Visit ECU Homepage
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.
In this unit you will be introduced to public health microbiology with a special focus on the microbes within all habitats, water, wastewater, food, air and soil and their beneficial and detrimental impacts on human health and welfare. Students will acquire the understanding and skills necessary to evaluate environmental microbiological risks and to describe interventions that will improve the health of human populations. Students will learn how to research and communicate features and current impacts of specific microbes that cause disease in at risk groups. The One Health Approach in managing and evaluating human infectious disease will be covered
On completion of this unit students should be able to:
Students will engage in learning experiences via ECU’s LMS as well as additional ECU learning technologies
Students will learn from 2 lectures delivered by guest lectures from the Department of Health (WA)'s Pathwest laboratory, the basics of public health microbiology and how it is now widely applied in understanding the challenges presented by emerging pathogens of public health concern. Students will apply critically thinking skills to evaluate current research literature and will complete timed restrictive online tests.
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 School Progression Panel.
| Type | Description | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Annotated Bibliography | Waterborne pathogens of public health significance | 30% |
| Test | Public Health Microbiology Test | 40% |
| Essay | One Health Approach | 30% |
| Type | Description | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Annotated Bibliography | Waterborne pathogens of public health significance | 30% |
| Test | Public Health Microbiology Test | 40% |
| Essay | One Health Approach | 30% |
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.
Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.
Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.
Breaches of academic integrity can include:
Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).
Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).
Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.
Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.
Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.
ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.
All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.
In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.
Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.
HST2131|1|1
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.
In this unit, students will be introduced to public health microbiology with a special focus on the microbes within all habitats, water, wastewater, food, air, and soil, and their beneficial and detrimental impacts on human health and welfare. Students will learn about the basic microbiological techniques used to isolate and identify pathogenic microorganisms. They will acquire the understanding and skills necessary to evaluate environmental microbiological risks and to describe interventions that will improve the health of human populations. Students will learn how to research and communicate features and current impacts of specific pathogens that cause disease in at-risk groups. They will learn about and gain a comprehensive understanding of the One Health approach in addressing zoonotic diseases, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and considering ethical and social implications in public health interventions.
On completion of this unit students should be able to:
Students will engage in learning experiences via ECU’s LMS as well as additional ECU learning technologies
Students will learn from a guest lecture delivered by an epidemiologist from the Communicable Disease Directorate to learn and understand the contemporary approaches and challenges presented by emerging and re-emerging pathogens of public health concern.
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 School Progression Panel.
| Type | Description | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Module content discussion | 10% |
| Presentation | Public Health Microbiology Presentation Assignment | 40% |
| Case Study | Public Health Microbiology Case Study: One Health Approach | 50% |
| Type | Description | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Module content discussion | 10% |
| Presentation | Public Health Microbiology Presentation Assignment | 40% |
| Case Study | Public Health Microbiology Case Study: One Health Approach | 50% |
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.
Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.
Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.
Breaches of academic integrity can include:
Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).
Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).
Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.
Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.
Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.
ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.
All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.
In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.
Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.
HST2131|1|2