Overview
Public Health Action and Evaluation aims to provide students with key skills to encourage communities to recognise and build on existing strengths, resources and networks that facilitate empowerment. This requires effective partnership building with key leaders, community members and organisations. This unit explores action to address disease prevention and health promotion - this is the 'what we do' in public health. Using a Critical Realism framework, you will build on your skills in public health by exploring systematic program planning incorporating assessment, implementation and evaluation. Evidence-based practice is traditionally the key driver of action in health, including public health. In this unit you will additionally explore the application of practice-based evidence acknowledging the value and richness of data that can be gathered from real-world efforts in public health. You will have opportunities to analyse and evaluate a range of public health interventions including innovative approaches such as arts-based and decolonising approaches. These will allow you to explore the ethics and practices associated with working with a range of communities, including Indigenous and marginalised groups.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 3 - 2023
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
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.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
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.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
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 Unit coordinator reflection
(T2 2022) Separate tutorials for on-campus and offshore/ distance students
Implement separate tutorials for on-campus and (Zoom-hosted) off-shore/distance students to better support student engagement and individual support.
Feedback from Unit coordinator and lecturer reflection
(T2 2022) Assessment 2 A and B currently 2 summative assessments. While the structure of this Assessment aligns well with ULOs, the two parts of A2 mean it effectively forms four Assessments for the Unit. It is felt that Unit outcomes can be equally met (with a more proportionate expectation of student effort) through a formative approach to Assessment 2A, with feedback informing the 2B summative Assessment.
Turn Assessment 2A into a formative Assessment, with feedback informing the 2B summative Assessment.
- Explain how complex adaptive systems thinking and Critical Realism influence project planning, implementation and evaluation
- Determine appropriate models of public health project management that account for influencing factors at different scales
- Evaluate public health actions and evaluations within First Nations Peoples' communities in regard to social and environmental determinants of health and principles of social justice, equity and equality
- Reflect on effective partnership development with others, including establishing relationships and collaborative learning
- Propose and justify a range of interventions to address a complex health issue and outline how these interventions could be evaluated.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Online discussion forum - 30% | |||||
| 2 - Group Work - 50% | |||||
| 3 - Reflective Practice Assignment - 20% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | |||||
| 2 - Communication | |||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | |||||
| 4 - Research | |||||
| 5 - Self-management | |||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | |||||
| 7 - Leadership | |||||
| 8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
No referencing style set.
t.megalaa@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION: TRADITIONAL AND CHANGING APPROACHES
Chapter
Various weekly readings and learning materials.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials promote engaging activities including but not limited to: reflective discussions, workshop activities, and opportunities to work on your assessment.
Introduction to Assessment 1 Comprehension and collaborative
learning - Forum discussion.
Module/Topic
THEORIES OF BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
Chapter
Various weekly readings and learning materials.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials promote engaging activities including but not limited to: reflective discussions, workshop activities, and opportunities to work on your assessment.
Assessment 1 Forum post #1 due.
Introduction to Assessments 2A/B & 3.
Module/Topic
PLANNING PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION
Chapter
Various weekly readings and learning materials.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials promote engaging activities including but not limited to: reflective discussions, workshop activities, and opportunities to work on your assessment.
Assessment 1 Forum post #2 due.
Module/Topic
TOOLS TO HELP PLANNING AND EVALUATING PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIONS
Chapter
Various weekly readings and learning materials.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials promote engaging activities including but not limited to: reflective discussions, workshop activities, and opportunities to work on your assessment.
Assessment 1 Forum post #3 due.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Chapter
Various weekly readings and learning materials.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials promote engaging activities including but not limited to: reflective discussions, workshop activities, and opportunities to work on your assessment.
Assessment 1 Forum post #4 due.
Module/Topic
HEALTHY SETTINGS
Chapter
Various weekly readings and learning materials.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials promote engaging activities including but not limited to: reflective discussions, workshop activities, and opportunities to work on your assessment.
Assessment 1 Forum post #5 due.
Assessment 1 Comprehension and collaborative learning complete submission DUE this week.
Comprehension and collaborative learning Due: Week 6 Friday (22 Dec 2023) 11:59 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
PUBLIC HEALTH ADVOCACY AND ACTIVISM
Chapter
Various weekly readings and learning materials.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials promote engaging activities including but not limited to: reflective discussions, workshop activities, and opportunities to work on your assessment.
Module/Topic
EVALUATION IN PUBLIC HEALTH
Chapter
Various weekly readings and learning materials.
Events and Submissions/Topic
This week, presentations (Assessment 2A) will take place during tutorials. Please note that there will also be lecture content this week.
