CQUniversity Unit Profile.

Understanding Public Health introduces you to ways of thinking and perspectives that form the foundations of public health. These include examining the received wisdom of public health from the last 200 years such as different models of health and theoretical frameworks, and critiquing the approaches used in the past. You will be introduced to the social-ecological model of health that forms the basis of community-based and community-led public health. As such, you will consider the different types of leadership required for various approaches to public health practice and consider your own positionality. You will explore the differences between evidence-based practice and practice-based evidence and how these types of evidence can apply to the various approaches in public health. Finally, you will be introduced to strengths-based and disease prevention approaches as they are applied in public health.

Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from Student feedback

Students valued the use of current public health issues, news stories and real-world examples throughout the unit. Students also responded positively to the weekly contextualisation of content within contemporary public health practice.

Continue to utilise contemporary public health examples and current events to demonstrate the real-world application of public health concepts. This approach will be retained in future offerings of the unit.

Feedback from Self reflection/ Staff feedback

Teaching team feedback indicated that the embedded Academic Learning Centre (ALC) support was valuable in assisting students with academic writing, assessment preparation and academic integrity.

Continue the partnership with the Academic Learning Centre and maintain embedded academic skills support throughout the term.

Feedback from Student feedback

Students requested clearer assessment feedback and greater flexibility for distance students, particularly regarding access to learning materials, assessment support and submission arrangements.

Review assessment support materials and opportunities to improve flexibility and communication for distance students. Additional assessment guidance and support resources will be considered for future offerings. Learning and teaching practices will continue to be reviewed to enhance the experience of distance students.

Feedback from Self reflection/ Staff feedback

Unit coordinator and teaching team reflection identified that several lecture resources require updating to better reflect current public health systems, policies and contemporary practice examples.

Lecture materials will be reviewed and updated prior to the next offering of the unit, with particular attention to contemporary Australian and global public health issues.