PBHL13003 - Public Health in Practice A

General Information

Unit Synopsis

We strongly believe that a Public Health degree should include genuine work experience in a public health workplace setting. In addition to meeting unit requirements, the skills and experiences you gain throughout this Unit will assist with developing professional networks and further your career opportunities. You will undertake a structured period of industry placement (240 hours) as part of this Unit. This will be specifically designed and contractually agreed upon with the University and industry partner. The placement will enable you to apply your knowledge of public health program planning and evaluation, whilst developing an understanding of the professional requirements of working as a public health, health promotion, public health nutrition or environmental health specialist.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 3
Credit Points
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 2
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

96 credit points


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 - 2023

Term 1 - 2023 Profile
Mixed Mode

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

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Professional Practice Plans (learning plans) 0%
2. Portfolio 30%
3. Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books 30%
4. Written Assessment 0%
5. Project (applied) 40%

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 - 2022 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 50.00% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 33.33% 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: Self reflection Student meetings
Feedback
Some students faced difficulty finding appropriate practicums.
Recommendation
Hold a zoom seminar for all students expecting to undertake the practicum in 2023 in late 2022; focusing on expectations and strategies to find an appropriate workplace. (e.g. auditing skills, developing a CV, networking). Continue to promote availability of placements to professional networks (particularly Public Health Nutrition) and other universities. Ensure that students have undertaken appropriate prerequisites prior to enrolling (PBHL12002: Public Health Interventions).
Action Taken
Zoom sessions have been held to assist students in finding placements. This has been successful with all students successfully negotiating practicum before the middle of the term.
Source: Self reflection Conference attendance Meetings with colleagues
Feedback
There are scholarship of Learning and Teaching opportunities to undertake evaluation and research, particularly on virtual practicums.
Recommendation
Continue to write up experiences and network with colleagues from within CQUniversity and other institutions.
Action Taken
Discussions around opportunities for research and publication continue.
Source: Self reflection Student meetings
Feedback
The flexibility of timelines for practicum and assessment requirements confuses some students.
Recommendation
Continue to offer 2 zoom drop in sessions on the practicum (at the beginning of and during the term). Redesign the Moodle site to 5 modules: - Module One: Finding your practicum. - Module Two: Negotiating your practicum. - Module Three: Undertaking your practicum. - Module Four: Reflecting and Reporting on your practicum - Module Five: What's next - your career in Public Health
Action Taken
Modularisation of the unit has occurred and these zoom sessions have been delivered.
Source: Verbal feedback
Feedback
Assessment Four for Health Promotion Students is a reflection and is a bit repetitive as assessment 3: Professional diary also includes reflection).
Recommendation
Change the Assessment Four for HP students to "Career Plan". Description: Write a plan for your future career working in health promotion and related fields. Your plan should include: Updated CV, portfolio of work, goals and strategies for your career (e.g. mentor, professional memberships, volunteer work, internships, applications for jobs). Ensure your goals are SMART and strategies align with these.
Action Taken
Assessment 4 for Health Promotion and Public Health Nutrition majors has been changed to a substantial and professional piece of work such as a project, literature review, grant application to align with the requirement for Environmental Health majors. This also requires a project proposal delivered as a presentation to the workplace mentor and the Unit Coordinator. Again, this aligns with the requirement for Environmental Health majors.
Source: Reflection and SUTE
Feedback
The flexible way in which students can complete their practicum means that some still find negotiating the requirements for the unit challenging.
Recommendation
Lecturers should continue to work one-to-one with students to assist them in negotiating practicum and completing assessment tasks.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: Reflection and SUTE
Feedback
Requirements for the different cohorts (health promotion, nutrition and environmental health) have caused some confusion at times.
Recommendation
Make changes to assessment to better align tasks for each cohort.
Action Taken
Nil.
Unit learning Outcomes

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

  1. Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to undertake a Public Health project
  2. Negotiate and manage a placement experience through the use of a self-directed learning plan
  3. Identify, analyse and discuss current and emerging issues relating to working within the field of Public Health
  4. Apply problem-solving techniques and strategies to a Public Health Project
  5. Critically reflect on learning associated with placement experience.


Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Professional Practice Plans (learning plans) • • • •
2 - Portfolio •
3 - Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books • •
4 - Written Assessment • • •
5 - Project (applied) • • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Communication • • • • •
2 - Problem Solving • • •
3 - Critical Thinking • •
5 - Team Work • •
6 - Information Technology Competence •
7 - Cross Cultural Competence • • • •
8 - Ethical practice • • • • •
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