Course Title: Principles and Practice of Public Health
Part A: Course Overview
Course Title: Principles and Practice of Public Health
Credit Points: 12.00
Terms
Course Code |
Campus |
Career |
School |
Learning Mode |
Teaching Period(s) |
PUBH1436 |
City Campus |
Undergraduate |
535T Social Care and Health |
Face-to-Face |
Sem 1 2024 |
Course Coordinator: Brooke Backman
Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 0000
Course Coordinator Email: brooke.backman@rmit.edu.au
Course Coordinator Location: 051.07.05
Course Coordinator Availability: By appointment only.
Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities
None
Course Description
This course provides a holistic understanding of health and its determinants. You will gain insight into public health perspectives for action to improve health in various contexts, including local settings, schools, workplaces, and neighbourhood communities. In addition, this course will equip you with an understanding of the Australian healthcare system, its funding, the challenges and major factors impacting it, and law and ethics in health. Finally, building on your holistic and preventive approach to health, this course introduces public health principles and practices, including the historical context of old versus new public health, health public policy, health protection, surveillance and monitoring of communicable and non-communicable diseases, managing domains for public health action, and partnerships with key stakeholders in global and local contexts.
You will directly engage with industry to undertake a project which reflects real industry practice.
Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
This course contributes to the Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) of the following program plans:
- AD019P24 Associate Degree in Health Science
- DP021 Diploma of Health Science
Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Define and describe the history, role, concept of public health and its relationship with disease, its actions, settings and intervention types at a local and global level.
- Identify and compare various types of determinants (e.g., behavioural, nutritional, social, and environmental) of health in both vulnerable and non-vulnerable populations.
- Develop and manage action plans to determine solutions to reduce the incidence of communicable and non-communicable disease, and its social and economic impacts on a population.
- Analyse and provide critical perspectives on case studies and examples of public health interventions, and match how they relate to key frameworks.
- Identify and compare ways to address health challenges of local, national and global significance to deliver outcomes that benefit the population
- Effectively communicate and collaborate with diverse stakeholders, including individuals, communities, health professionals, policymakers, and organizations, to promote and protect public health.
Overview of Learning Activities
Your learning activities will consist of any or all of the following:
- Face-to-face teaching: to develop knowledge of underpinning concepts
- Personal study: using text books, journal articles and the internet to reinforce and broaden your understanding of this subject
- Industry engagement: industry visits and/or guest speakers may be organised to further enhance application of knowledge in the health sector
- Personal research: to become familiar with recent developments and discoveries in this area
- Group work & peer teaching: to broaden your understanding of a range of subject areas
- Online learning: this course will make use of RMIT's online learning system, Canvas. Here you will be able to access course notes and materials as well as additional reference material, quizzes and self assessments. This course will use online discussion forums moderated by the teacher.
Overview of Learning Resources
RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems. There are services available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help as well as a range of study support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal.
You can find more information on Library resources and services at: https://www.rmit.edu.au/library
Online learning tools and content:
As a student in the course you may access online learning tools and content for your course from the student portal, myRMIT http://www.rmit.edu.au/myrmit.
Learning services are available to you as a student at RMIT:
RMIT provides a wide range of resources and opportunities to assist your learning and wellbeing so you can achieve your study and career goals.
Services are available face to face and online assisting with:
- transition to tertiary study and learning
- study skills, academic skills including literacy, mathematics and basic sciences if relevant
- enabling assistance if you have a disability, long term medical condition or other form of disadvantage which may impact on your learning
- career development and employment
- living and wellbeing (including advice on health, housing and financial matters)
- opportunities for scholarships, leadership and study abroad
- opportunities for participating in arts, sport, recreation, fitness activities as well as student activism and university governance
There are also specific subject guides available on the library website that will point you to a variety of resources available in the Library and those available online, including databases, e-journals, e-books and websites. Library subject guides that you may find useful include Health and Anatomy and Physiology.
Computer laboratories with printing facilities are available in the School for students to use at any time that classes are not scheduled. Access to these is available through the School Office in Building 51, Level 6 during normal office hours.
Overview of Assessment
To pass this course you must achieve a minimum grade of 50%. Assessment marks will be added together across all submitted assessments and your final total mark must be equal to, or greater than 50%.
Assessment Tasks
Assessment Task 1: Public Health Test 1
Weighting 15%
This assessment task supports CLO 1 & 2
Assessment Task 2: Case Study
Weighting 25%
This assessment task supports CLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6
Assessment Task 3: Public Health Issue of Concern Report
Weighting 35%
This assessment task supports CLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6
Assessment Task 4: Public Health Test 2
Weighting 25%
This assessment task supports CLO 1, 2, 3, & 4