Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Public health practice today gained its roots from the study and prevention of communicable diseases, and whilst public health practice has widened in scope, reducing the incidence of both existing and emerging communicable diseases (nationally and internationally) remains one of the greatest challenges to public health practitioners. This unit focuses on control and prevention measures of communicable diseases. Relevant activities undertaken by local/state health agencies include immunisation, infection control and a range of other activities.

Aims

To provide a comprehensive overview of communicable diseases and discuss current surveillance, control and prevention methods/strategies implemented by public health agencies.

Objectives

On completion of this unit, you will:
1. apply knowledge of communicable diseases, vectors of disease, and national and international trends to implement appropriate prevention and control strategies
2. use public health surveillance methods to interpret communicable diseases data
3. audit higher risk personal appearance services to assess infection control procedures against required standards

Content

Topics included in this unit include: communicable disease principles; epidemiological characteristics of key infectious diseases; principles and practice of epidemiology for communicable disease control; outbreak investigation and management; immunisation; vector control; disease surveillance; infection control.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

To maximise your engagement with the learning materials in this unit, a combination of face to face and regular technologically - supported communication, online discussion, web tools and podcasts will be used to generate a rich, social learning environment. Lectures and web conferences will be recorded to enable some flexibility in the location, time and mode of study, with respect to work and life commitments.

Teaching methods will include regular, but not weekly, class contact (e.g. lectures, tutorials and seminars), self-directed learning through the use of external/self-study modules, an intensive on-campus workshop session, and extensive use of the unit's on-line (Blackboard) teaching page. Active participation in all teaching elements is strongly encouraged to allow for the exchange of ideas between students and teaching staff.

Attendance at the on-campus session is strongly recommended and provides for practical reinforcement of theoretical information presented in the study materials and also provides an opportunity to undertake activities associated with the assessment items. In this unit the on-line teaching site will be used extensively to provide: an overview of the unit program; details on assessment items; access to lecture notes, study modules and readings; links to relevant documents and websites; on-line exercises; and a means of communicating notices to students.

Assessment

Each assessment type in this unit will be subject to internal /external moderation, such as cross unit discussions and regular meetings of assessors, to ensure that marks awarded by different teaching staff are internally consistent and meet appropriate academic standards (MOPP C/5.2).You will be provided with feedback on all your assessments as you progress through the unit.

Assessment name: Report
Description: You will be required assess an outbreak investigation report and compare it to the recommended process.
Relates to objectives: 1-2
Weight: 30%
Internal or external: Both
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 7

Assessment name: Examination (Theory)
Description: Written examination - Summative assessment.
Relates to objectives: 1-2
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Both
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Central exam period

Assessment name: Report
Description: You will be required to complete a mock audit of a higher risk personal appearance service and report on the findings.
Relates to objectives: 1, 3
Weight: 30%
Internal or external: Both
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 11

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

There are no materials or resources required to be purchased for this unit.

Recommended Text Book

You will be required to download/access a range of materials that are listed as readings in the study modules. These materials will be available online and through the Blackboard page. The following are general resources that you should access and are also included as readings:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2006) Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health Practice, 3rd ed, US Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta. (Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/training/products/ss1000/ss1000-ol.pdf )

Queensland Health (2007) Communicable Disease Control Manual 4th Edition, Queensland Health: Brisbane. (available from: http://www.health.qld.gov.au/ph/Documents/cdb/19682.pdf )

Victorian Government Department of Human Services (2005) The Blue Book: Guidelines for the control of infectious diseases. Communicable DiseasesSection, Department of Human Services: Melbourne. (Available from: http://www.health.vic.gov.au/ideas/bluebook )

Risk assessment statement

1. As noted above, assessment for this unit will involve a workplace-based assignment. You should be aware of and abide by the health and safety requirements of the workplace and you are expected to undergo any induction or other training provided in the workplace for employees or visitors to the workplace as appropriate.
2. Substantial computer-based work will be required. Refer to the guidelines for safe work at VDUs contained in the SPH Guidelines to Students to ensure that your workstation is adjusted in accordance and that regular rest breaks are taken.
3. This unit will involve lab-based sessions. You will be required to attend the induction session at the commencement of the semester where the safety precautions to be observed while working in the laboratory will be outlined. You are required to read the laboratory safety manual and sign the form indicating that you have read and understood the material contained in the manual. Please direct any questions regarding safe working procedures to your Unit Coordinator.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 24-Oct-2012