Syllabus
Graduate Programs in Public Health
GPH 714 Principles of Public Health – Summer A 2017
Credits - 3
Description
This course will examine public health principles and concepts. It will provide a broad framework for understanding public health’s role in community health, prevention, and medicine. Using the five core public health knowledge areas and the ten essential public health services as a foundation, students will explore public health infrastructure, surveillance, social determinants of health, policy, and emerging issues. In addition, the course will weave public health areas such as chronic disease, infectious disease, environmental health, maternal and child health, and injury into discussions and assignments.
Course Format
This course is facilitated through Blackboard, UNE’s online learning management system. The course will be delivered in 8 weekly online modules, with each module beginning on Wednesday at 12:01 am and ending the following Wednesday at 11:59 pm, except for the last week (Week 8), which will begin on Wednesday and end on Sunday. Students will watch online lectures produced by the course instructor and field experts, engage in readings and other media provided by instructors, and will learn from one another through the discussion board and written assignments. Each section of this course will be facilitated by an instructor with significant professional and academic expertise in the area of study. Individual meetings with the course instructor will be up to the student to schedule.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
|
Program Competency |
Course Outcome |
Weekly Outcome |
|
Utilize quantitative and qualitative data to identify and analyze factors affecting the health of a community. |
Use appropriate qualitative and quantitative data to assess public health initiatives and programs. |
Critically analyze a research study to identify potential value. Summarize main reasons for the success of an evidence-based program. Use data to identify a health behavior or health outcome in need of a health promotion program for a specific area. Analyze an evidence based program to identify how it was successful. |
|
Analyze policies, programs, and services to evaluate their demonstrated or potential impact on the health of a community. |
Examine the role of public health policy in promoting/changing community norms. |
Identify public health priorities for a specific community. Compare different approaches to addressing public health in a community to identify strengths and weaknesses. Evaluate potential political, economic, and social influences of different approaches to addressing public health in a community. Analyze an evidence based program to identify how it was successful. |
|
Utilize effective communication skills to convey public health data and information to professionals and the public. |
Assess the use of public health literacy for effective communication with the general public and professionals in the field. |
Identify appropriate health education materials to support a person’s journey to adopting a healthier physical lifestyle. Discuss how to communicate public health information to the public. Analyze an evidence based program to identify how it was successful. |
|
Promote policies, programs, and services for diverse populations that demonstrate cultural proficiency and community collaboration. |
Evaluate the impact of social determinants of health and how they relate to the development of initiatives/programs. |
Identify the social factors that may support or hinder progress of an Evidence Based Program. Analyze an evidence based program to identify how it was successful. |
|
Analyze the use of diverse perspectives and community resources in the development of a program or initiative. |
Analyze how diverse perspectives of a target population were incorporated into an Evidence Based Program. Analyze an evidence based program to identify how it was successful. |
|
|
Assess the role of community relationships and diverse perspectives in the development or implementation of public health policies, programs, and services. |
Analyze the importance of cultural values, norms, and diversity when addressing public health priorities. |
Summarize the target population and goals for an Evidence Based program. Analyze how diverse perspectives of a target population were incorporated into an Evidence Based Program. Analyze an evidence based program to identify how it was successful. |
|
Utilize evidence to support decision-making in the development and evaluation of public health initiatives. |
Incorporate relevant and reputable public health resources to support claims. |
Utilize research skills to locate appropriate scholarly resources. Evaluate resources to support a chosen topic Use data to identify a health behavior or health outcome in need of a health promotion program for a specific area. Analyze an evidence based program to identify how it was successful. |
|
Evaluate public health programs’ use of financial resources and management techniques to achieve sustainability. |
Examine the financial resources of a specific program or initiative. |
Discuss appropriate ways to fund a public health program. Analyze an evidence based program to identify how it was successful. |
|
Incorporate ethical standards in professional practice to promote healthy communities. |
Evaluate areas of ethical concern in a public health program or initiative. |
Identify the ethical concerns regarding the minor consent to medical treatment laws. Identify potential ethical concerns in the development or delivery of a program Identify social, economic, and political factors that contributed to the need for a specific program. Analyze an evidence based program to identify how it was successful. |
|
Articulate the role and value of public health in the social, political, and economic development of a community. |
Examine the impact of Social, economic, and political factors on public health initiatives and programs. |
Identify personal public health goals and interests. Discuss important aspects of the history and foundation of public health as it relates to identified interests. Analyze an evidence based program to identify how it was successful. Discuss new and emerging public health challenges. |
|
Examine key stakeholders involved in the development of a public health program or initiative. |
Identify internal and external stakeholders involved in the development of a public health program or initiative. Analyze an evidence based program to identify how it was successful. |
Assignments
Students are expected to complete all course requirements outlined below. Each course is worth 100 points, and student work is evaluated based on achievement of learning objectives as measured by criteria outlined in the respective scoring rubrics for assignments and discussion boards.
