School: Medical and Health Sciences

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

Please note that given the circumstances of COVID-19, there may be some modifications to the assessment schedule promoted in Handbook for Semester 1 2020 Units. Students will be notified of all approved modifications by Unit Coordinators via email and Unit Blackboard sites. Where changes have been made, these are designed to ensure that you still meet the unit learning outcomes in the context of our adjusted teaching and learning arrangements.

  • Unit Title

    Disaster Preparedness & Mitigation
  • Unit Code

    DER6102
  • Year

    2020
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    2
  • Credit Points

    20
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Erin SMITH

Description

This unit will provide students with the knowledge to critically analyse the process of disaster preparedness and to understand how to mitigate damage and loss of life. Real life and contemporary disaster events will be utilised to apply the principles of risk assessment and vulnerability reduction to develop an understanding and practical skills in capacity building, disaster risk mitigation and emergency preparedness.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Apply risk assessment and vulnerability reduction strategies for potential hazards for national and international incidents.
  2. Critically analyse the various methods of process, outcome, and impact evaluation for disaster and emergency response plans.
  3. Discuss the concepts required for risk-based planning and vulnerability reduction in disasters.
  4. Identify and implement strategies to address effective community communication in times of emergency preparedness.
  5. Prepare and plan a program identifying target populations to address effective planning principles for disaster response.

Unit Content

  1. Introduction to disaster preparedness and mitigation.
  2. Disaster preparedness in Australia.
  3. The International Red Cross.
  4. Hazard, risk and vulnerability.
  5. Training, simulations and case studies.
  6. Coordination of resources.
  7. Community-based disaster preparedness.
  8. Information management, communication and warning systems.
  9. Preparing for psychosocial issues.
  10. Risk communication.
  11. Preparing for emerging threats.

Learning Experience

Students will engage in learning experiences through ECU Blackboard as well as additional ECU learning technologies.

Additional Learning Experience Information

The foundations of your learning for this subject are provided through workbook activities, required journal readings, online lectures, and assignments. The online discussion forum will allow you to interact with your fellow students who will prove to be a valuable learning resource through the sharing of experiences.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
Case StudyLocal disaster hazards30%
ParticipationDiscussion board posts10%
AssignmentDisaster preparedness simulation or training activity60%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

DER6102|2|1

School: Medical and Health Sciences

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

Please note that given the circumstances of COVID-19, there may be some modifications to the assessment schedule promoted in Handbook for this unit. All assessment changes will be published by 27 July 2020. All students are reminded to check handbook at the beginning of semester to ensure they have the correct outline.

  • Unit Title

    Disaster Preparedness & Mitigation
  • Unit Code

    DER6102
  • Year

    2020
  • Enrolment Period

    2
  • Version

    2
  • Credit Points

    20
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Erin SMITH

Description

This unit will provide students with the knowledge to critically analyse the process of disaster preparedness and to understand how to mitigate damage and loss of life. Real life and contemporary disaster events will be utilised to apply the principles of risk assessment and vulnerability reduction to develop an understanding and practical skills in capacity building, disaster risk mitigation and emergency preparedness.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Apply risk assessment and vulnerability reduction strategies for potential hazards for national and international incidents.
  2. Critically analyse the various methods of process, outcome, and impact evaluation for disaster and emergency response plans.
  3. Discuss the concepts required for risk-based planning and vulnerability reduction in disasters.
  4. Identify and implement strategies to address effective community communication in times of emergency preparedness.
  5. Prepare and plan a program identifying target populations to address effective planning principles for disaster response.

Unit Content

  1. Introduction to disaster preparedness and mitigation.
  2. Disaster preparedness in Australia.
  3. The International Red Cross.
  4. Hazard, risk and vulnerability.
  5. Training, simulations and case studies.
  6. Coordination of resources.
  7. Community-based disaster preparedness.
  8. Information management, communication and warning systems.
  9. Preparing for psychosocial issues.
  10. Risk communication.
  11. Preparing for emerging threats.

Learning Experience

Students will engage in learning experiences through ECU Blackboard as well as additional ECU learning technologies.

Additional Learning Experience Information

The foundations of your learning for this subject are provided through workbook activities, required journal readings, online lectures, and assignments. The online discussion forum will allow you to interact with your fellow students who will prove to be a valuable learning resource through the sharing of experiences.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
Case StudyLocal disaster hazards30%
ParticipationDiscussion board posts10%
AssignmentDisaster preparedness simulation or training activity60%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

DER6102|2|2