Course Outline

NUT301 Advanced Public Health Nutrition

Course Coordinator:Judith Maher (jmaher@usc.edu.au) School:School of Health - Nutrition and Dietetics

2025Semester 2

UniSC Sunshine Coast

Blended learning Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online.

Please go to usc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

In this course you will develop the values, knowledge and skills for community public health nutrition practice through service learning, case-based work, team learning and simulation. You will integrate and apply best practice processes for development, planning and managing public health nutrition projects. This course is based on a socio-ecological approach to practice, is strengths based, evidence informed and integrates values of justice, equity and collaboration. You will have the opportunity to co-develop and plan the evaluation of a nutrition project during the course.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Case and group based learning activities 3hrs Week 1 13 times
Learning materials – Online activities including videos, quizzes, readings 1.5hrs Week 1 13 times
Fieldwork – E-mediated service learning project 2hrs Week 2 7 times

Course Topics

  • Fundamental frameworks and principles for PHN practice
  • Civic engagement and professional formation through service learning
  • Best practice frameworks and participatory approaches for planning and managing PHN initiatives
  • PHN decision making within an ethical and evidence based framework
  • Evidence informed and strength-based actions for optimising nutrition outcomes for populations including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
  • Evaluating PHN practice – types, methods and processes

What level is this course?

300 Level (Graduate)

Demonstrating coherence and breadth or depth of knowledge and skills. Independent application of knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts. Meeting professional requirements and AQF descriptors for the degree. May require pre-requisites where discipline specific introductory or developing knowledge or skills is necessary. Normally undertaken in the third or fourth full-time study year of an undergraduate program.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming...
1 Critically evaluate and integrate evidence to inform public health nutrition practice Empowered
2 Prioritise and integrate stakeholder perspectives to foster partnerships for effective public health nutrition action Engaged
Collaboration
3 Plan, co-develop and construct sustainable public health nutrition initiatives using best practice processes for program planning Empowered
Sustainability-focussed
Problem solving
Organisation
4 Evaluate and justify decisions using a public health nutrition lens Ethical
5 Examine personal and professional knowledge, practices and identity with civic engagement priorities and suggest strategies to enhance future practice Creative and critical thinker

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

(NUT306 or NUT352) and NUT205

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

Understanding of behavioural change theory; Foundational knowledge of public health and health promotion; Ability to search academic databases to locate relevant scientific literature; Knowledge of nutrition assessment methods; Nutrition (& food) knowledge; Interpersonal skills; Needs assessment

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

Formative feedback via ZOOM will be provided to your teams in week 3 that will assist you in undertaking the tasks and producing artefacts relating to the E-portfolio to curate your portfolio to achieve learning outcomes.

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1a Portfolio Individual and Group 15%
800 words; Two (2) artefacts
Week 5 Online ePortfolio Submission
All 1b Portfolio Individual and Group 35%
1500 words;
four (4) artefacts
Week 9 Online ePortfolio Submission
All 2 Examination - Centrally Scheduled Individual 50%
20 minutes & project plan
Exam Period Exam Venue
All - Assessment Task 1a:e-Portfolio Part 1
Goal:
To showcase learning achievements and reflect on learning, you will curate an e-portfolio.
Product: Portfolio
Format:
You will curate Part 1 of your e-Portfolio in PebblePad including two (2) artefacts with accompanying reflections as per assessment instructions.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Appraise, synthesise and prioritise evidence to identify a preferred course of action
1
2
Prepare planning documentation using collaborative processes and planning frameworks
3
3
Describe and evaluate experiences, learning and development
5
4
Plan learning journey to enhance future practice
5
Generic Skills:
Communication, Collaboration
All - Assessment Task 1b:E-Portfolio Part 2
Goal:
In this assessment task, you will undertake and reflect on a range of practice-based tasks to demonstrate your learning.
Product: Portfolio
Format:
You will curate Part 2 of your e-Portfolio in PebblePad to include four (4) artefacts with accompanying reflections as per assessment instructions.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Use best practice processes for planning PHN initiatives
3
2
Evaluate personal and discipline knowledge and practices and relate this to service learning experiences
5
3
Reflect and plan relevant strategies to enhance your future practice
5
4
Collaborate with peers and stakeholders across and within community contexts to contribute to a shared goal
2
Generic Skills:
Communication, Collaboration, Organisation
All - Assessment Task 2:Final oral examination & project plan
Goal:
The end of semester oral VIVA exam and project plan will assess creative and critical thinking and decision-making underpinning action and evaluation planning for optimising population nutrition outcomes
Product: Examination - Centrally Scheduled
Format:
Students will be given a case study four (4) weeks prior to the oral exam. In groups of two, students will develop and submit a project plan based on the case using a template provided by the lecturer. A 20 minute oral VIVA exam will be scheduled during the central exam period and will be based on the project plan.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Plan and develop a sustainable PHN program using the bicycle model
3
2
Justify priorities and decisions using a PHN lens
4
3
Apply strengths based, evidence informed public health approaches to inform project development
1
4
Integrate participatory approaches and processes that facilitate stakeholder partnerships
2
Generic Skills:
Communication, Problem solving

