This interdisciplinary course will provide students with an overview of the factors that influence health in society, and how knowledge of these factors is used to create intervention programs to improve public health. Each student will work within a group to identify a particular health issue and then develop, deliver and evaluate a specific health promotion initiative. This course emphasises the practical application of theory, aiming to equip students with hands on experience in the work of a health promotion professional. 

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Identify and apply effective communication techniques to convey complex health information to a range of audiences.
2. Review and evaluate health promotion activities.
3. Discuss potential solutions to societal health problems. 
4. Collaborate with others to produce health promotion products and events.

Research-Led Teaching

This course encompasses the four main aspects of research-led teaching. There is a focus on research content; the curriculum is structured around the existing body of literature in the field and the core theoretical understandings. Students are encouraged to actively critique and reflect upon the literature in their own analyses of health protection and promotion. This provides students with a sense of the research process and problems as the course examines the implementation of theory and regulations, and how the concept of ‘best practice’ has also evolved. Students are further required to engage in the research process through regular problem-based learning activities and their development of a health promotion initiative.

Required Resources

Students will require access to a computer and the internet.

Recommended textbook (optional):

McKinnon, M. (ed) (2021) Health Promotion: A Practical Guide to Effective Communication. Cambridge University Publishing.

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying online, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning.

Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, and to individuals

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

Word count policy

The word length must be calculated by the student using a word processing program applied to the text (including headings). The bibliography and footnotes will NOT be counted, but substantive material (ie. anything other than references) in the footnotes will not be assessed. In-text citations ARE counted in the word count.

The student must record the word count on the final page. 

For assignments falling outside the +10% margin on the word count specified for the assessment, a 10% penalty will apply.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction and overview of course; establishing project groups
2	Behaviour change theories
3	Health promotion planning
4	Ethics of health promotion	Assessment 2: Behaviour change essay
5	Effective communication	Assessment 1: Quiz 1, Assessment 3: Health Promotion Project - needs assessment and communication strategy
6	Evaluating health promotion
7	Communicating in the health marketplace
8	Health fair
9	Health protection
10	Emerging issues and approaches
11	Interpreting and communicating uncertainty and risk	Assessment 1: Quiz 2
12	Review and reflect	Assessment 4: Health Promotion Project - final report

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage .

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Quizzes	10 %	*	*	1,2,3,4
Behaviour change essay	30 %	18/08/2024	30/08/2024	1,2,3
Health Promotion Project - needs assessment and communication strategy	30 %	25/08/2024	18/09/2024	1,3,4
Health Promotion Project - final report	30 %	25/10/2024	28/11/2024	2,3,4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Quizzes

During semester in week 5 and week 11, students will be required to complete online timed quizzes consisting of up to 10 multiple choice questions. These will cover the topics presented in the preceding four weeks and the associated readings. Full details provided in class and on Wattle. Each quiz is worth 5% of the final grade. You will have 20 minutes to complete each quiz.

Assessment Task 2

Behaviour change essay

A range of behaviour change models and theories are presented in class materials. Select a public health promotion initiative (from anywhere in the world) and discuss what behaviour change model/s and/or theories (no more than two) are relevant to this initiative. If you are interested in a public health promotion program or campaign (which contains a number of initiatives), just select one initiative within that program to focus on. Discuss the appropriateness of the model/s and/or theories to the health issue and target audience.

Your essay should include the following:

-      An overview of the public health issue the initiative is trying to address. This might include how prevalent the issue is in a population, include statistics or costs, and/or the impact of this health issue for the population group/society/country more broadly.

-      A description of the initiative. This should include the target audience, how it engages with that audience (ads, posters, social media campaign, workshops etc?) and what it is trying to achieve.

-      What behaviour change theory or model do you think best applies to this initiative and why? You only need to choose one or a maximum of two. Why does this theory or model fit this initiative? Clearly demonstrate the fit, supporting your argument by showing the relationship between the initiative and your chosen theory.

-      Is this model or theory the most appropriate one? Why or why not? Here you might include evidence of the initiative's effectiveness. Consider whether a different model might strengthen the initiative.

Word limit: 1,500 words (leeway of 10% over limit without penalty)

Grading of the essay is based on the ANU Grading System. In particular, your work will be considered in terms of:

• Clarity and coherence of argument including support from relevant literature

• Demonstrated understanding of the subject matter

• Writing style, including clarity, spelling, grammar, punctuation

• Consistent and accurate referencing

Assessment Task 3

Health Promotion Project - needs assessment and communication strategy

In small groups you will design, develop, deliver and evaluate a public health promotion activity. Your team will deliver your activity during our Health Fair, held during the lecture time in week 8 of semester. You are assessed on different components. This first component requires you to develop a needs assessment and a communication strategy for your activity. These activities must address a specific need identified through a needs assessment with your chosen target population. Evidence of need must be demonstrated and can draw upon a range of sources (e.g. research literature, statistics, surveys, focus groups, media coverage etc). Based on the identified needs, you are then to develop a public health promotion activity and a communication strategy outlining how you will engage with your target audience/s, what tactics and channels you will use, the resources you will require and how you will evaluate success. You will need to promote both your initiative and the Health Fair.

This is a group submission. Each submission must include a Credit Statement which outlines what each group member contributed to the project. Definitions of roles and contributions will be provided on Wattle and discussed in class. Students who do not contribute equitably to the project may receive a lower grade.

Word Limit: 2,000 words (leeway of 10% over limit without penalty)

Grading of the submission is based on the ANU Grading System. In particular, your work will be considered in terms of:

• quality and comprehensiveness of the needs assessment, including use of support evidence and existing research on the issue chosen
• appropriate structure and detail of the communication plan
• suitability and diversity of ideas/materials
• teamwork breakdown and planning
• writing style, including clarity, spelling, grammar, punctuation

Assessment Task 4

Health Promotion Project - final report

After running your health promotion program, your group is required to write a report evaluating your initiative and making recommendations for any future activities. Within the report, the group is expected to provide an overview of the initiative, what it aimed to do based on the needs assessment, how it aimed to do it and how successful it was based on the evaluations conducted.

Groups will be marked based on the comprehensiveness of their report, the justification of their conclusions and recommendations with suitable evidence, the appropriateness and correct presentation/labelling of supporting materials (ie legibility and labelling of graphs, figures etc) and the clarity of the writing. All group members are expected to contribute to the report.

This is a group submission. Each submission must include a Credit Statement which outlines what each group member contributed to the project. Definitions of roles and contributions will be provided on Wattle and discussed in class. Students who do not contribute equitably to the project may receive a lower grade.

Word limit: No more than 5,000 words including references (leeway of 10% over limit without penalty). Shorter submissions are encouraged.

Grading of the submission is based on the ANU Grading System. In particular, your work will be considered in terms of:

• comprehensiveness of the report
• quality of the information including the appropriateness of the evaluation
• justification of conclusions drawn and subsequent recommendations with suitable evidence
• appropriateness and correct presentation/labelling of supporting materials (ie legibility and labelling of graphs and figures)
• writing style, including clarity, spelling, grammar, punctuation

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) a submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Assignments will be returned via Wattle.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Resubmission of assignments is generally not allowed unless under extenuating circumstances and then will only be offered at the discretion of the convenor.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students