PUB215 Upstream! Creating a Just World Through Public Health Practice


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Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Unit code:PUB215
Credit points:12
Coordinator:Christina Malatzky | christina.malatzky@qut.edu.au
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Overview

This unit introduces public health’s core values - equity, social justice, sustainable development, health of community, and the individual, respect for diversity and self-determination, empowerment and community participation and illustrates how these values are enacted in contemporary public health practice. It also develops foundational understanding of the core competencies of public health practice. These include the ability to apply knowledge of public health sciences, including the social sciences, understand how to create inclusive programs and policies for diverse populations, assess and analyse complex social and health information, and develop partnerships and collaborations through which to advocate for reducing health inequities. By participating in this unit you will gain insight into multidisciplinary approaches to addressing the health needs of communities and broader populations.

Learning Outcomes

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

  1. Select and evaluate information sources to inform public health prevention strategies.
  2. Communicate public health information to influence key decision makers using digital technologies.
  3. Apply the Public Health values, frameworks, principles and skills to the prevention and/or control of a real world Public Health issue;
  4. Reflect on the values and teamwork skills required for professional public health practice.
  5. Discuss the complexities underpinning community diversity and inclusion when addressing the broader determinants of a Public Health issue.

Content

The major topics to be covered include:

  • Bachelor of Public Health conceptual framework
  • History and definitions of Public Health
  • Public Health values
  • Key theoretical frameworks that inform Public Health practice
  • The broader social determinants of health
  • Public Health in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals
  • The core competencies of Public Health, including diversity and inclusiveness, and assessment and analysis
  • Careers in Public Health locally and globally, and ways to get career ready with volunteer opportunities
  • The importance of relationships and networking in professional public health roles
  • Entrepreneurial approaches to addressing Public Health issues
  • Reflective and critical thinking
  • Communicating persuasively using digital technologies

Learning Approaches

In this unit, you will learn by engaging in the following:

  • lectures (delivered on-campus and recordings are available online)
  • tutorials (separate online and on-campus offerings)
  • discussion panels with Public Health professionals
  • Careers in Public Health event
  • online readings and learning materials
  • real world examples of public health practice
  • reflections on personal motivations for public health practice
  • team learning and peer feedback
  • library online modules and support for information literacy search skills in public health
  • Student Success Group support workshops

This unit engages you in your learning through an inquiry-based learning approach. In order to maximise your learning experience in this unit, preparation in advance of tutorial sessions and active participation is expected of you. The unit will use a blend of face-to-face and online activities to develop your critical knowledge of the Public Health values, frameworks, principles and skills through the application of these elements to a real world Public Health issue.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Assessment items will be spaced throughout the semester to provide the opportunity for feedback on your learning at key points. You will gain peer and tutor feedback on the activities conducted in tutorials. You will also receive written feedback on your first assessment, which will prepare you for your final assessment. In completing the tutorial activities for the final assessment you will receive feedback iteratively during the semester.

Assessment

Overview

There are two assessments in this unit:

1. Annotated Bibliography - This task will allow you to scope the literature available on a real world Public Health issue and apply important information literacy skills.

2. Prevention Strategy - This task draws on the materials in this unit to develop a topic based population oriented prevention strategy in the form of a short digital story.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Annotated Bibliography

You will provide a list of relevant and high quality literature about a real world Public Health issue, including a brief description of their relevance to the selected topic. Your literature must consider the complexities underpinning diversity and inclusion when addressing the broader determinants of public health issues. You will also be required to properly reference the literature using a specific referencing style.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Weight: 40
Length: 2000 words
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 6
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 5

Assessment: Prevention Strategy

You will take on the role of a public health professional working in a team to develop a strategy for a government body in response to a public health issue. In this scenario, you will work on this task throughout the semester, and present your proposed strategy to relevant government officials in week 13. 

Part A

Individually, you will complete a series of tutorial activities across the teaching period, each designed to support the development of your prevention strategy. You will receive formative and peer feedback on these activities. During the tutorials, as you complete these activities, you will interact with your team to ensure your individual work informs the development of your team's proposed prevention strategy. You will also reflect on public health values, how these align with personal values and the ways these contribute to professional identity. You will submit one of these tasks for summative feedback in week 13. 

Part B

Your team will take on the challenge of developing a topic based population oriented prevention (T-POP) strategy.  You will present, as a team in oral form using appropriate information and visual technologies, the T-POP strategy you have developed over the course of the semester to your peers at the end of the teaching period, as if you were presenting to relevant government officials.

This assignment is not eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Weight: 60
Length: 15 minute team oral presentation
Individual/Group: Individual and group
Due (indicative): Week 13
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Resource Materials

Recommended text(s)

Fleming, M. L., Parker, E. & Correa-Velez, I. (2019).Introduction to Public Health (4th ed.). Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier Australia.

Risk Assessment Statement

Substantial computer-based work will be required. Students should ensure that their workstations are properly adjusted and that regular rest breaks are taken.

Course Learning Outcomes

This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.

PU52 Bachelor of Public Health

  1. Apply public health principles and evidence to improve population health outcomes.
    Relates to: ULO3, ULO4, Prevention Strategy
  2. Critically analyse scholarly literature and effectively conduct research to inform evidence based public health practice.
    Relates to: ULO1, Annotated Bibliography, Prevention Strategy
  3. Communicate with professional, non-professional and community audiences about public health using diverse technologies.
    Relates to: ULO2, Prevention Strategy
  4. Apply culturally safe and inclusive approaches to work with diverse individuals, groups and communities, including Indigenous Australians.
    Relates to: ULO5, Annotated Bibliography, Prevention Strategy
  5. Collaborate and negotiate with key stakeholders to advocate for the health and wellbeing of communities and populations.
    Relates to: ULO4, Prevention Strategy