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

Schedule

Period and Topic Activities
Week 1. Course Introduction; Service-learning project explanation.
Workshop
Readings
Week 2: Project governance/Management
Workshop
Readings
Cases
Service learning project
Week 3-7. Module 1: Developing PHN action
Workshops
Readings
Cases
Service learning project
Week 8 - Facilitated reflection on service-learning project
Workshop
Pre-class activities
Week 9-12. Module 2: Evaluation
Workshops
Readings
Cases
Week 13. Revision
Revision
Exam preparation

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

Please note that you need to have regular access to the resource(s) listed below. Resources may be required or recommended.

Required? Author Year Title Edition Publisher
Required Roger Hughes 2011 Practical Public Health Nutrition n/a John Wiley & Sons

Specific requirements

Electronic device
Students will be required to attend an information session at the start of the semester on gathering evidence towards the development of identified national competency standards.
Student may be required to travel to locally situated civic based organisation as part of their service-learning project.

How are risks managed in this course?

Risk assessments have been performed for all field activities and a low level of health and safety risk exists. Some risks concerns may include working in an unknown environment as well as slip and trip hazards. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation.  It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline.  This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person.  You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin.  This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.

The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty

SafeUniSC

UniSC is committed to a culture of respect and providing a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community. For immediate assistance on campus contact SafeUniSC by phone: 07 5430 1168 or using the SafeZone app. For general enquires contact the SafeUniSC team by phone 07 5456 3864 or email safe@usc.edu.au.

The SafeUniSC Specialist Service is a Student Wellbeing service that provides free and confidential support to students who may have experienced or observed behaviour that could cause fear, offence or trauma. To contact the service call 07 5430 1226 or email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au.

Study help

For help with course-specific advice, for example what information to include in your assessment, you should first contact your tutor, then your course coordinator, if needed.

If you require additional assistance, the Learning Advisers are trained professionals who are ready to help you develop a wide range of academic skills. Visit the Learning Advisers web page for more information, or contact Student Central for further assistance: +61 7 5430 2890 or studentcentral@usc.edu.au.

Wellbeing Services

Student Wellbeing provide free and confidential counselling on a wide range of personal, academic, social and psychological matters, to foster positive mental health and wellbeing for your academic success.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 1226.

AccessAbility Services

Ability Advisers ensure equal access to all aspects of university life. If your studies are affected by a disability, learning disorder mental health issue, injury or illness, or you are a primary carer for someone with a disability or who is considered frail and aged, AccessAbility Services can provide access to appropriate reasonable adjustments and practical advice about the support and facilities available to you throughout the University.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email AccessAbility@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 2890.

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

  • In person:
    • UniSC Sunshine Coast - Student Central, Ground Floor, Building C, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs
    • UniSC Moreton Bay - Service Centre, Ground Floor, Foundation Building, Gympie Road, Petrie
    • UniSC SouthBank - Student Central, Building A4 (SW1), 52 Merivale Street, South Brisbane
    • UniSC Gympie - Student Central, 71 Cartwright Road, Gympie
    • UniSC Fraser Coast - Student Central, Student Central, Building A, 161 Old Maryborough Rd, Hervey Bay
    • UniSC Caboolture - Student Central, Level 1 Building J, Cnr Manley and Tallon Street, Caboolture
  • Tel:+61 7 5430 2890
  • Email:studentcentral@usc.edu.au