Principles and Practice of Public Health

Course
ECTS
7.5
LanguageEnglish
Lecturer(s) Berni Murphy
  • Course description

    Through this unit, students are provided with an integrated overview of the ways in which different theories and disciplinary perspectives have informed public health principles and practices both in the past and present. The unit provides the foundations for a contextual understanding of the specific methods of public health research, policy development and program planning and implementation. Principles and Practice of Public Health is a 'glue' unit for the study of public health, drawing linkages between areas that may at first sight appear quite disparate. This unit aims to provide students with an overview of public health as an organised global and local effort to promote and protect the health of the public. Links are drawn between the past and present to provide the foundations for a contextual understanding of the specific methods of public health practice and policy development. Students are encouraged to position themselves within public health debates.
  • Main themes

    This unit will cover: historical foundations of public health; determinants of the health and illness of populations; health data and health surveillance; health protection: communicable disease control and environmental health; health promotion; evidence based practice in public health; ethics, human rights and public health; health of Indigenous Australians; global issues in public health; and international health.
  • Learning outcomes

    Upon completion of this unit, successful students can:
    ULO1: Discuss the history, underlying principles and major fields of practice in public health and apply this knowledge to contemporary health issues and to the contexts for action on these issues.
    ULO2: Apply different perspectives, such as social frameworks, epidemiology, clinical practice, community development, and governance and policy, to explore public health issues and practices.
    ULO3: Demonstrate mastery of digital technologies and digital literacies, critical thinking and sound professional judgement in selecting, analysing, evaluating and using information relevant to selected contemporary public health issues and action
    ULO4: Propose effective responses to public health issues that demonstrate mastery of the underlying principles of public health and its major fields of practice.
    ULO5: Demonstrate effective teamwork skills appropriate to supporting the learning of self and others in the multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural sphere of contemporary public health
    ULO6: Communicate orally and in writing on public health issues in an effective and coherent manner and mindful of the target audience.
  • Teaching and learning methodology

    Campus: 2.5 hours per week comprising 1 hour weekly class and 1.5 hour weekly seminar.
    Cloud (online): 1 hour weekly class (recorded and accessible online) and 1.5 hour weekly online seminar
     
    For all students, CloudDeakin is the major learning resource in the unit.
  • Assessment methods and criteria

    Assessment task 1: Group presentation 15%
    Assessment task 2: Seminar paper (1500 words) 25%
    Assessment task 3: Major paper (3000 words) 60%
  • Required reading

    Your unit learning resources are provided via CloudDeakin.

Last updated: 9 October 2017

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