Overview
There is an enormous body of health data and information that is relevant to public health and the ability to locate, interpret and communicate health information is a fundamental skillset required by all public health professionals. In this unit you will be introduced to the concepts of measurement and data relating to public health. You will explore potential sources of data, how to identify and interpret appropriate measurements and data for public health, and how to communicate measurements and data with confidence to inform public health decisions.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2025
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Unit Coordinator observation.
Lectures are now dated and some are of poor quality.
New lectures to be recorded by incoming Unit Coordinator.
- Assess the source and quality of health information and data as related to public health.
- Identify and interpret appropriate measurements and data for public health.
- Communicate health information using a range of information technologies.
- Reflect on individual, cultural, and ethical perspectives relating to health measurement and data.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Group Discussion - 20% | ||||
| 2 - Online Quiz(zes) - 30% | ||||
| 3 - Project (research) - 50% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Group Discussion - 20% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Online Quiz(zes) - 30% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Project (research) - 50% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Zoom access
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing styles below:
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
g.haintz@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction and critical thinking
Chapter
Prescribed learning activities - combination of journal articles, chapter readings and online activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Foundations of data and measurement
Chapter
Prescribed learning activities - combination of journal articles, chapter readings and online activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Measuring mortality and morbidity
Chapter
Prescribed learning activities - combination of journal articles, chapter readings and online activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Measuring other health outcomes
Chapter
Prescribed learning activities - combination of journal articles, chapter readings and online activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 1 Part A Due: Week 4 Friday (8 Aug 2025) 3.00pm AEST
Module/Topic
Measuring exposures: risk and protective factors
Chapter
Prescribed learning activities - combination of journal articles, chapter readings and online activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Intra-term break. No topic learning materials or tasks.
Chapter
Intra-term break. No topic learning materials or tasks.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Intra-term break. No topic learning materials or tasks.
Module/Topic
Qualitative data
Chapter
Prescribed learning activities - combination of journal articles, chapter readings and online activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 2 quiz opens - Friday, 5:00pm AEST.
Module/Topic
Sources of public health data
Chapter
Prescribed learning activities - combination of journal articles, chapter readings and online activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Interpreting research findings
Chapter
Prescribed learning activities - combination of journal articles, chapter readings and online activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Communicating and describing data: Part 1
Chapter
Prescribed learning activities - combination of journal articles, chapter readings and online activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Communicating and describing data: Part 1
Chapter
Prescribed learning activities - combination of journal articles, chapter readings and online activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The concept of evidence
Chapter
Prescribed learning activities - combination of journal articles, chapter readings and online activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 1 Part B Due: Week 11 Friday (3 Oct 2025) 3.00pm AEST
Module/Topic
Challenging bias
Chapter
Prescribed learning activities - combination of journal articles, chapter readings and online activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Approach to studying in this unit
This unit runs in a 'flipped classroom' mode. That is, resources such as lectures, readings and learning activities are
provided each week via the unit Moodle site. Students are expected to work through the materials prior to coming along
to a tutorial.
Tutorials
There are two tutorial sessions each week held synchronously on-campus at Melbourne and online via Zoom: Tuesday 9.00am - 10.00am AEST, and Tuesday 10.00am - 11.00am AEST from weeks 1 - 12. International students must attend a minimum of 80% of scheduled tutorials on-campus at Melbourne. The tutorials are not compulsory for local (domestic) students. However, students are strongly encouraged to attend and participate. Tutorials
provide a structured opportunity to explore, discuss and clarify unit concepts, learning activities, and assessment tasks. Generally speaking, the first tutorial (9am-10am) will tend to focus opportunities to develop and consolidate understanding of unit concepts and materials. The second tutorial (10am-11am) will tend to focus on assessment development and support.
Use of GenAI in this unit
In this unit, students are permitted to utilise generative AI tools in restricted ways to enhance their learning and creativity. For assessment tasks, the permissions may vary; please check the precise permissions indicated under the assessment task information in this unit profile and on the unit Moodle site, for details pertaining to each specific assessment task.
In cases where generative AI is used with permission, it is imperative to use these tools with integrity. This means:
- Acknowledging AI Assistance: Clearly indicate when and how AI tools have been used in your work.
- Originality: Ensure that your submissions reflect your own understanding and effort. AI tools should support, not replace, your critical thinking and creativity.
- Ethical Use: Do not use AI to generate content that misrepresents your abilities or knowledge. Plagiarism, even with AI-generated content, is strictly prohibited.
- Respect for Guidelines: Follow all academic guidelines and policies regarding the use of AI tools in your coursework.
By adhering to these principles, you contribute to a fair and honest academic environment that values genuine learning and integrity. Use of generative AI outside of these guidelines may be considered to be a breach of academic integrity, which will be officially reported and acted upon.
This statement was developed with assistance from Microsoft Copilot.
1 Group Discussion
Each week, as part of the course learning materials, students are expected to contribute to discussions or activities using online tutorials or forums throughout the term. This assessment is divided into two parts.
ASSESSMENT PART 1A: Each student needs to contribute ONE discussion by the end of WEEK 4 so that feedback will be provided to contributions made to enable students to improve their later contributions.
ONE discussion post must be completed before the end week 4. Due Friday Week 4 at 3.00pm AEST (weight 5%).
