Monash University Handbook 2011 Postgraduate - Unit

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit will allow an in depth examination of the current disaster health related evaluation models and compendia, identify the strengths and weaknesses of these models, clarify terminology issues, critically review the literature, consider conceptual frameworks and methodological issues in undertaking health disaster evaluations and develop core competencies required to design, conduct and evaluate a disaster health evaluation. The unit will establish a more standardised approach to health disaster evaluations and the need to create compendia of such evaluations towards building the science of disaster health, provide a more sophisticated evidence-base for disaster health management, and, to inform the research agenda for further research in this discipline.

Objectives

By the completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Critically examine the international imperative for a structured approach to health disaster research and evaluations;
2. Explain the terminology and principles embedded in the conceptual, operational, and research frameworks for health disaster evaluations;
3. Locate and question health disaster databases and evaluation report compendia;
4. Locate and critically review published studies on health disaster evaluations;
5. Critique the current health disaster evaluation models and conceptual frameworks, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each model;
6. Explain the core concepts required for a sustainable health disaster evaluation model(s), including the principles of responsible conduct of research, using the Australian NH&MRC Guidelines as the framework;
7. Apply these core concepts in the design, conduct and evaluation in a proposal for a health disaster evaluation;
8. Identify publication sources and requirements to publish health disaster evaluations, and, strategies to inform the research agenda for further research in this discipline.

Assessment

Two minor assignments (1,000 words each)(30%)
Major assignment (4,000 words)(70%)

Chief examiner(s)

Ingrid Brooks

Contact hours

Off-campus students:
Students are required to spend, on average, 12 hours per week on this unit across the semester (156 hours in total) working through self-directed learning materials, participating in tutorials through MUSO and in preparation of unit assessment tasks.