PUB HLTH 7075OL - Introduction to Epidemiology

Online - Semester 1 - 2016

The aim of this course is to give students a grounding in the basic concepts of epidemiology. Students will gain knowledge about: measuring and interpreting patterns of disease occurrence; routine sources of data, their strengths and limitations; study designs used in epidemiology and when to apply them; epidemiological models of causation; and will begin to critically appraise epidemiological literature with reference to issues of study design and interpretation of results.

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Course Details

Course Code	PUB HLTH 7075OL
Course	Introduction to Epidemiology
Coordinating Unit	Public Health
Term	Semester 1
Level	Postgraduate Coursework
Location/s	Online
Units	3
Contact	Online
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	N
Incompatible	PUB HLTH 7074
Assessment	Assignments and exam

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Professor Peng Bi

Course Coordinator: Professor Peng Bi
Phone: +61 8313 3583
Email: peng.bi@adelaide.edu.au
Location: Level 8 Hughes Building

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .

Course Learning Outcomes

1	Outline epidemiological measures of disease occurrence, calculate basic measures and describe patterns of disease occurrence;
2	Correctly calculate and apply absolute and relative measures of risk;
3	Demonstrate an understanding of routine sources of data used in descriptive epidemiology, and appreciate their strengths and limitations accordingly;
4	Differentiate epidemiological study designs, recognise the most appropriate circumstances in which to use each design, and describe the measures of disease occurrence that can be generated using each design;
5	Recognise potential threats to correctly interpreting results from epidemiological studies, and identify those most relevant to each study design;
6	Distinguish the difference between association and causation, and appreciate relevant issues in inferring causation from observational designs;
7	Demonstrated ability to review and critically appraise observational studies;
8	Summarise the principles of screening and the conditions under which a screening program would be most appropriate and cost-effective.

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	2, 5, 6, 7, 8
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	3, 5, 7, 8
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	1, 4, 7, 8
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	3, 8
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	4, 5, 7, 8
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	1-8

Learning Resources

Required Resources

The textbook for this course is: Gordis L. Epidemiology. 4th edition. PA, USA: Elsevier Saunders, 2009. The reading material will be in theform of relevant chapters from a range of books, digital copies of literature (both recently published and seminal) and links to relevant websites.

Course Handbook and Study Guides will be made available to students before Week 1 of the semester and will be available in electronic form on MyUni.

Please note: There are many introductory epidemiology texts. Reading a text other than the set text can be helpful especially if a topic seems unclear or difficult – a different explanation and different examples can be illuminating. Recommended texts for this purpose are:

Rothman K. Epidemiology: an introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Hennekens C, Buring J. Epidemiology in Medicine. Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1987.

Webb P, Bain C. Essential Epidemiology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011

Many journals also specialise in epidemiological research. The International Journal of Epidemiology, Epidemiology, Journal of Epidemiology & Community

Supplementary reading material may also be placed on MyUni throughout the course, as required.

Recommended Resources

N/A

Online Learning

N/A

Learning & Teaching Modes

There are a number of teaching and learning modes in this course.

Lectures: Provide basic factual information and introduce and illustrate concepts.

Tutorials: Provide an opportunity to develop understanding of lecture material and clarify concepts.

Practicals: A forum for application of lecture material. They provide an interactive forum to apply concepts from lectures and clarify understanding.

Assignments: Opportunity for independent application and exploration of key concepts.

Exam: To assess the extent to which understanding has developed through the course and can be applied in novel scenarios.

Online discussion for each tutorial and practical will be put on MyUni. Students will be able to post questions and answers to a discussion board and provide feedback about each other’s proposed research question. Online asynchronous or synchronous discussion will be facilitated through MyUni using discussion board, webchat, Collaborate or Skype depending on the students’ preference and availability. The discussions will be schedule to align with the related assessments tasks and facilitated by course coordinator.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

In general, 3-4 hours of independent study will be required each week, in addition to class time. This includes reading the set text, wider reading, preparing answers to tutorial questions, and making progress with assignments.