ASSESSMENT PART 1B: Each student must contribute at least THREE further discussions throughout the term between weeks 5 to 11.
THREE discussion posts must be submitted between WEEK 5 to WEEK 11. Due Friday Week 11 at 3.00pm AEST (weight 15%).
Students must copy their posts on Moodle (including the date and time of posting) and put them in ONE Word document when submitting. All posts must be titled appropriately, as they will be cross-checked with the online version. Any submission that does not match the online version will receive zero marks.
Full guidelines and details about the task will be available on the unit Moodle site.
Level of GenAI use allowed
Level 1 - You must not use AI at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.
The 72-hour grace period does not apply to this assessment.
ONE discussion post due Friday, 8th August (Week 4), 3.00pm AEST. THREE discussion posts due Friday, 3rd October (Week 11), 3.00pm AEST.
Marks and feedback will be provided to students two weeks following the task due date.
Students will be assessed on the quality of their input to forum discussion activities across the semester. Contributions will be assessed on the following criteria:
- Comprehension and understanding of the topic (1 mark)
- Relevance (1 mark)
- Critical thinking and depth (1 mark)
- Quality of expression (1 mark)
- Engagement and interaction with colleagues/peers (1 mark)
For each of the five assessment criteria, students will receive an assessment of either poor/not satisfactory (0/1), satisfactory (0.5/1) or outstanding (1/1) for a total of up to 5 marks per discussion post, up to a maximum of 20 marks for the assessment task.
- Assess the source and quality of health information and data as related to public health.
- Identify and interpret appropriate measurements and data for public health.
- Communicate health information using a range of information technologies.
- Reflect on individual, cultural, and ethical perspectives relating to health measurement and data.
- Communication
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
2 Online Quiz(zes)
The quiz is a combination of 20 multiple choice and short answer questions that will test your understanding of the core concepts for the unit covered in weeks 1 - 6.
The Quiz will open on Friday 29th August (Friday of week 6) at 5:00pm AEST.
The quiz is due by Friday of week 7 (5th September) at 3.00pm AEST. It will not be available for completion after this time.
The questions for each student will be drawn randomly from a pool of questions. There is no time limit to complete the quiz within the week it is available, and you can save your answers and return to them later while the quiz is available. You will be allowed one attempt only; that is, you can save and return the quiz multiple times throughout the period the quiz is open but once you submit your quiz you will not be able to access it again to change or amend any response. Marks will be available after the quiz has closed to all students. Once the quiz has closed, you will get your final result from the quiz showing which questions you got right or wrong. This will let you know what areas you need to study/revise.
Level of GenAI use allowed
Level 1 - You must not use AI at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.
The 72-hour grace period does not apply to this assessment.
1
Other
Week 7 Friday (5 Sept 2025) 3:00 pm AEST
Online
Students will be able to see their grade and feedback after the quiz closes.
The quiz will assess students' understanding of topics covered in Weeks 1-6, including critical thinking, fundamental measurements of health outcomes, measurement of exposures, self-management and social awareness.
- Identify and interpret appropriate measurements and data for public health.
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Ethical practice
3 Project (research)
Research and write a report on the impact of one (1) of the health outcomes below on population health in Australia over the last 20 years:
- Vaping-related harm
- Colorectal (bowel) cancer
- Measles
- Melioidosis
Full guidelines and details about the task will be available on the unit Moodle site.
The report is worth 50% of your overall grade. It should be 2500 (10% under- 10% over is acceptable). The word limit includes data visualisations and in-text citations, but excludes the cover page and final full reference list. It will draw on appropriate sources to outline the differential impact of a particular health outcome or behaviour over the last 20 years in Australia. You should use headings and subheadings, where appropriate, to guide your reader and you must reference appropriately using either CQUniversity Harvard (preferred) or CQUniversity APA7 style.
You can discuss your topic, and how you might like to approach it during the tutorials or on the Moodle discussion forums.
Level of GenAI use allowed
Level 2 - You may use AI for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
Week 12 Friday (10 Oct 2025) 3:00 pm AEST
Online
Formative feedback provided through activities in tutorials. Final marks and feedback provided two weeks after the task due date.
Your report will be assessed according to the following criteria:
Relevance (40%)
- Communicates an understanding of the current issues around the selected topic in the Australian context
- Use of evidence that is appropriate to support the discussion in the relevant context
- Use of appropriate data visualisations to illustrate the population health issue in the Australian context
- Aligns with unit content
Validity (40%)
- Depth and extent of analysis of the chosen topic, demonstrated by the strength and breadth of arguments and evidence
- Quality of original data visualisations using quality data sources
- Accuracy of data and interpretations
- Originality of argument
- Quality and sufficiency of references used
Organisation (10%)
- Clear communication of ideas
- Logical structure, synthesis and flow of report
Presentation (10%)
- Formatting - Professional layout and consistent style (fonts, paragraph spacing, headings, etc)
- Formatting - Data visualisations are consistent in style, attractive and easily interpreted, and appropriately labelled
- Writing - Clarity, consistency and fluency of academic communication
- Writing - Correct spelling, punctuation and grammar
- Referencing - consistent and correct according to CQU Harvard or CQU APA7 style
- Assess the source and quality of health information and data as related to public health.
- Identify and interpret appropriate measurements and data for public health.
- Communicate health information using a range of information technologies.
- Reflect on individual, cultural, and ethical perspectives relating to health measurement and data.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
