The first assessment task is a GROUP assignment that will involve a presentation. Based on the experiences of its members in getting ready for the volunteering experience, each group will present a practical guide to some aspect of preparing for this placement. The presentation should center on both practical and academic/technical aspects of preparation. Each group will be assigned one of the following topics: 1) finding a suitable volunteer position; 2) making contact with placement organizations; 3) improving one’s knowledge-base in preparation for placement; 4) understanding the organizational context; becoming a public health professional; 5) personal and professional responsibility in working in public health; or 6) the role of reflective practice in working in public health. The aim of the presentation is to offer practical guidance based on both literature and experience that might help other public health students in preparing for their volunteer experience and should reflect an integration of theory and practice that demonstrates familiarity with the requirements of professional placement as well as the group’s experience.

Student must achieve 45% in this assessment to pass the unit.

The presentation will be assessed on the following criteria:

The topic and its significance in the volunteer process is described and discussed in terms of significance: 15%

Practical guidance as well as reference to relevant literature is made: 15%

Integration of theory and practice is shown and discussed: 20%

The individual component of the presentation shows understanding, reference to literature, and practical use: 20%

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

All work is original, all information from sources is properly referenced and any direct quotations are properly identified: 20%

The second assessment task for this unit is a case study. This is an INDIVIDUAL assignment (2000 words). Each student will choose one of the groups listed below and develop a case study that describes and analyzes the distinct communicative and cultural needs that would be relevant in developing a public health initiative or program to address a health need recognized in the community. The case study must include the following sections: overview of the status of the chosen community in Australia; review of the health status of the community with a focus on inequities that need to be addressed; description and analysis of communication and cultural factors relevant to the community; and discussion of how these communicative and cultural needs could be addressed in the context of a public health program. The case study must make reference to appropriate scholarly literature.

Students must choose one of the following groups:

1.       The Australian Indigenous community living in rural and remote areas;

2.       The Afghan refugee community living in urban areas;

3.       The Chinese-speaking community living in urban areas;

4.        Older adults of Greek or Italian origin (students must choose either the Greek or Italian community);

5.       Arabic-speaking women;

6.       School-aged children from low SES households in Australia;

7.       The LGBTI community in urban and rural Australia;

8.       Adult men in urban and rural Australia.

Appropriate writing style is essential for this assignment. The case study must be written in formal academic language with complete referencing and must demonstrate culturally sensitive phrasing and word use that reflects the professional environment and conventions of the field.

Students must achieve 45% in this assessment to pass the unit.

The case study will be assessed on the following criteria:

Use of a range of appropriate literature not older than five years: 20%

The nature of the community, its health status relative to the population as a whole, and any inequities experienced by its members are described and discussed in detail: 20%

A discussion and analysis of the communicative and cultural needs of the community is provided: 20%

The ways in which initiatives to address the identified health inequities could be informed by an understanding of the group's communicative and cultural needs and discussed in detail: 20%

All work is the student's own, all information is properly referenced, and any direct quotations are identified as such according to academic convention: 20%

The third assessment task for this unit is a reflective essay. This is an INDIVIDUAL assignment (1000 words). Each student will write a reflective essay based on his or her volunteer experience. The essay should focus on the learning achieved as part of the placement and make reference to the literature on the role of such placements in professional training in public health. The essay must contain the following elements: a description of the volunteer context and setting; a description of the student’s role in the placement; an assessment of learning that took place with emphasis on things learned and new awareness of gaps in the student’s knowledge and understanding; and the way in which this experience will affect the student’s preparation and planning for subsequent placements.

This is a reflective assignment, so a more informal writing style is acceptable. However, the reflection must not be wholly descriptive. It must contain an assessment of the way in which the student’s views or thinking has changed and what he or she has learned about himself as a practitioner.

Students must achieve 45% in this assessment to pass the unit.

The reflective essay will be marked on the following criteria:

The essay shows evidence of understanding of relevant literature and the purpose of the placement as part of becoming a practitioner in public health: 20%

The placement context is described and discussed, including the student's tasks and activities: 20%

Personal learning and change is recorded and discussed: 20%

The impact of the experience on the student's future plans and activities is documented and shows evidence of reflection: 20%

All work is the student's own, all information is properly referenced, and any direct quotations are identified as such according to academic convention: 20%