Learning Activities Summary


Topic	Lecture and Tutorial
Disease Measurement	Introduction to epidemiology
Study Design I	Study design 1: cross-sectional studies Tutorial: disease measurement
Outbreak Investigation	Practical: Outbreak investigation
Risk Adjustment	Adjusting risk Tutorial: cross-sectional study
Study Design II	Cohort Study Tutorial: adjustment
Study Design III	Case-Control Study Tutorial: cohort study
Bias	Bias and confounding, critical appraisal Tutorial: case-control study
Association	Association and causation Tutorial: bias and confounding
Study Design IV	Randomised controlled trials Tutorial: critical appraisal (1)
Study Design V	Systematic reviews and meta-analysis Tutorial: critical appraisal (2)
Attributable risk	Attributable risk Tutorial: attributable risk
Screening	Screening Tutorial: past exam questions
Self-directed study for exam revision

Specific Course Requirements

None.

Small Group Discovery Experience

N/A

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Assessment Type	Weighting	Learning course objective(s) being addressed
Assignment 1	Summative	20%	1, 2, 3, 6
Assignment 2	Summative	20%	4, 5, 6, 7
Examination	Summative	60%	1-8

Assessment Related Requirements

None.

Assessment Detail

There will be two assignments and an examination in this course. All assignments will be posted on MyUni at least 2 weeks prior to the date of submission. Students will be required to participate in an on-line, open book examination for a period of two hours that will be scheduled in synchrony for all students.

1) Students are expected to prepare for tutorials by attempting the tutorial questions before the scheduled session.

2) Students are expected to actively participate in tutorials and practicals.

3) Students must submit both assignments to be permitted to sit the exam.

Students are required to submit two assignments (weighting 20% for each, with a total of two written assignments, 40%). Assignment 1 will be provided to students and posted on MyUni at the start of Week 2, and Assignment 2 will be posted on MyUni at the start of Week 8. Students will be asked to use core epidemiological concepts, to correctly conduct disease measurements, and to critically assess and interpret epidemiological research findings from health literature.(1,000 words each assignment)

A two-hour exam at the end of course (weighting 60%) will assess your learning on the content of all lectures, tutorials and practicals as indicated previously.

Submission

Extensions
All extensions for assignments must be requested, at the latest, by the last working day before the due date of submission. Extensions will generally be granted only on medical or genuine compassionate grounds. Supporting documentation must be provided at the time a student requests an extension. Without documentation, extensions will not be granted. Late requests for extension will neither be accepted nor acknowledged.

Only the Course Co-ordinator(s) may grant extensions.

Supporting documentation will be required when requesting an extension. Examples of documents that are acceptable include: a medical certificate that specifies dates of incapacity, a police report (in the case of lost computers, car & household theft etc.), a letter from a Student Counsellor, Education and Welfare Officer (EWO) or Disability Liaison Officer that provides an assessment of compassionate circumstances, or a letter from an independent external counsellor or appropriate professional able to verify the student’s situation. The length of any extension granted will take into account the period and severity of any incapacity or impact on the student. Extensions of more than 10 days will not be granted except in exceptional circumstances.

Late submission
Marks will be deducted when assignments for which no extension has been granted are handed in late.

All assignments, including those handed in late, will be assessed on their merits. In the case of late assignments where no extension has been granted, 5 percentage points of the total marks possible per day will be deducted. If an assignment that is 2 days late is awarded 65% on its merits, the mark will then be reduced by 10% (5% per day for 2 days) to 55%. If that same assignment is 4 days late, the mark will be reduced by 20% (5% per day for 4 days) to 45%, and so on.

The School of Public Health reserves the right to refuse to accept an assignment that is more than 7 days late.

Assignments submitted after the due date may not be graded in time to be returned on the listed return dates.

Students submitting examinable written work who request (and receive) an extension that takes them beyond the examination period are advised that there is no guarantee that their grades will be processed in time to meet usual University deadlines.

Resubmission
If a student is dissatisfied with an assessment grade they should follow the Student Grievance Resolution Process </student/grievance/process/>. Students who are not satisfied with a particular assessment result should raise their concerns with Course Co-ordinator(s) in the first instance. This must be done within 10 business days of the date of notification of the result. Resubmission of any assignment is subject to the agreement of the Course Co-ordinator(s) and will only be permitted for the most compelling of reasons.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through .

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.

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Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator

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