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.

Content

Practice based experience.

 A broad range of public health projects, activities or fieldwork can be undertaken in PUBH655, subject to approval of the Lecturer in Charge. These include, but are not limited to, any of the following:

• Project/activity: practice-based quality improvement; knowledge transfer; capacity building; program development, implementation, evaluation; policy analysis or advocacy activity; practice-focused research and reporting. Any project/activity undertaken must have a pre-defined, measurable output for a student to report on.
• Fieldwork: students may undertake fieldwork within their area of public health interest. Students must demonstrate that their fieldwork contributes to the health of the relevant community and/or improves the health program, service or system they are working in.

As part of the learning and teaching strategy for the unit, students will undertake 100-120 hours of practice-/fieldwork-based activity, not including time spent organising their practice-based experiences or the preparation of assessment tasks for this unit. Where appropriate, students will incorporate an element of community engaged learning within their practice-based activity in order to demonstrate the relationship between public health practice and community engaged learning in enhancing the health, wellbeing and dignity of people and communities, especially those most marginalised and disadvantaged.

In general, project experiences will be undertaken by students on an individual basis. Group-based project experiences (e.g. international fieldwork opportunities) will be considered for PUBH655; however, the level of contribution from each group member will remain equivalent. In the event that an appropriate external placement is not available, an equivalent project will be offered.

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).

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

PUBH655 Practice Placement uses an active learning approach to support students to undertake supervised practice-based public health fieldwork/activity. Learning and teaching strategies allow students to meet the aims of the unit and graduate attributes of the university, and to support students to apply the theoretical knowledge acquired in their course to their practical placement. Students are expected to take responsibility for their learning and to engage actively with unit content and learning activities. This is a work integrated learning unit offered in both multi-mode and online mode.

Students will attend support sessions either face-to-face on campus (multi-mode), or via an online platform (online mode). Online activities (e.g. discussion forums) via the ACU Learning Management System (LMS) also support this process.

Students will undertake a minimum of 100-120 hours project, which could be a practice-/fieldwork-based activity. This will involve linking theory and knowledge with practical scenarios to prepare students for public health practice. Additional teaching and learning strategies are university-based fieldwork discussions including briefing/debriefing sessions, oral presentations, and discussion of their experiences with colleagues. 

All PUBH655 projects and practice placements will be subject to approval by the Lecturer-In-Charge and supervised by an external supervisor or member of ACU staff