Unit Outline

This unit provides essential background to professionals working in local, state and national settings for effective outbreak response. Students will learn the skills and knowledge required to respond to communicable disease outbreaks and other public health incidents. This includes: the ten steps of outbreak investigations; assessment of public health surveillance data and intelligence; using risk assessment frameworks; applying appropriate epidemiological findings and evidence; risk communication principles; and appropriate interventions to control outbreaks. This Unit is relevant to people working within local, state or national government, hospital staff, residential care staff, non-government agencies, and emergency response workers. Local examples will be used to teach concepts, and students will be able to draw on their own experiences and their role in their own workplace during the workshop and when completing assessment tasks. This unit is taught online in Semester 1, or in blended delivery mode (online with 4 day short course in Rozelle, Sydney) in Semester 1 and Semester 2. Students interested in taking the workshop option can email nicola.stephens@utas.edu.au for further details. Delivery of the workshop in other locations including workplace training can also be discussed.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1.	Apply the ten steps of an outbreak investigation to communicable disease outbreaks and other public health incidents.
2.	Apply a risk assessment framework to verify the existence of an outbreak by assessing surveillance data and public health intelligence
3.	Apply appropriate epidemiological methods to support outbreak investigations, consolidate the epidemiological results with other evidence obtained during outbreak investigations to determine the source of the outbreaks, and recommend appropriate interventions to controls outbreaks and prevent further cases.
4.	Communicate an outbreak investigation using risk communication principles and appropriate documentation

Alterations as a result of student feedback

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	On-line discussion board and Workshop participation	Week 3	20 %	LO1
Assessment Task 2:	Outbreak scenario 2	Week 11	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO4
Assessment Task 3:	Outbreak scenario 1	Week 13	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: On-line discussion board and Workshop participation

Task Description:

On-line discussion board and Workshop participation – formative and summative
Posts and following each workshop

Task Length:

Due Date:

Week 3

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Attendance and active participation in discussion board and scheduled workshops; including completion of activities and group work	LO1

Assessment Task 2: Outbreak scenario 2

Task Description:

Outbreak scenario 2
An outbreak scenario will be presented with multiple injects - summative

Task Length:

2000 words

Due Date:

Week 11

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Conduct a risk assessment	LO1, LO2, LO4
2	Develop a media release	LO1, LO2, LO4
3	Draft a daily situational report	LO1, LO2, LO4

Assessment Task 3: Outbreak scenario 1

Task Description:

Outbreak scenario 1
An outbreak scenario will be presented with multiple injects - summative

Task Length:

2000 words

Due Date:

Week 13

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Written description of the characteristics of the recent cases. Determination of whether an outbreak investigation is required.	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
2	Development of an investigation plan.	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
3	Description and planning an analytical study.	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
4	Summary outbreak report.	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes and achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.