AC6781 - Application of Public Health Principles to Professional Practice

What will I learn on this module?

The module will commence with a reflection and an analysis of your own prior skills and abilities surrounding the core public health principles related to your professional practice. The module will then introduce you to the core public health principles and evidence base which you can adopt to address individual, community or population need through the promotion of health and prevention of ill health. The module focuses on three key elements:
• Development of critical knowledge and appreciation of the changing patterns of populations, communities and people through a life course approach.
• Analysis of the core public health principles, models and approaches to assessment and motivational interviewing to develop a robust formulation of evidence to underpin your professional practice
• Determine strategies for health preventative interventions and the promotion of health, to address the health status and health literacy in relation to your area of professional practice

Your learning will be via guided and individual study through use of interactive elearning packages followed by a live online seminar. These will evaluate your learning by asking you to undertake several formative learning exercises with feedback provided electronically and by teachers as a means to gradually develop your understanding. You will attend the live online seminars and share your learning with teachers and peers using case reviews, peer discussion where you will have the opportunity to give and receive feedback and feed forward to each other. You will apply your learning to a summative assignment which requires you to critically analyse a case study of your choice from your current professional practice where you demonstrate the application of the core public health principles and make recommendations for improvement where appropriate.

How will I learn on this module?

This module applies Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to remove barriers to learning and create an inclusive, flexible experience that accommodates diverse learning styles. By offering multiple ways to engage with content, varied formats for accessing and understanding material, and ample opportunities for diverse action and expression, you can develop and showcase key employability skills. Through a blend of online resources, and live seminars, the module ensures an active, authentic learning journey that supports your success in real-world contexts (La, Dyjur, & Bair, 2018). This means learning will be via a blended delivery using a combination asynchronous (30 hours of web-based resources) and synchronous (12 hours of face-to-face online seminars) learning. A ‘flipped classroom’ approach (Bergman & Sams, 2012), promotes the front loading of theoretical content as preparatory independent study provided via online supported learning (OSL) and reading, prior to the face-to-face online seminars where your understanding of concepts and application of theory will be explored. This approach to module delivery promotes active learning as it works to accommodate your learning needs and abilities by offering flexibility and direction gained from the preparatory web-based materials which are then explored and applied during the live online seminars creating new knowledge. Offering multiple ways of learning helps you to engage along with giving you the opportunity to express your learning through action and/or expression. This encourages a positive learning environment where you are likely to feel more engaged and motivated in your learning. Authentic assessment means that any assessments throughout the module will mirror real life activities that you will be faced with in your professional practice. Authentic assessment will be an on-going key feature of the module, via tasks within the web-based materials and online simulated practice learning. These will not only support your learning of the core public health principles such as motivational interviewing but will also support assessment literacy through developing your skills and knowledge of the assessment process. All assessments within the programme will be operated in accordance with standard operating procedures and marked and moderated in accordance with the Assessment Regulations for Taught Awards (ARTA) ensuring the academic standards required for student awards are met.

Bergman, J., & Sams, A. (2012) Flip your classroom. Reach every student in every class every day. Washington D.C., International Science of Technology in Education.
La, H., Dyjur, P., & Bair, H. (2018). Universal design for learning in higher education. Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning. Calgary University of Calgary

How will I be supported academically on this module?

You will be supported by the module lead who will guide your academic learning and assessment throughout the module. The module lead was involved in developing the e-learning materials, assessment exercises, and will provide some of your live online seminars, and feedback, supported by other staff. This module is supported by Blackboard Ultra and adheres to the university’s minimum standards. The site includes module information, assessment information, power-point presentations and e-learning packages, reading lists and relevant web links. Blackboard Collaborate will be used for the delivery of the live online seminars.

A discussion board is available to the cohort, through which students can post comments and ask questions of their peers throughout the duration of the module. You will have a live online group tutorial will help you prepare for the summative assessment. Your Programme Lead and Personal Tutor are also available to offer guidance on academic support throughout the programme.

The University Libraries offer an extensive collection of material, both hard copy and electronic, access to international databases and training in information retrieval. A variety of study-skills-related help sheets, and online videos can be found on the library Skills Plus site. You can also access a range of student support and wellbeing services via Student Central or by accessing the student support and wellbeing pages and Ask4Help via your electronic student portal.

You will also have an allocated personal/guidance teacher who will provide advice and support in relation to academic, procedural, and (where desired and appropriate) personal matters during the programme of study you have enrolled on. You will have access to 24/7 generic IT support and specific support from the programme team with any specific IT issues related to the e-learning package.

What will I be expected to read on this module?

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

What will I be expected to achieve?

On completion of this module:

Knowledge & Understanding:
1. You will have utilised appropriate public health theory, models and approaches to assessment and motivational interviewing, evidence your decision making and support of a patient/client in your area of professional practice
2. You will have critiqued and evaluated the data from practice and policy to assess the public health needs of an individual, community or population and formulate a strategy of preventative interventions and the promotion of health and health literacy in relation to your area of professional practice using a life course approach.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
3. You will have collaborated with a patient/client to identify priorities, plan, document and defend your judgements and actions when initiating core public health approaches to address a health and wellbeing need.
4. You will have evaluated personal lifelong learning skills and abilities, identifying areas for development

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
5. You will have analysed your own professional practice in relation to the delivery of safe and ethical public health approaches, identifying areas for development.

How will I be assessed?

Formative assessments
Formative tests and quizzes will be embedded within the e-learning package providing immediate electronic feedback.
Completion of community profile using recognised tool
• Analysis of client consultation case studies to articulate information gained or missing from assessment process in your area of professional practice based upon current legal, ethical and professional frameworks and guidance.
MLO 1, 2,3,5- Verbal peer and teacher feedback in seminar

Brief audit of practice setting
• Analysis of current policies, procedures and documentation used to address public health needs of your patient/client
MLO 2, 3,5- Comments on practice-based audit by verbal peer and teacher feedback in seminar to inform future action plan.

Summative assignment
The summative assessment for this module will require a 2500-word assignment where you critically analyse a case study of your choice from your current professional practice where you demonstrate the application of the core public health principles and make recommendations for improvement where appropriate. You will draw upon relevant evidence, public health theory, models and approaches to appraise the process you use in your professional practice when addressing a patient/client public health need. You will appraise the effectiveness of the process and provide a robust defence for the judgements and action taken during the process and make recommendations for any improvements for individual and organisation practice. (MLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Electronic submission will be utilised for submission of the 2500-word written assignment.

Summative feedback on final submission of the assessed work will be given in a structured format to inform future practice

Pre-requisite(s)

N/A

Co-requisite(s)

N/A

Module abstract

This module focuses on the fundamental skills adopting and applying the core public health principles and approaches to your professional practice. You will develop appropriate theoretical knowledge, complex skills and behaviours in public health to advance your area of professional practice. You will explore key concepts in contemporary public health, health promotion, behaviour change and motivational interviewing to facilitate health enhancing activities within your area of professional practice. You will explore and apply local policies, governance, and legislative requirements to identify and address public health issues and health needs within your professional practice in order to promote health, prevent illness and risk taking whilst adhering to policy for sharing confidential information. You will explore the complex relationships between the wider health determinants, wellbeing, and health inequalities, enhancing critical thinking and decision-making skills. You will demonstrate an ability to synthesise appropriate knowledge and information, when undertaking a comprehensive assessment, developing and initiating strategies for patients/clients