EDUC 1014 - Prep for the Study of Nursing & Health Sciences

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2020

This course is designed to build on semester one coursework with specific disciplinary preparation for study in Health Sciences and Nursing. The course aims to cover key skills such as basic statistics for Health Science, drug calculations, basic human perspectives in Biological Science and introductions to public health. There will also be a focus on the interrelation of literacy and numeracy skills and placement within class-based practical sessions within the Faculty of Health Sciences with a view to exploring the opportunities and demands of careers in Health. An explicit focus on reflective practice will enable students to prepare for further studies in Health Science

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code EDUC 1014
    Course Prep for the Study of Nursing & Health Sciences
    Coordinating Unit School of Education
    Term Semester 2
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 36 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Restrictions Available to University Preparatory Program or Wirltu Yarlu Preparatory Program students only
    Course Description This course is designed to build on semester one coursework with specific disciplinary preparation for study in Health Sciences and Nursing. The course aims to cover key skills such as basic statistics for Health Science, drug calculations, basic human perspectives in Biological Science and introductions to public health. There will also be a focus on the interrelation of literacy and numeracy skills and placement within class-based practical sessions within the Faculty of Health Sciences with a view to exploring the opportunities and demands of careers in Health. An explicit focus on reflective practice will enable students to prepare for further studies in Health Science
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Ms Amy Robinson

    Lecturer & tutor (Human Biology): Dr. Franca Scopacasa, franca.scopacasa@adelaide.edu.au

    Lecturer & tutor (Public Health and Drug Calculations): Dr. Franca Scopacasa, franca.scopacasa@adelaide.edu.au
    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

    Please note that this course will proceed in three parts: the first (six weeks) will cover an Introduction to Human Biology; the second (four weeks) will cover an Introduction to Public Health; the third (two weeks) will cover an introduction to Drug Calculations and basic numeracy.
  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    Upon the successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

    1. Discuss some key concepts from Human Biology and articulate relationships at various levels from the cellular to the systemic;
    2. Read and engage with scientific writing in areas related to health sciences;
    3. Discuss and critique scientific research based on evidence from reading and observation, and find sources using databases and search engines;
    4. Interrelate knowledge in human biology with Public Health in the context of particular issues, diseases and conditions;
    5. Engage with debates around Indigenous Health and other major topics in Public Health, and
    6. Perform basic drug calculations. 
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    2, 3, 4, 5
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    1, 3, 4, 5
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    1, 2, 4, 5, 6
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    3, 5
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    1, 4, 5
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Readings will be distributed in class and on MyUni as required.
    Recommended Resources
    See 'Online Learning' below.
    Online Learning
    MyUni will be used for essential communication including via email, so please check your University email regularly (at least three times a week). If you have a smartphone it is strongly recommended that you set up your email on it for easy and regular access to your University email. For guidance on how to do this, visit:

    https://www.adelaide.edu.au/its/networks/mobile/support/config/#mobile  

    Remember, the most useful portal for all University online activities is Unified.

    To explore the intersection of Human Biology and Public Health, it will be very helpful to use Article Databases via the University Library: http://libguides.adelaide.edu.au/databases If you are unsure how to use databases to search for scholarly journal articles, use the online resources or seek support from Library staff.

    A particular tool for accessing and analysing Public Health data is Gapminder: http://www.gapminder.org It is essential that you use Gapminder for your Research Presentation project, so we recommend that you familiarise yourself with it well before the Public Health component of the course begins.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    This course will be comprised of a one-hour interactive lecture and a two-hour tutorial per week.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    The wokload of this course is as follows:

    1 x 1-hour lecture per week: 12 hours
    1 x 2-hour tutorial per week: 24 hours
    10  hours of reading/private study per week: 120 hours

    Total: 156 hours
    Learning Activities Summary
    Week Lecture/tutorial topic Lecturer/tutor
    1 Public Health I Franca
    2 Public Health II Franca
    3 Public Health III Franca
    4 Public Health IV Franca
    5 Human Biology I Franca
    6 Human Biology II Franca
    7 Human Biology III Franca
    8 Human Biology IV Franca
    Mid-semester
    break
    9 Human Biology V Franca
    10 Human Biology VI Franca
    11 Drug Calculations I Franca
    12 Drug Calculations II Franca

    Order of topics may be subject to change. 
    Specific Course Requirements
    To pass this course, students must attend at least 75% of tutorials; in cases of absence for medical or compassionate reasons, documentation must be provided and students must still attend at least 50% of classes. If students fail to attend the minimum required number of tutorials, they will be considered to have not completed an assignment (see below).
    Small Group Discovery Experience
    The University of Adelaide has committed to a pedagogical approach termed the “Small Group Discovery Experience”, indicating that the SHDE will be a core component in a credit-bearing course of every
    undergraduate program, and that it will be part of every first-year level from 2014. Since the UPP is not an award-based program, it is not strictly required to include an SGDE in the UPP.

    However, since the UPP is designed to prepare students for first-year study, and the SGDE will be a core component of all first-year study, it is important for the UPP to provide some preparation in Small Group Discovery. These should be of a scaffolded, preparatory nature as befits each course within the program, and the philosophy and program objectives of the UPP. The Program has been designed to include preparation for small group work and research activity in many of its courses.

