PUB HLTH 2005 - Essentials of Epidemiology II

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2016

This course extends understanding of the epidemiological concepts and measures that are routinely used in public health practice. In three consecutive modules, the epidemiological concepts associated with health intelligence (particularly focusing on health surveillance), evaluation of public health initiatives, and documenting and addressing health inequalities in the population will be explored. The course will afford students the opportunity to appreciate how a broad scope of health and social indicators are obtained and used to monitor health outcomes and for public health advocacy. Confidence in understanding numerical data as reported in the health literature will be enhanced by this course, with assignments geared to develop skills in locating, synthesising and reporting of health information in a form likely to be required in public health workplaces.

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Course Details

Course Code	PUB HLTH 2005
Course	Essentials of Epidemiology II
Coordinating Unit	Public Health
Term	Semester 1
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Assumed Knowledge	PUB HLTH 1001, PUB HLTH 1002
Assessment	essays, quizzes, 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

Learning and Teaching Team
Phone: +61 8313 2128
Email: undergrad_enq@adelaide.edu.au

Course Timetable

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

Course Learning Outcomes

1	Use core epidemiological concepts in assessing, monitoring and protecting population health;
2	Interpret key epidemiological measures in the health literature and report findings appropriately
3	Describe the role that quantitative measures of health and social welfare play in the development and evaluation of health policy;
4	Explain the rationale and uses of surveillance, and compare the strengths and limitations of surveillance approaches;
5	Demonstrate understanding of the need for, and approaches to, evaluation of public health initiatives;
6	Judge both the potential for and the limitations of evaluating complex interventions and policy change;
7	Explain how social determinants influence health and interpret measures of social determinants of health.

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)	1-7
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	2-7
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	2
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	N/A
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	6,7
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	N/A

Learning Resources

Required Resources

The teaching will be organised into three modules covering a range of topics and applications within each. For this reason, no one text book would be appropriate to all three modules, the reading material will be in the form of relevant chapters from a range of books, digital copies of literature (both recently published and seminal) and links to relevant websites.

Recommended Resources

Please see 'Required Resources' section.

Online Learning

We assume that you have access to student e-mail and that your address is the 成人大片 student’s e-mail address that was assigned to you on enrolment.

We will send our messages to your official 成人大片 student e-mail address and assume that you read your e-mail. The announcements page of the MyUni site for this course will also display relevant notices from time to time.

MyUni is the primary entry point to online learning at the 成人大片. MyUni will be used to provide students with access to course materials, announcements, and other features to assist your study.

Some assessments (quizzes and assignments) will be required to be submitted online through MyUni. There may also be other online learning activities to supplement lectures and/or practical face-to-face sessions.
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

Within each module of the course there are a number of teaching and learning modes.
Lectures are intended to introduce concepts and illustrate their use, providing both factual information and reinforcing numerical concepts in public health.

Practicals provide an interactive forum to apply concepts from lectures and clarify understanding. These are generally problem-solving sessions, providing an opportunity for ‘hands on’ work with the concepts taught and applied to population data. Some lectures may also contain practical and interactive components.

Each module uses a quiz to confirm understanding of fundamental concepts and allow for identification of areas requiring further study prior to undertaking the relevant assessments.

Three assignments (one for each module) provide an opportunity for independent application and exploration and analysis of key concepts, for wider reading and for synthesis of concepts and literature.

The exam will provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate what they have learnt, drawing together concepts and showing that they have developed their understanding through the course.

Workload

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

Teaching in Essentials of Epidemiology II begins with the assumption that students are active participants in the learning process, rather than passive recipients of information. We assume that you are willing and able to prepare fully for classes, to participate in discussions and to carry your share of the workload. Students are expected to attend all sessions.

As a general rule, in any university course you will need to allow a minimum of three independent study hours for every hour undertaken in formal class work contact. As a 3-unit course, Essentials of Epidemiology II will require approximately 3 contact hours per week by attending lectures (2 hours) and practicals (1 hour). This means that you will have to set aside at least a further nine hours per week for reading around topics, preparation for class activities, and work on assignments.

You are urged to bear this in mind when planning your university timetable, particularly if you are also engaged in paid employment. In our experience, students may not be able to demonstrate their full capacity if they are working full-time and studying full-time.

Learning Activities Summary

A detailed timetable of classes and assessment tasks will be available in the course Handbook, and on MyUni. The topics covered in lectures and practicals include:

· Methods of surveillance of chronic conditions and infectious diseases, including strengths and limitations of different approaches
· Social determinants of health and theories of disease causation
· Measuring social determinants of health and health inequalities
· Public health policy and health inequalities
· Evaluating public health interventions using methods including randomised controlled trials, non-randomised studies, economic evaluations and qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Specific Course Requirements

None.

Small Group Discovery Experience

Elements of small group discovery experience will be introduced in some practical sessions.

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 Outcome(s) being addressed
Module 1 written assignment	Summative	15%	1, 2, 3, 4
Module 2 written assignment	Summative	15%	1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Module 3 written assignment	Summative	15%	1, 2, 3, 7
Quizzes @ 5% per module	Summative	15%	2, 4, 6, 7
Exam	Summative	40%	2, 3, 4, 5, 7

Assessment Related Requirements

Students are required to attend, and expected to actively participate, in practicals. A sign-in sheet will be provided for each practical for students to sign.
Attendance at lectures is expected. While attendance at lectures will not be checked, we strongly recommend that you attend. You will get more from the lectures if you are involved, and try to make sense of the material being presented. There will be many opportunities throughout the lectures for interaction, discussion and questions.

Assessment Detail

There will be at least one summative quiz in each module, with a weighting of 5% per module and a total weighting of the quizzes across the three modules of 15%. The questions will generally be multiple choice or short answer and will cover core concepts addressed in the lecture, practical and reading material. Students will access the quizzes on MyUni. Results will be automatically available or fed back to students.

Students are required to submit a 1500 word assignment (weighting 15%) for each module (a total of three written assignments, 45%). Further details, including range of topic choice, will be available by the first week of each module, but each will include the following components: literature review; information evaluation and synthesis; reporting to a defined audience. Students will be asked to use core epidemiological concepts, to assess and interpret epidemiological measures in health literature, to explain how health inequalities are measured, and to demonstrate their understanding of the approaches to evaluate public health initiatives.

A two-hour exam at the end of course (weighting 40%) will involve multiple choice and short answer questions, and will assess your learning on the content of all three modules.

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.

The 成人大片 is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The 成人大片 therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

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

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