Class Discussions: Weekly discussion forums are an essential part of the online course experience. Discussion prompts build on readings, lectures and course content, and allow students to contribute to the learning experience through collaboration with the instructor and peers.
Initial discussion postings to the class website must be submitted by Sunday at 11:59 pm. These postings will generally be a response to a question and will require that you have viewed the lecture and done the reading. You may also have to do some additional research for these postings. Full credit will be given only to those who have developed thoughtful responses that demonstrate they have viewed the lecture and understand the topic. You will be expected to contribute original thought and insight.
Follow-up postings/responses must be completed by Wednesday at 11:59 pm of the week the question is assigned. These postings are intended to be a response to one of your classmates and are essential for exchanging ideas and learning from each other. For full credit, students must develop a thoughtful response, bringing something new to the discussion. Posts that ask questions, extend the breadth of the discussion, or use additional information from the literature or readings to argue a point are encouraged. Short responses that do not add to the discussion will not receive full credit. Students are welcome to respond to more than one classmate, but emphasis should be placed on quality (not quantity) of posts. Note: All assignments/discussions for Week 8 should be posted by Sunday at 11:59 pm.
If the initial post and response are not submitted within the discussion week you will be given a zero. Posts submitted after the discussion week will not be graded.
Weekly Assignments: In addition to your weekly discussions you will be completing weekly assignments. These assignments will ask you to engage with the practice of public health, giving you insight into the profession and its many applications. Many of these assignments scaffold to the final project in this course. Meaning, throughout the course you will be completing sections of your final project. This will allow you to gain valuable feedback from your instructor on each section of your final project before the final submission in Week 7. All assignments are due Wednesday by 11:59pm ET of the week they are assigned. Please review the Blackboard course for a full description of each assignment.
Final Project: Successful Evidence Based Programs: For your final project you will be analyzing a chosen Evidence Based Program that has been deemed successful. Along with the Each Evidence Based Program two studies that implemented the program have been provided. You will need to reference these studies in addition to other resources to address each item in the presentation. The purpose of your analysis is to understand how a program is constructed and implemented. You will create a presentation for other public health professionals (see the Final Project Document for a full description of this assignment).
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Assignment | Points/Percent of Grade |
|---|---|
| Class Discussions | 8 at 3 points each = 24 points |
| Week 2: Article Critique | 5 points |
| Week 3: Written Assignment | 10 points |
| Week 4: Written Assignment | 15 points |
| Week 5: Written Assignment | 15 points |
| Week 6: Written Assignment | 10 points |
| Final Project Submission | 21 points |
| Total | 100 points |
Grade Scale
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
| B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
| C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
| D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Schedule
Course Weeks
Each week opens on Wednesday at 12:01 AM Eastern Time. Each week closes on Wednesday at 11:59 pm ET, with the exception of Week 8, which ends on Sunday. Specific due dates can be found within the Blackboard Calendar feature in your Global Navigation. For more information, review the following article:
https://help.blackboard.com/en-us/Learn/9.1_SP_12_and_SP_13/Student/110_Nav_My_Blackboard
|
Week 1 |
May 3 – May 10 |
|
Week 2 |
May 10 – May 17 |
|
Week 3 |
May 17 – May 24 |
|
Week 4 |
May 24 – May 31 |
|
Week 5 |
May 31 – June 7 |
|
Week 6 |
June 7 – June 14 |
|
Week 7 |
June 14 – June 21 |
|
Week 8 |
June 21 – June 25 (Sunday) |
The assignment/discussion descriptions mentioned below are summaries. Please make sure to review the full assignment prompts in Blackboard. There may be additional readings/videos that are not mentioned in this weekly summary, make sure to carefully review the modules in Blackboard.
Week 1: History and Foundation of Public Health
Learning Outcomes:
- Identify personal public health goals and interests.
- Discuss important aspects of the history and foundation of public health as it relates to identified interests.
Readings:
- Textbook: Chapter 1 pp. 3-13
Lecture:
- Course Overview
- Final Project Overview
- Week 1 Overview
Assignments:
- Discussion: Introductory video and choose your Evidence Based Program
Week 2: Public Health Research and Resources
Learning Outcomes:
- Utilize research skills to locate appropriate scholarly resources.
- Evaluate resources to support a chosen topic.
- Critically analyze a research study to identify potential value.
Readings:
- Textbook: Chapter 4 pp. 42-43
- Textbook: Chapter 5 pp. 57-68
- Textbook: Chapter 8 pp. 83-100
Lectures:
- Week 2 Overview
Assignments:
- Discussion: Locating Reputable Resources
- Week 3 Written Assignment: Article Critique
Week 3: Determinants of Health/Social Factors
Learning Outcomes:
- Identify the social factors that may support or hinder progress of an Evidence Based Program.
