HLTH12032 - Community Assets and Needs Assessment

General Information

Unit Synopsis

At a global level, there are rising demands for health and social care, limited resources and increasing inequalities in health. Community health assets and needs assessments have a vital part to play, enabling practitioners, managers and policymakers to identify those in greatest need; the physical, economic, social and cultural assets available within the community; and to ensure that health care resources are used to maximise health improvement. For health promotion practitioners, the ability to conduct a community health assessment is a core skill. You will be introduced to the different types of community assets and needs assessments that can be undertaken with local communities. You will examine the history and role of community assets and needs assessments and review a range of methods that can be used to implement and evaluate assets and needs assessments in local communities. You will have the opportunity to complete a community profile and also undertake a community assets and needs assessment.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 2
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 2
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

48-credit unit pre-requisite

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).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2024

Term 1 - 2024 Profile
Online

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).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate 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.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Presentation 25%
2. Group Work 40%
3. Report 35%

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

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 1 - 2023 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 88.89% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 39.13% response rate.

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.

Source: Peer feedback Self reflection
Feedback
Students require more knowledge about ethics and the types of populations that they can include in Assessment 2.
Recommendation
Investigate the possibility of incorporating the CQUniversity ethics micro-credential into the unit, otherwise incorporate other suitable materials. On the Moodle page and in assessment tutorials clearly outline the types of populations and data that can be included in assessment 2.
Action Taken
The micro-credential was incorporated into assessment 2. This was positively received by most students.
Source: Student verbal feedback Self reflection Discussion with course coordinator
Feedback
Assessment 2 Group work requires planning and tasks that are part of the process of undertaking a community assets and needs assessment; but are not included in the report. There was some confusion on what tasks needed to be undertaken and some groups were not as well organised as others.
Recommendation
To decrease confusion and increase clarity have students submit a group work plan, which outlines a) the elements related to the process of the community assets and needs assessment b) those related to the final report and c) the roles and responsibilities in relation to these. This group workplan will form part of assessment 2, requiring a slight change in weightings. Change weightings for assessment 2: Assessment 2 Part 1 (Individual report) 30% (from 35%) Change Assessment 2 Part II 25% (from 20%) Group Project Plan/Group contract, (15% of the 25%),due in week 7; and Self and Peer Review (10% of 25%), due the same day as the Report.
Action Taken
These changes were made. This was positively received by most students.
Source: Student verbal feedback Self reflection Discussion with course coordinator
Feedback
Students do not have previous knowledge or skills of survey development or data analysis (from other units) and many struggle with data collection and analysis.
Recommendation
Incorporate more skills on survey design, data analysis and ethics. Change Module 1 to Defining and Understanding Communities and community engagement and collaboration (weeks 1 and 2). Module 2: Developing community profiles and using existing data (weeks 2 and 3), Module 3: Quantitative Data collection and analysis (focusing on ethics, survey design and analysis) (weeks 4 and 5). Module 4: Qualitative Data collection and analysis (weeks 6, 7 and 8) (including ethics).
Action Taken
These changes were made. This was positively received by most students.
Source: Student evaluation. Discussion with Head of Course.
Feedback
Learning requirements are not clear and the volume of material and assessment is overwhelming for some students, particularly those with learning challenges.
Recommendation
Change the learning outcomes to be clearer. Provide fewer readings and some key optional readings. Refresh lectures to be shorter with key learning points. Refresh data collection and analysis modules.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: Student assessment. Discussion with Head of Course.
Feedback
Some students rely heavily on exemplars for Assessment 1 and 2.
Recommendation
Provide suggested headings and a clear outline of what is expected in each of these sections. Be clearer about plagiarism and academic integrity.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: Student evaluation. Teaching reflection. Discussion with Head of Course.
Feedback
First year students do not have sufficient skills, knowledge and experience to undertake the unit (particularly in research and teamwork).
Recommendation
Change to a 48-credit unit pre-requisite, to ensure that first year students cannot undertake the unit.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: Student feedback. Teaching reflection.
Feedback
Some team members did not engage with Assessment 2 Part II A Team Project Plan/Team Charter or with data collection and analysis.
Recommendation
Change rubric so that there is the option to fail if students do not participate in team meetings or contribute to the group assessment. Instead of group submission, change to individual submission. Provide a clearer schedule and timing of what teams need to do in terms of a community assets and needs assessment.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: Teaching reflection. Discussion with Head of Course.
Feedback
Student numbers could be increased through promotion to other disciplines.
Recommendation
Discuss the Public Health Minor with heads of relevant courses.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: Teaching reflection. Student evaluation.
Feedback
The discussion board was useful for students but there are too many. Furthermore, some students do not post in a timely manner.
Recommendation
Decrease the number of compulsory discussion board topics. Close discussion board one week after the end of the related module to promote timely and useful discussion.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: Teaching reflection. Student feedback
Feedback
The weighting of assessments does not reflect the amount of work undertaken.
Recommendation
Change Assessment 1: Community Profile to be shorter and worth 25% (from 30%). Change Assessment 2: Part I: Community Assets and Needs Assessment Individual Report to 35% (from 30%).
Action Taken
Nil.
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Argue the importance of community assets and needs assessment as the foundation of effective health promotion.
  2. Examine how determinants of health are incorporated into community assets and needs assessments.
  3. Determine how various health promotion theories and frameworks influence different sources of information in community assets and needs assessments.
  4. Apply culturally appropriate methods and models to assess the assets and needs of a community and facilitate knowledge transfer and advocacy
  5. Implement different collaborative methods for the analysis and prioritisation of information obtained through community assets and needs assessments.
  6. Explain how ethical considerations are applied in a community assets and needs assessment context

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 - Presentation
2 - Group Work
3 - Report
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 - Communication
2 - Problem Solving
3 - Critical Thinking
4 - Information Literacy
5 - Team Work
6 - Information Technology Competence
7 - Cross Cultural Competence
8 - Ethical practice
10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10