Public Health Intervention Plan and Evaluation Due: Week 8 Friday (12 Jan 2024) 10:59 pm AEST
Module/Topic
EVALUATION DESIGN
Chapter
Various weekly readings and learning materials.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials promote engaging activities including but not limited to: reflective discussions, workshop activities, and opportunities to work on your assessment.
Module/Topic
EVALUATION METHODS
Chapter
Various weekly readings and learning materials.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials promote engaging activities including but not limited to: reflective discussions, workshop activities, and opportunities to work on your assessment.
Module/Topic
EVALUATION REPORTING
Chapter
Various weekly readings and learning materials.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials promote engaging activities including but not limited to: reflective discussions, workshop activities, and opportunities to work on your assessment.
Assessment 3 (Partnerships reflective practice) DUE this week
Partnerships Due: Week 11 Friday (2 Feb 2024) 11:59 pm AEST
Module/Topic
HEALTHY PUBLIC POLICY
Chapter
Various weekly readings and learning materials.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials promote engaging activities including but not limited to: reflective discussions, workshop activities, and opportunities to work on your assessment.
Assessment #2B DUE this week.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Please note that PBHL20004 will not be offered after this final (Term 3) offering. Discuss with the Unit Coordinator if you have any queries regarding the Unit.
1 Online discussion forum
During Weeks 2-6 you will be required to submit a discussion forum post of 150-200 words in relation to a specific question posed for each week. You are also required to comment on someone else's post between 50-100 words. You may post as many responses and comments as you please.
Refer to Moodle for the forum topics for each week.
Week 6 Friday (22 Dec 2023) 11:59 pm AEST
Week 8 Friday (12 Jan 2024)
- Fulfil requirements of posting on allocated discussion threads (20%)
- Demonstrate ability to structure critical argument (40%)
- Contribute to other’s learning (40%)
See Moodle for a detailed assessment rubric. Late submissions and academic misconduct penalties apply as per the
university regulations.
- Explain how complex adaptive systems thinking and Critical Realism influence project planning, implementation and evaluation
- Evaluate public health actions and evaluations within First Nations Peoples' communities in regard to social and environmental determinants of health and principles of social justice, equity and equality
2 Group Work
Through the remainder of the term, you will concentrate on providing an evaluation plan for your proposed intervention. It is strongly encouraged that you make use of opportunities provided during the tutorial sessions. Please note, everyone in the group must contribute and participate towards the group assessment. Each individual's contribution to the group assessment will be assessed and will contribute to their mark for the assessment.
Throughout the term, teams will plan a public health intervention that:
- Presents a logic model
- Provides an evaluation plan including data collection, analysis and dissemination
- Defines how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sections of the community are incorporated and how to ensure that their voices are heard
- Identifies strategies developed for the intervention
- Offers an opportunity for reflection on effective partnership development
This assessment consists of two components:
- 2A - Group presentation of your public health intervention evaluation plan
- 2B - Group contribution and submission via Moodle.
Week 8 Friday (12 Jan 2024) 10:59 pm AEST
Part A presentation (due week 8) and Part B online submission (due week 12). Refer to Moodle for detailed instructions.
Plan is highly relevant to scenario and accounts for extensive range of factors across various scales (20%)
Public health interventions are succinctly outlined and justified (20%)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community clearly integrated into plan (10%)
Individual Criteria – clear description of insightful, significant and extensive contributions made to the group assessment.
(10%)
Evaluation plan is relevant to scenario and tightly integrated with intervention plan (20%)
Evaluation plan is highly consistent across theoretical framework, data collection and analysis (20%)
Refer to assessment rubric on Moodle for more detail.
- Determine appropriate models of public health project management that account for influencing factors at different scales
- Evaluate public health actions and evaluations within First Nations Peoples' communities in regard to social and environmental determinants of health and principles of social justice, equity and equality
- Propose and justify a range of interventions to address a complex health issue and outline how these interventions could be evaluated.
3 Reflective Practice Assignment
This is an INDIVIDUAL assessment. Based on your informal reflections throughout the term, you will explore your ability to develop effective partnerships with others , including establishing relationships and collaborative learning. In a 2000 word essay, reflect on your group partnership throughout the term. In your essay, you will need to focus on:
- The group process in establishing and maintaining relationships throughout the term
- The effectiveness and experience of collaborative learning within the group
- The relevance of this experience in undertaking community-based public health actions and evaluations.
A minimum of two appropriately cited references is required.
Week 11 Friday (2 Feb 2024) 11:59 pm AEST
Submit online via Moodle
- Essay is professionally present throughout (25%)
- Group processes and collaborative learning are comprehensively evaluated (25%)
- Deep reflexivity between group experiences and PH actions and evaluations apparent (25%)
- Extensive use of literature to support reflection (25%)
Refer to Moodle for more detail.
- Reflect on effective partnership development with others, including establishing relationships and collaborative learning
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
