6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL
Postgraduate - Unit
Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.
Faculty
Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Organisational Unit
Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine
Chief examiner(s)
Coordinator(s)
Unit guides
Co-requisites
Must be enrolled in a Postgraduate degree
Synopsis
Program evaluation is important for measuring the effect of public health programs and determining their influence on longer-term health outcomes. It also provides valuable evidence to improve the delivery, reach and impact of public health strategies.
This unit will enable students to design evaluations that are suitable for a range of public health and disease prevention programs. Students will conduct evaluation planning based on theoretical approaches and best-practice principles.
Levels of evaluation will be examined, as well as the range of quantitative and qualitative data collection methods suitable for the different contexts and stakeholders involved in public health practice. The unit will equip students with the skills to choose appropriate methods for data collection, as well as use suitable evaluation frameworks, tools and resources specific to public health and disease prevention programs.
There will be exploration and discussion of the evaluation challenges posed by the complexities of public health action and the contexts in which it is carried out.
Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
- Discuss and investigate how evaluations measure the effect of public health programs, and explain the importance of evaluations in terms of influencing long-term public health outcomes.
- Apply design features to various public health programs, including critically evaluating differing theoretical approaches to evaluation design.
- Distinguish the different levels of evaluation, and consider how they work together to provide a comprehensive assessment of a program.
- Construct evaluation designs to measure public health programs that are specific to stakeholder priorities and objectives.
- Select evaluation methods appropriate to an evaluation design, including applying tools and resources specific to public health promotion.
- Create an evaluation plan that is tailored to a specific public health program, which critically communicates the scope of the evaluation and how it will be delivered.
Assessment
- 10 x Critical reflections (180 words each) (30%)
- Evaluation design report (1,800 words) (30%)
- Evaluation plan (2,400 words) (40%) (hurdle)
Workload requirements
6 hours of teacher-directed learning activities per week, and 6 hours of self-directed study per week. There is an expectation that students will attend 2 on-campus Block Days.
See also Unit timetable information