Course Title: Health Communication

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Health Communication

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

COMM2806

City Campus

Postgraduate

345H Media and Communication

Face-to-Face

 Sem 2 2019,
Sem 1 2024

Flexible Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

COMM2806

City Campus

Postgraduate

345H Media and Communication

Face-to-Face or Internet

 PGRDFlex21 (All)

Course Coordinator: Dr Jenny Robinson

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 5049

Course Coordinator Email: jenny.robinson@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: B009 F05 R036

Course Coordinator Availability: Please check with course coordinator


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None


Course Description

This course introduces you to theory-informed practices and frameworks for designing and implementing health communication in a variety of contexts. You will be introduced to key theoretical approaches and models that underpin the role of communication in community and public health, such as concepts of public wellbeing and health, provider-patient communication, social ecology of health, audience-centred and critical approaches to health interventions, social marketing and behaviour change, narratives and entertainment media in health communication, and public health advocacy. The perspective of the community and audience as well as institutions will be considered within the context of both the global north and the global south.  As a studio-based course, learning occurs within the context of a real-world client project. You will be involved in the practical explorations of collaborative proposal, design and implementation of health communication interventions with and alongside our industry partners. The particular project will vary with each offering but will be developed in partnership with an industry organisation from the government, NGO or private sector. This project-based approach will ensure you understand the relevance of theory and models in your health communication practices.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This is a postgraduate elective course, which will complement the course learning outcomes you are developing in your program.

 


Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

  • Analyse and describe the major theoretical debates in health communication, including how socio-historical, social, political, psychological and cultural factors affect health communication.
  • Identify the various approaches for translating empirical health communication research into practice, such as policy development and health promotion campaigns.
  • Propose and design health communication interventions.
  • Implement and reflect on tools and skills in collaborative learning and partnerships.


Overview of Learning Activities

This course is delivered online. You will be actively engaged in studio-based learning, which is very iterative and participatory. Such pedagogy will include project design,  student presentation, interactive discussions, individual and group activities.


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems. A list of recommended learning resources will be provided by your lecturer, including books, journal articles and web resources. You will also be expected to seek further resources relevant to the focus of your own learning. The University Library has extensive resources for Media and Communication students. The Library has produced a subject guide that includes quality online and print resources for your studies http://rmit.libguides.com/media-and-communication. The Library provides guides on academic referencing: http://www1.rmit.edu.au/library/referencing and subject specialist help via your Liaison Librarian.


Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes.

Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks.

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or the Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more.

Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions which are available for review online: Assessment

ASSESSMENT TASKS

Assessment 1:  Situation Analysis - 30% - individual

This task is related to the following learning outcomes:

  • Analyse and describe the major theoretical debates in health communication, including how socio-historical, social, political, psychological and cultural factors affect health communication.
  • Identify the various approaches for translating empirical health communication research into practice, such as policy development and health promotion campaigns.

Assessment 2: Project implementation, report and presentation (50%) – group 

This task is related to the following learning outcome:

  • Propose and design health communication interventions.
  • Implement and reflect on tools and skills in collaborative learning and partnerships.

Assessment 3: Critical Reflection – 20% - individual

This task is related to the following learning outcome:

  • Analyse and describe the major theoretical debates in health communication, including how socio-historical, social, political, psychological and cultural factors affect health communication.
  • Implement and reflect on tools and skills in collaborative learning and partnerships.