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.

  • Unit Title

    Public Health: Philosophy, Principles and Practice
  • Unit Code

    HST5161
  • Year

    2024
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    2
  • Credit Points

    20
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Ruth WALLACE

Description

This unit introduces students to the broad foundations and underlying principles of public health. Students critically examine public health priorities and practices, and how these have changed and evolved over time. Current public health practices within Australian and around the world are explored, building knowledge of the various roles, responsibilities, and stakeholder groups in public health contexts. This unit examines the determinants of health such as social, economic, political and environmental factors that impact upon the health of individuals, communities and diverse populations. Students learn how to interpret national health data and trends. They evaluate contemporary literature to gain insight into the complexities of population health issues, giving consideration to diverse populations, initiatives and policies to inform their decision-making.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Discuss how health determinants influence population health outcomes in Australian and global contexts.
  2. Apply public health principles and theories to evaluate a range of public health issues and practices.
  3. Analyse population health data and contemporary literature to determine the scope of a population health challenge.
  4. Distinguish between different public health stakeholder roles and responsibility to improve future professional practice.

Unit Content

  1. History, scope and principles of public health.
  2. Australian and global public health organisation and stakeholders.
  3. Health equity and social justice.
  4. Public health information and health outcomes measurement.
  5. Ethical issues in public health.
  6. Contemporary and future challenges for public health.

Learning Experience

ON-CAMPUS

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 113 x 3 hour seminarNot OfferedNot Offered
Semester 213 x 3 hour seminarNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

ONLINE

Students will engage in learning experiences via ECU’s LMS as well as additional ECU learning technologies

Additional Learning Experience Information

Students work collaboratively during class to discuss and interpret national health data and contemporary public health challenges. They learn how to use complex theories, policies and public health initiatives to evaluate diverse public health situations. Weekly revision questions are provided to guide student learning, and collaborative activities provide students with regular opportunities to ask questions and receive feedback to support them with broadening their understanding of key concepts. In the assignments, students use their initiative and creativity to identify and evaluate examples of effective public health practices within their community and are assessed on their ability to apply knowledge to case scenarios.

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 School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentPublic health activities, principles, and underpinning health theory20%
Annotated Bibliography Evaluation of contemporary public health challenges 40%
ExaminationEnd of Semester Closed Book Examination40%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentPublic health activities, principles, and underpinning health theory20%
Annotated Bibliography Evaluation of contemporary public health challenges 40%
ExaminationEnd of Semester Closed Book Examination40%

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.

Assessment

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.

Academic Integrity

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:

Plagiarism

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).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

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).

Contract cheating

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.

Cheating in an exam

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.

Assessment Extension

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.

Special Consideration

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.

HST5161|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.

  • Unit Title

    Public Health: Philosophy, Principles and Practice
  • Unit Code

    HST5161
  • Year

    2024
  • Enrolment Period

    2
  • Version

    2
  • Credit Points

    20
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Ruth WALLACE

Description

This unit introduces students to the broad foundations and underlying principles of public health. Students critically examine public health priorities and practices, and how these have changed and evolved over time. Current public health practices within Australian and around the world are explored, building knowledge of the various roles, responsibilities, and stakeholder groups in public health contexts. This unit examines the determinants of health such as social, economic, political and environmental factors that impact upon the health of individuals, communities and diverse populations. Students learn how to interpret national health data and trends. They evaluate contemporary literature to gain insight into the complexities of population health issues, giving consideration to diverse populations, initiatives and policies to inform their decision-making.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Discuss how health determinants influence population health outcomes in Australian and global contexts.
  2. Apply public health principles and theories to evaluate a range of public health issues and practices.
  3. Analyse population health data and contemporary literature to determine the scope of a population health challenge.
  4. Distinguish between different public health stakeholder roles and responsibility to improve future professional practice.

Unit Content

  1. History, scope and principles of public health.
  2. Australian and global public health organisation and stakeholders.
  3. Health equity and social justice.
  4. Public health information and health outcomes measurement.
  5. Ethical issues in public health.
  6. Contemporary and future challenges for public health.

Learning Experience

ON-CAMPUS

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 113 x 3 hour seminarNot OfferedNot Offered
Semester 213 x 3 hour seminarNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

ONLINE

Students will engage in learning experiences via ECU’s LMS as well as additional ECU learning technologies

Additional Learning Experience Information

Students work collaboratively during class to discuss and interpret national health data and contemporary public health challenges. They learn how to use complex theories, policies and public health initiatives to evaluate diverse public health situations. Weekly revision questions are provided to guide student learning, and collaborative activities provide students with regular opportunities to ask questions and receive feedback to support them with broadening their understanding of key concepts. In the assignments, students use their initiative and creativity to identify and evaluate examples of effective public health practices within their community and are assessed on their ability to apply knowledge to case scenarios.

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 School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentPublic health activities, principles, and underpinning health theory20%
Annotated Bibliography Evaluation of contemporary public health challenges 40%
ExaminationEnd of Semester Closed Book Examination40%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentPublic health activities, principles, and underpinning health theory20%
Annotated Bibliography Evaluation of contemporary public health challenges 40%
ExaminationEnd of Semester Closed Book Examination40%

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.

Assessment

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.

Academic Integrity

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:

Plagiarism

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).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

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).

Contract cheating

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.

Cheating in an exam

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.

Assessment Extension

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.

Special Consideration

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.

HST5161|2|2