 week session.

This is a self-directed online unit, where content will be provided weekly via online resources.

Lectures 1 & 2 will be pre-recorded, approximately 1hr in duration and uploaded weekly on the Echo360 platform.

Lecture 3 equates to approximately 1 hr in duration with a pre-recording available on the Echo360 platform. To support the learning of the lecture students will be required to complete self directed learning tasks with questions and activities to engage with that will need to be manually ticked off by the student on ilearn once completed.

Recommended Readings

The readings for each week will be listed in ilearn using the Leganto system. Leganto is the reading list management system, which you can access through your iLearn unit. More information on Leganto is available here: http://libguides.mq.edu.au/leganto

Readings marked as 'required' are essential for completion in the marked week. Some readings may be included that are marked as 'recommended' or 'secondary sources', these are additional materials that may be of interest to you. Please use these at your discretion.

Technology Used

Active participation in the learning activities throughout the unit will require students to have access to a tablet, laptop or similar device. Students who do not own their own laptop computer may borrow one from the university library.  

Unit Schedule

Week 1: Introduction to health and public health

Week 2: Determinants of health

Week 3: Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander health and Intersectionality

Week 4: Environmental health

Week 5: Global health

Week 6: Access to health care

Week 7: Childhood Development and Mental Health Literacy

Week 8: Gender Inequality

Week 9: Health in rural regions & Employment and health

Week 10:Individual vs. public health approaches & Eating disorders, body image

Week 11: Health Governance and Health Promotion

Week 12: Community Development & Using Research to inform Policy

Week 13: Exam Preparation

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) 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 or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

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

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

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.

Changes from Previous Offering

The final exam to be held in the Macquarie Exam period will be held on campus, invigilated using an online exam. Students will be required to attend the exam on campus.

Inclusion and Diversity

Social inclusion at Macquarie University is about giving everyone who has the potential to benefit from higher education the opportunity to study at university, participate in campus life and flourish in their chosen field. The University has made significant moves to promote an equitable, diverse and exciting campus community for the benefit of staff and students. It is your responsibility to contribute towards the development of an inclusive culture and practice in the areas of learning and teaching, research, and service orientation and delivery. As a member of the Macquarie University community, you must not discriminate against or harass others based on their sex, gender, race, marital status, carers' responsibilities, disability, sexual orientation, age, political conviction or religious belief. All staff and students are expected to display appropriate behaviour that is conducive to a healthy learning environment for everyone.

Professionalism

In the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, professionalism is a key capability embedded in all our courses.

As part of developing professionalism students are expected to engage with all learning activities provided in this unit. As an adult learner, we respect your decision to choose how you engage with your learning, but we would remind you that the learning opportunities we create for you have been done so to enable your success, and that by not engaging you may impact your ability to successfully complete this unit. We equally expect that you show respect for the academic staff who have worked hard to develop meaningful activities and prioritise your learning.

Another dimension of professionalism is having respect for your peers. It is the right of every student to learn in an environment that is free of disruption and distraction.

Changes since First Published

Date Description
23/08/2023 Amended an editorial error for the A2 critical reflection task due date from week 9 to week 8

Unit information based on version 2023.02 of the Handbook