- Summarize the target population and goals for an Evidence Based Program.
- Analyze how diverse perspectives of a target population were incorporated into an Evidence Based Program.
- Identify public health priorities for a specific community.
Readings:
- Textbook: Chapter 13 pp. 193-203
- Textbook: Chapter 14 pp. 214-217
Lectures:
- Week 3 Overview
Assignments:
- Discussion: Social factors
- Week 3 Written Assignment: Complete the Introduction and Determinants of Health sections of your final project presentation.
Week 4: Public Health Infrastructure
Learning Outcomes:
- Compare different approaches to addressing public health in a community to identify strengths and weaknesses.
- Evaluate potential political, economic, and social influences of different approaches to addressing public health in a community.
- Identify internal and external stakeholders involved in the development of a public health program or initiative.
- Discuss appropriate ways to fund a public health program.
Readings:
- Textbook: Chapter 3 pp. 25-38
Lectures:
- Week 4 Overview
Assignments:
- Discussion: Approaches to Public Health Community Development
- Week 4 Written Assignment: Complete the Infrastructure section of your final project presentation.
Week 5: Ethical Considerations in Public Health
Learning Outcomes:
- Identify the ethical concerns regarding the minor consent to medical treatment laws.
- Identify potential ethical concerns in the development or delivery of a program.
- Identify social, economic, and political factors that contributed to the need for a specific program.
Readings:
- Textbook: Chapter 2 pp. 15-23
- Textbook: Chapter 18 pp. 281-292
- Textbook: Chapter 26 pp. 423-426
Lectures:
- Week 5 Overview
Assignments:
- Discussion: Ethical concerns around minor consent to medical treatment laws
- Week 5 Written Assignment: Complete the Politics and Ethics section of your final project presentation.
Week 6: Public Health Promotion and Communication
Learning Outcomes:
- Identify appropriate health education materials to support a person’s journey to adopting a healthier physical lifestyle.
- Discuss how to communicate public health information to the public.
- Summarize main reasons for the success of an Evidence Based Program.
Readings:
- Textbook: Chapter 14 pp. 209-215
- Textbook: Chapter 16 pp. 237-255
Lectures:
- Week 6 Overview
Assignments:
- Discussion: Strategies to promote healthy behavior
- Week 6 Written Assignment: Complete the Delivery and Conclusion sections of your final project presentation.
Week 7: Program Planning and Evaluation
Learning Outcomes:
- Use data to identify a health behavior or health outcomes in need of a health promotion program for a specific area.
- Analyze an Evidence Based Program to identify how it was successful.
Readings:
- Textbook: Chapter 8 pp. 103-112
- Textbook: Chapter 31 pp. 516-520
Lectures:
- Week 7 Overview
Assignments:
- Discussion: Based upon data propose a small program.
- Final Project Submission
Week 8: The Future of Public Health
Learning Outcomes:
- Discuss new and emerging public health challenges.
Reading:
- Textbook: Chapter 31 pp. 513-516 & 523-524
Lecture:
- Week 8 Overview
Assignments:
- Discussion: New challenges and emerging threats
Student Resources
Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Visit the Student Support Public Health page
UNE Libraries:
- Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Blackboard/Brightspace.
- Public Health Databases: https://library.une.edu/library-materials/find/research-by-subject/public-health/
- Library Tutorial: Find an article
- Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.
UNE Student Academic Success Center
UNE's Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of free online services to support your academic achievement. Writing support, ESOL support, study strategy and learning style consultations, as well as downloadable resources, are available to all matriculating students. The SASC also offers tutoring for GPH 712 Epidemiology, GPH 716 Biostatistics, GPH 717 Applied Epidemiology, GPH 718 Biostatistics II, and GPH 719 Research Methods. To make an appointment for any of these services, go to une.tutortrac.com. For more information and to view and download writing and studying resources, please visit:
Information Technology Services (ITS)
- ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673
Accommodations
Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.
Policies
AMA Writing Style Statement
The American Medical Association Manual (AMA) of Style, 11th edition is the required writing format for this course. Additional support for academic writing and AMA format is provided throughout the coursework as well as at the UNE Portal for Online Students.
Online resources: AMA Style Guide
Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool
The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.
Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.
You can learn more about Turnitin in the Turnitin Student quick start guide.
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
Course Evaluation Policy
Course surveys are one of the most important tools that University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.
Late Policy
Students are responsible for submitting work by the date indicated in Brightspace.
Quizzes and Tests: Quizzes and tests must be completed by the due date. They will not be accepted after the due date.
Assignments: Unless otherwise specified, assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.
Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
UNE Course Withdrawal
Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit https://www.une.edu/studentlife/plagiarism.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.
Attendance Policy
Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation. Review the full attendance policy.
Late Policy
Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.
Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
UNE Course Withdrawal
Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.