Unit rationale, description and aim
PUBH649 Preparation for Practice is essential to ensuring Master of Public Health students are effectively prepared to transition from academic study to professional public health practice. The unit provides a structured bridge between theoretical learning and experiential application by equipping students with the practical skills, reflective capacity and professional readiness required for a successful practice placement.
PUBH649 Preparation for Practice is one of two units (PUBH649 Preparation for Practice and PUBH655 Practice Placement) which will apply and consolidate learning acquired in the Master of Public Health program to prepare students to practice as public health professionals. PUBH649 Preparation for Practice comprises a range of educational activities which will prepare students for PUBH655 Practice Placement. In PUBH649 Preparation for Practice, students will undertake coursework including modules on sourcing placement, skills strengthening and practice reflections. In consultation with the Unit Lead, students are to seek an appropriate public health project that they will undertake when enrolled in PUBH655. PUBH649 Preparation for Practice is linked to the Australian Qualifications Framework and supported by educational theory on the importance of experiential learning for preparing students for professional practice.
In the subsequent unit, PUBH655 Practice Placement, students will build on knowledge acquired in PUBH649 Preparation for Practice and complete a project consisting of a practice-based public health activity or fieldwork that involves the integration of knowledge and skills across multiple public health areas. In PUBH655 Practice Placement, students are to demonstrate core public health competencies as appropriate, including community engagement and ethical practice. Overall, PUBH649 Preparation for Practice and PUBH655 Practice Placement aim to enable students to apply and integrate their public health skills and knowledge within a summative public health practice experience.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Demonstrate contextual knowledge of the mission, a...
Learning Outcome 01
Critically analyse the application of public healt...
Learning Outcome 02
Demonstrate independent learning and critical thin...
Learning Outcome 03
Critically reflect on personal learning objectives...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics include:
Placements: what, why, where, how?
- What is placement?
- Placement search strategy
- Applications and placement proposals
Skills strengthening
- Literature reviews
- Data collection & data analysis
- Oral presentations
- Report writing
Public health practice
- Community engagement
- From theory to practice
Students are required to meet mandatory or other requirements as indicated by ACU or placement sites (e.g., vaccinations, Working with Children checks, CPR training, hand hygiene and others) by the end of PUBH649 Preparation for Practice, prior to the commencement of their placement in PUBH655 Practice Placement.
Assessment strategy and rationale
A range of assessments will be used to meet the learning outcomes and graduate attributes required by the University. Assessment tasks will be the same for attendance and online mode.
Assessment task 1 will prepare students for project placement by reflecting on public health principles.
Assessment task 2, will develop student’s critical appraisal and writing skills by investigating a relevant health topic prior to writing their project proposal in the subsequent unit, PUBH655.
Assessment task 3 is an oral presentation that will enable students to reflect on their practice readiness before their project/practice placement in the subsequent unit, PUBH655. This will also allow students to refine their knowledge, understanding and skills in public health in a practice environment, and to develop independent learning. It will enable students to develop effective presentation skills for a professional audience.
A hurdle requirement for PUBH655 Practice Placement is the completion of mandatory requirements by week one of semester (In Place workplace compliance) and be approved prior to commencement of the project.
Assessments will be submitted electronically.
To pass a unit, students must demonstrate achievement of every unit learning outcome, pass hurdle tasks, and obtain a minimum mark of 50% in graded units.
Overview of assessments
Assessment 1: Written task to enable students to...
Assessment 1:
Written task to enable students to prepare for project placement by reflecting on public health principles.
40%
Assessment 2: Written task to strengthen student...
Assessment 2:
Written task to strengthen students' critical appraisal and writing skills prior to placement, by investigating a relevant public health issue.
40%
Assessment 3: Oral presentation: This task will ...
Assessment 3:
Oral presentation: This task will enable students to present their practice readiness and prepare for professional practice.
20%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
PUBH649 Preparation for Practice uses a student-centred and active learning approach to support students in their exploration of theoretical and practical knowledge to apply within a public health practice environment.
PUBH649 is offered in both multi-mode and online mode. All students will work through asynchronous online learning material (self-directed learning activities and readings) comprising practical approaches for applying public health principles, concepts and learnings. Learning is reinforced through facilitated tutorial classes and online discussion forums which provide students the opportunity to participate in the construction and synthesis of this knowledge with other students, to progressively develop higher level skills of analysis and application of public health practice, and so further develop a readiness for conducting a placement project in PUBH655. In multi-mode, students will attend face-to-face tutorials on campus. In online mode, students are given the opportunity to attend facilitated synchronous online tutorial classes.
Representative texts and references
ASPHER (Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region). (2018). European list of core competences for the public health professional.
Australian Government Department of Education. (2013). Australian Qualifications Framework (2nd ed.). https://www.aqf.edu.au
Billett, S. (2011). Curriculum and pedagogic bases for effectively integrating practice based experiences. Australian Learning and Teaching Council.
Council of Academic Public Health Institutions Australasia (CAPHIA). (2016). Foundation competencies for public health graduates in Australia. https://caphia.com.au
Frenk, J., et al. (2010). Health professionals for a new century: Transforming education to strengthen health systems. The Lancet, 376(9756), 1923–1958. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61854-5
Jackson, D. (2016). Re construing graduate employability: The importance of pre professional identity. Higher Education Research & Development, 35(5), 925–939. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2016.1139551
Kass, N. E. (2001). An ethics framework for public health. American Journal of Public Health, 91(11), 1776–1782. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.91.11.1776
Mann, K., Gordon, J., & MacLeod, A. (2009). Reflection and reflective practice in health professions education. Academic Medicine, 84(5), 595–602. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0b013e31819a5233
Sullivan, W. M., et al. (2007). Educating for professionalism: Preparing public health professionals. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 13(2), 120–127.
World Health Organization. (2017). Ethics in public health practice. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-HIS-PHS-ETHICS
World Health Organization. (2020). Global competency and outcomes framework for universal health coverage. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-HIS-HWF-CH-2020.1
Yardley, S., Teunissen, P. W., & Dornan, T. (2012). Experiential learning: Transforming theory into practice. Medical Teacher, 34(2), 161–164. https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2012.643264