Course Coordinator:Zoe Murray (zmurray@usc.edu.au) School:School of Health - Public Health
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. |
Online |
Online | You can do this course without coming onto campus, unless your program has specified a mandatory onsite requirement. |
Please go to unisc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.
This foundation course develops your knowledge and understanding of the fundamental relationships between our environment, climate and human health. You will apply complex systems thinking and socio-ecological models of health to explore the nature and consequences of changes in environment, climate, culture, economics, and politics on human and ecosystem health. Topics include: global climatic changes; water quality and supply; aquatic ecosystems; agriculture and food security; emerging diseases and antibiotic resistance; urbanisation, energy, and transport; and sustainable development goals.
| Activity | Hours | Beginning Week | Frequency |
| Blended learning | |||
| Learning materials – Independent structured learning materials | 2hrs | Week 1 | 12 times |
| Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Workshop (on campus option) | 2hrs | Week 1 | 12 times |
| Online | |||
| Learning materials – Independent structured learning materials | 2hrs | Week 1 | 12 times |
| Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Workshop (online option) | 2hrs | Week 1 | 12 times |
Complex systems dynamics & resilience
Socio-ecological models of health
Changes in global atmosphere and climate
Biodiversity
Water quality and quantity
Food security and regenerative agriculture
Aquatic ecosystems: food supply and persistent pollutants
Emerging diseases and antibiotic resistance
Food security and regenerative agriculture
Urbanisation, transport and energy
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Managing for sustainable futures
100 Level (Introductory)
12 units
| Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... | Graduate Qualities Mapping Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... | Professional Standard Mapping * International Union for Health Promotion and Education | |
| 1 | Define key terms related to ecological sustainability and health. |
Knowledgeable Information literacy |
B.3, A.5, A.10 |
| 2 | Describe the key elements of selected systems frameworks for linking environment and health. |
Knowledgeable Sustainability-focussed Information literacy |
B.10
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| 3 | Summarise and discuss biophysical, socio-economic and ethical dimensions of selected sustainability issues. |
Knowledgeable Sustainability-focussed Communication |
B.4, A.5, A.10 |
| 4 | Access and evaluate current scientific evidence on selected environment and health topics. |
Empowered Sustainability-focussed Communication Organisation |
A.4, A.5 |
| CODE | COMPETENCY |
| International Union for Health Promotion and Education | |
| B.3 | The determinants of health and their implications for health promotion action |
| B.4 | The impact of social and cultural diversity on health and health inequities and the Implications for health promotion action |
| A.4 | Addressing health inequities, social injustice, and prioritising the needs of those experiencing poverty and social marginalisation |
| A.5 | Addressing the political, economic, social, cultural, environmental, behavioural and biological determinants of health and wellbeing |
| A.10 | Sustainable development and sustainable health promotion action |
| B.10 | The systems, policies and legislation which impact on health and their relevance for health promotion. |
Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
Standard Grading (GRD)
| High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL). |
Early feedback on understanding of key concepts for this course is provided through in-class discussions and multiple attempt online quizzes.
| 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 | 1 | Quiz/zes | Individual | 20% | Online quizzes |
Throughout teaching period (refer to Format) | Online Test (Quiz) |
| All | 2 | Oral and Written Piece | Individual and Group | 40% | Completion of written template, conference poster and 5 minute oral presentation. |
Week 7 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
| All | 3 | Written Piece | Individual | 40% | 1500 words |
Exam Period | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
| All - Assessment Task 1:Online quizzes | |||||||
| Goal: | To demonstrate your understanding of key environment and health, and sustainability terms and concepts. |
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| Product: | Quiz/zes | ||||||
| Authorship Statement: | |||||||
| Format: | Multiple quizzes via Canvas based on course learning materials. More details will be available on Canvas at the commencement of the trimester. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Information literacy |
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| All - Assessment Task 2:Core concepts conference poster | ||||||||||||||||
| Goal: | To demonstrate your skills in identifying and communicating features of complex system and socio-ecological interactions relevant to the prescribed reading via a professional multimedia medium. |
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| Product: | Oral and Written Piece | |||||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | ||||||||||||||||
| Format: | You will individually complete and submit online a written template on a prescribed reading. In a group you will develop a conference poster and oral presentation based on the knowledge each group member has contributed via their individual templates. Oral presentations will occur during workshops. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Applying technologies |
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| All - Assessment Task 3:Critical literature review | ||||||||||||||||
| Goal: | To demonstrate your skills in critically reviewing the state of knowledge about a current global ecological issue, and identifying gaps and areas of uncertainty. |
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| Product: | Written Piece | |||||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | ||||||||||||||||
| Format: | Critical literature review |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Collaboration, Organisation, Information literacy |
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| Programme Delivery Mode | Assessment Type | Title | Competency | Teaching Methods |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The CompHP Core Competencies Framework for Health Promotion 2011 | ||||
| All delivery modes | Oral and Written Piece | Core concepts conference poster | A.5 | Taught, Practiced, Assessed |
| Quiz/zes | Online quizzes | A.5 | Taught, Practiced, Assessed | |
| Written Piece | Critical literature review | A.5 | Taught, Practiced, Assessed | |
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.
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.
You need regular access to the resource(s) below. Many texts are available as ebooks through the Library at no additional cost.
| Required? | Author | Year | Title | Edition | Publisher |
| Recommended | G. Tyler Miller,Scott Spoolman | 2020 | Living in the Environment | 20 | Cengage Learning |
Not applicable
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.
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
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
For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:
For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching
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For course-specific questions, contact your teaching staff or Course Coordinator.
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