The first assessment task for the unit is a literature review that provides an overview of the social epidemiological aspects of your topic.  You must: 1) outline the relevant social, environmental and economic contexts that relate to your condition and discuss the factors that influence those contexts; and 2) critique previous national and international epidemiological data and research with particular emphasis on the gaps that may exist in our understanding of the impact of social factors on your condition.  It is important to note various views and approaches contained in the literature and to choose works to include without bias or preconceived ideas. This is an INDIVIDUAL assessment. A literature review summarizes broad trends in the literature on your topic and highlights important points in selected articles. A critique requires that you discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the data that underlies the literature you discuss and show how these strengths and weaknesses relate to the outcomes of any relevant interventions and strategies.

While the assignment is individual, the topic will be assigned to your group and will also be the topic of your assessment 2 (group) and 3 (individual). In other words, all members of a group will work on the same topic for both their individual and groups assignments. You may not work together on individual assignments. Each group, consisting of five members, will be assigned one of the following topics:

1.       Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis

2.       Malaria

3.       Hepatitis B

4.       Cardiovascular disease

5.       Diabetes

6.       Arthritis

Additional information about the assignment is contained in the study guide.

Assignment 1 will be assessed by the following criteria:

Selection of relevant, current and appropriate items from the scholarly literature: 20%

Thorough and accurate summary and critique of the selected literature: 20%

Discussion of social, economic, and environmental context and the factors that influence them: 20%

Presentation of various views represented in the literature and discussion of their strengths and weaknesses: 20%

Use of clear, concise language and linear presentation of argument: 10%

All work submitted is the student's original words and ideas and all information from sources is properly cited, including direct quotations: 10%

The second assessment task for this unit is a 10-minute presentation that presents the social epidemiological background of your condition and a critique of the data that was part of your literature review (assessment task 1). The presentation must explain how social factors influence your condition and identify and critique the social epidemiological data. You must also specifically identify the high risk groups and show the way in which social factors are believed to affect this risk. Vulnerable groups might include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, individuals with low income, older adults, or other specific groups that would be impacted by strategies to address the chosen topic in the community of interest. This is a GROUP assessment. Each group will prepare a single presentation. Each student will be required to prepare the material for one slide in the presentation which must be identified with the student’s name.

The presentation must include the following slides: 1) Title – must include the condition and the full name and ID number of each student in the group; 2) Nature and proximal cause of the condition; 3) Social epidemiological factors that affect the development and progression of the condition; 4) Mechanisms by which social factors contribute to the condition; 5) Life course factors that affect the condition; and 6) Critique of existing social epidemiological data, including strengths and weaknesses of these data. The presentation must also include a slide containing the references cited on all slides. As noted, each slide will be prepared by a different member of the group. Each student will prepare the text for presentation for his or her slide which should be written out in the notes area for the slide along with the student’s name.

Additional information on this assessment is contained in the study guide.

Assignment 2 will be assessed by the following criteria:

Epidemiological data relevant to the topic is presented and summarized: 20%

Critique of data is presented: 20%

Needs of vulnerable groups relevant to implementing a strategy to address the assigned condition are outlined and discussed: 20%

Student's individual contribution is significant and shows understanding of the topic as well as of the element presented: 20%

Language of the presentation (oral and written) is clear and easily understood: 10%

All work reflects the students' own thinking and words, referencing is correctly and accurately done, and any direct quotations are properly identified according to academic convention: 10%

The third assessment task is to write a report that could be presented to a local health department that is responsible for planning initiatives to address your condition. This report must: 1) review and critique the social epidemiological data that is currently available that could be used to inform public health practice on your topic; 2) outline what additional social epidemiological data would need to be collected as well as how and why it would be needed prior to, during, and after any strategy was implemented; and 3) outline how the social epidemiological data would be used to inform other practitioners, researchers and policy makers. This is an INDIVIDUAL assessment.

In preparing this assessment task, it is important to keep in mind that your intended audience is a local health department. You will need to balance the technical demands of the topic with the needs of this audience, with the understanding that that the aim of such a report in real life would be to inform practitioners working in the field and underpin policy development. In other words, you will need to focus on the aspects of your topic that are most relevant in the development of new strategies and policy and the evidence from the literature that would support this activity. However, this is a formal report and must use appropriate language and referencing.

Additional information about the report is contained in the study guide.

Assessment 3 will be marked according the following criteria:

The epidemiological data relevant to the topic is summarized and critiqued: 20%

Requirements for additional data or outlined and justified: 20%

The ways social epidemiological data would inform policymakers and practitioners is discussed: 20%

Insight into any specific issues related to the topic and linkage of these issues to available data is presented and discussed: 20%

Clear, concise language is used and presentation of argument is linear: 10%

All work reflects the student's pwn thinking and words, all information from courses is properly cited, and any direct quotations are identified according to academic conventions: 10%