CQUniversity Unit Profile.

In this assessment, you are asked to research, critically consider, and present (in written form) information that describes the population health data, and key determinants and impacts of one of the following contemporary health issues in Australia:

• Measles
• Hepatitis B
• Dementia
• Type 2 Diabetes

This range of topics includes communicable and non-communicable illnesses; and relate to a variety of public health disciplines including health promotion, environmental health, occupational health and safety, among others; and is of relevance to the general population as well as sub-populations based on characteristics such as gender, location, ethnicity, occupation, etc. Hopefully you will find one of interest and some relevance to your course/major.

There are three parts to this task:

Part A - produce a GenAI output of a response to the task using CQU's MS Co-pilot platform. (You must be logged in through CQU Co-pilot, and use this program only - no others such as Chat GPT - for information security). This will be discussed and demonstrated in the week 2 tutorial.
Part B - critique and annotate the GenAI output using MS word. This will be discussed and demonstrated in the week 3 tutorial.
Part C - a written report of 2000 words (+/- 10%) based on the original GenAI output and your critique of that, with your further research and original contributions. This will be discussed and demonstrated in the week 4 tutorial.
You must submit all three parts together to form one submission.

Structure of the Final Report

Your final report should include:

A clear introduction which provides the purpose and intent of the report, and justification for the issue

A body of the report which presents and discusses:

• a range of appropriate epidemiological measures to critically demonstrate the population health data (e.g. prevalence, incidence or other trends) of the health issue on the Australian population as a whole and within or between different population groups of relevance (i.e. differential impacts based on, for instance, age, gender, geographic location, occupation, etc.)
• a range of appropriate epidemiological measures to critically demonstrate the population health determinants of the issue on the Australian population as a whole and within or between different population groups of relevance
• a range of appropriate epidemiological information to critically discuss the population health impacts (e.g. health and social impacts and outcomes) of the health issue on the Australian population as whole, and within or between different population groups of relevance
• the use of appropriate data visualisation which contribute to the effective communication of the issue.
• A clear and concise conclusion.

Generative AI (GenAI): Level of GenAI use allowed:
AI-Assisted (Guide Collaboration) Guide Assured: You may use Al for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas in a Use of GenAI statement. Suggested wording guide as below:
AI Use Declaration (include at the bottom of your title page)
In completing this Assessment Task, I acknowledge the use of Microsoft Copilot to guide the [specific process/es: brainstorming, drafting, research assistance, editing, etc.]. The output from these prompts was used to [explain how the output from GenAI was critically evaluated to use in your own work]. I confirm that all AI-generated content underwent thorough review and evaluation and the final output accurately reflects my own understanding, knowledge and intended meaning. While AI assistance was used in the process, I maintain full responsibility for the content, its accuracy, and its presentation and can explain and justify all inclusions. This declaration is included to ensure transparency and to formally acknowledge the role of AI in the completion of this assessment task.  

Week 6 Wednesday (16 Dec 2026) 4:00 pm AEST

See Marking Rubric in Moodle

• Harvard (author-date)
• American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)

In your professional life, you may use your knowledge of epidemiology to develop project applications for a variety of reasons including investigative or experiential research, or applied community-based research such as a community needs assessments or evaluations community-based programs. This may involve developing proposal and funding applications outlining your plans for your employer or external bodies. You will most often do this as part of a collaborative team. This assessment is a practical application of that kind of task.

This assessment activity is designed to allow you to apply the concepts you are learning during this term whilst practising your skills for a task you will require in the future. Completing this assessment task will enable you to develop knowledge and applied skills in discerning appropriate and credible information, interpreting information, and synthesising and effectively communicating the information to make a strong and convincing argument for public health intervention, and applied skills in using professional tools/templates for a target audience.

You are encouraged to keep a copy of your assessment output and feedback as part of a portfolio to show prospective employers examples of your applied work!

Task Description

In this assessment task, you are required to write an evidence-based project proposal as part of a team. The proposal will be for a project to explore the health of a population related to a topic from assessment 1. There are two components to this task:

1. Part A - written project proposal (40%)

2. Part B - individual contribution to group work (10%)

Developing Your Assessment

To develop the task, your team should:

• Form groups of three people. Details about how to sign up to a group, and a wiki link to sign up for a group, will be available on the main page of the unit Moodle site by the start of week 6 of the term.
• Form a group with others who have done the same topic as you for Assessment 1. If you form a group where members have done different topics for Assessment 1, you will need to decide which topic to focus on for assessment 2.
• Once your group is formed, complete the 'Team Charter' together (template available below). The team charter, and various strategies for successful group work, will be discussed in the tutorials in weeks 7 and 8. Submit this by the start of week 8.
• As a team, formulate a key research question which your proposed project will investigate. It is strongly advisable you check this with the Unit Coordinator to ensure appropriateness and feasibility.
• Work together to develop your evidence-based proposal (i.e. based on theory and research to justify your design, methods and ethical considerations). Complete your written proposal using the 'Project Proposal Template' (available below)
• For each group meeting you have, keep group meeting agendas and minutes, and submit these along with your finalised proposal. Examples of minutes and agendas, and templates, will be shown in the week 7 tutorial. 

Additional tips for completing the task:

• Use library databases to research your topic and source relevant and valid information.
• Interpret, synthesise and organise the information into a clear and cohesive application.
• Factor-in time in your development/drafting process to review and edit the document holistically for a more cohesive final product. Strategies for doing this will be discussed in week 7 and week 8 tutorials.
• There is no precise number of references required, but it is anticipated that approximately 12-20 references could be used in a task of this size and scope. References should be used for all key sections to provide validity.
• There is no precise date range for ‘current’ literature – in most cases, 5-10 years would be deemed ‘current’ but this will depend on the topic (for instance, ten years may be relevant to a slow-to-change phenomenon such as social attitudes or cultural practices; but ten years would be considered ‘outdated’ for research about the ‘current’ epidemiology of a fast-moving issue such as a communicable disease pandemic; or sometimes older literature is appropriate to use if you are seeking to demonstrate a trend or change over time [e.g. from the year 2015 compared to 2025]). So you need to use your discernment here and the literature should be contextually relevant for use.

Generative AI (GenAI): Level of GenAI use allowed:
AI-Assisted (Guide Collaboration) Guide Assured: You may use Al for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas in a Use of GenAI statement. Suggested wording guide as below:
AI Use Declaration (include at the bottom of your title page)
In completing this Assessment Task, I acknowledge the use of Microsoft Copilot to guide the [specific process/es: brainstorming, drafting, research assistance, editing, etc.]. The output from these prompts was used to [explain how the output from GenAI was critically evaluated to use in your own work]. I confirm that all AI-generated content underwent thorough review and evaluation and the final output accurately reflects my own understanding, knowledge and intended meaning. While AI assistance was used in the process, I maintain full responsibility for the content, its accuracy, and its presentation and can explain and justify all inclusions. This declaration is included to ensure transparency and to formally acknowledge the role of AI in the completion of this assessment task.  

Week 12 Wednesday (10 Feb 2027) 4:00 pm AEST

See Marking Rubric in Moodle

• Harvard (author-date)
• American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)