    More specifically, students undertake a small group Research Poster assessment, where they work in small groups of 3-4 to explore a key issue in Public Health in Australia. Here they are required to explore the literature and data on their chosen health issue in order to synthesis scientifice and Public Health perspectives to make recommendations on approaching the issue. This occurs under the guidance of experts in the science and public health of these issues who facilitate student enquiry and discovery that is germane to the course content.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Note that assessment modifications have been made for semester 2 2020. Please check at the bottom of this section for updates.

    1. Discuss some key concepts from Human Biology and articulate relationships at various levels from the cellular to the systemic;
    2. Read and engage with scientific writing in areas related to health sciences;
    3. Discuss and critique scientific research based on evidence from reading and observation, and find sources using databases and search engines;
    4. Interrelate knowledge in human biology with Public Health in the context of particular issues, diseases and conditions;
    5. Engage with debates around Indigenous Health and other major issues in Public Health, and
    6. Perform basic drug calculations in a simulated clinical context.
    Assessment Task Task Type Due Weighting Submission outcomes
    Active Participation Formative

    Ongoing

    10% Based on tutorial attendance, in-class engagement, quiz attempts, pratice drug test. 1-5
    Public Health Test Summative TBC 10% In class 2-5
    Draft Formative TBC 5% Via Turn-It-In in Canvas 1-5
    Essay Summative TBC 30% Via Turn-It-In in Canvas 1-5
    Human Biology Test Summative TBC 30% In class 1-4
    Drug Calculations Test Summative Week 13 15% In class 6
    Modified arrangements have been made to assessments and the details provided here reflect recent updates.
    1. Active participation - no change
    2. Public health test - now 15% weighting
    3. Draft - no longer an assessment task
    4. Essay - no change
    5. Human biology test - no change
    6. Drug calculations test - no change
    Assessment Related Requirements
    Students must attempt all assessment tasks to pass this course. Since the University Preparatory Program is designed to prepare students for success at University, completing and submitting all assignments is central to the intended learning outcomes of the program and each course within it. Often, at least attempting and submitting assignments in the face of difficulty or adversity is enough for success at University and the UPP encourages this resilience by employing this policy in select courses. Please note that the absolute last date for the submission of assignments in Semester 1 is the end of Swot Vac week, which is one week after the final assignment is due.

    If a student fails to submit all assessment tasks and would otherwise have received a grade greater than 45, they will be given a nominal grade of 45 (Fail) for that course in that semester. This will permit them to undertake additional assessment (formerly called academic supplementaryassessment) at the Course Coordinator’s discretion, as per policy at http://www.adelaide.edu.au/student/exams/supps.html  

    It is not necessary to apply for additional assessment; this assessment will usually consist of the missed pieces of assessment, but the course coordinator may require more. As per policy, if the student passes the additional assessment to the Course Coordinator’s satisfaction, the maximum grade they can get for the course is 50 (Pass). If a student’s raw grade is below 45, regardless of whether all tasks have been attempted, this score will stand unless exceptional, documented circumstances apply as per the University’s Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment: https://www.adelaide.edu.au/student/exams/mod_arrange.html  

    Substantial non-engagement in this course (evidenced by repeated non-attendance at tutorials and failure to submit assessments) may result in students being withdrawn from the University Preparatory Program and being required to apply for reinstatement if they wish to continue.
    Assessment Detail
    Please see Canvas for assess details. 

    Submission
    All assignments will be electronically submitted via MyUni, except for in-class assessments.

    Students may be granted extensions to assignments on medical or compassionate grounds; documentation to support these ground will be required. Requests for extension must be made before the due date; requests for extension submitted after the due date will not be considered. All extension requests must be submitted to the Course Coordinator (Chad Habel: chad.habel@adelaide.edu.au); any extensions granted by the lecturer or tutor will not be considered valid.

    All extension requests will be administered according to theModified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/3303/  

    For a concise information sheet on this policy, please visit http://www.adelaide.edu.au/student/exams/pdfs/maca_medical_compassionate_info.pdf  

    Penalties for Late Submission

    Unless the Course Outline states otherwise when an assessment is submitted after the due date, and without an extension, 5% of the total mark possible will be deducted for every 24 hours or part thereof that it is late, including each day on a weekend. For example, an essay that is submitted after the due date and time but within the first 24 hour period, and that has been graded at 63%, will have 5% deducted, for a final grade of 58%. An essay that is more than 24 hours late will lose 10%, etc. Hard copy submissions made after 5.00pm on a Friday will be assumed to have been submitted on the next business day and will be penalised 5% per day for every day including weekend days and public holidays. This penalty may be increased where the assignment is to be completed ina period of less than a week.

    This course aims to return assessed work within 2 weeks of its submission, although this cannot be guaranteed. The resubmission of assignments is not possible for this course, except in exceptional circumstances as approved by the Course Coordinator.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

    Student feedback in this course has prompted an adjustment to the assessment format. Prior to this semester students were required to undertake an "Annotated Essay" which was designed to allow them to demonstrate their knowledge of Public Health. They felt that four weeks did not allow enough time to properly explore the Public Health issues they were being asked about, and that these two parts of the course were too separate. Therefore the Essay allows students to combine their learning of Human Biology and Public Health into a single assessment piece.
  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.