This course aims to impart the principles of population based (epidemiologic) evidence to the understanding of variations in the outcome of illness and the reasons thereof (Clinical Epidemiology) thereby providing the framework for finding the best answers to "real world" questions about clinical practice and health care. Individuals taking this course (who usually have a health care background) acquire the basic skills required to understand the fundamental questions about the effectiveness of clinical therapies, usefulness of screening and diagnostic tools, and gain the skills required of effective EBM practitioners.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

After successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Generate a critical question leading up from a health scenario
2  Locate, navigate and extract relevant data from important sources of health information
3  Examine critically, synthesise and evaluate the basic principles underlying validity of the results of health care outcome studies
4  Evaluate quantitatively the usefulness of diagnostic and screening tests in health care practice
5  Examine critically, synthesise and evaluate point estimates (effect sizes) used in clinical epidemiology
6  Examine critically, and evaluate principles underlying precision of the effect sizes reported in health care research
7  Understand and apply the principles underlying the translation of research results to health care practice
8  Integrate and apply results (generalize) to specific health care problems

Research-Led Teaching

The course convenor is an honorary Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and tutorials will make use of research actively being carried out by the convenor and other staff across the School.

Required Resources

Understanding Evidence in Health Care: Using Clinical Epidemiology

Suhail Doi

ISBN: 9781420256697

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Edition: 1st edition, 2012

Recommended Resources

Access to required and recommended resources, plus past central exam papers, is available at the ANU Library website. The University offers a range of resources and services to support student learning. Details are available on the ANU website.

Staff Feedback

General feedback will be available on coursework throughout the semester. This feedback is available to the course cohort during classes, as well as on an individual basis outside classes. Any course participant who is having difficulty with the course or balancing the coursework with other commitments is encouraged to consult the course coordinator as early as possible.

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	General structure of the course: Introduction and critical questioning Acquiring the information Are the results valid? Quantitative aspects of diagnosis/screening How precise were the study estimates? Are the valid results important?

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Online discussions on blackboard	30 %	25/02/2019	04/07/2019	1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
Final Assessment	70 %	22/06/2019	04/07/2019	1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Online discussions on blackboard

Blackboard discussions relevant to academic course content across the course. These contributions are assessed as follows:

????: These postings are made in time for others to read and respond, deliver information that is full of thought, insight, and analysis, make connections to previous or current content or to real-life situations, contain rich and fully developed new ideas, connections, or applications

???-: These postings are made in time for others to read and respond, deliver information that shows that thought, insight, and analysis have taken place, make connections to previous or current content or to real-life situations, but the connections are not really clear or are too obvious, contain new ideas, connections, or applications, but they may lack depth and/or detail

??--: These postings may not all be made in time for others to read and respond, are generally competent, but the actual information they deliver seems thin and commonplace, make limited, if any, connections, and those are often cast in the form of vague generalities, contain few, if any, new ideas or applications; often are a rehashing or summary of other comments

?---: These postings may not have been made in time for others to read and respond, are rudimentary and superficial; there is no evidence of insight or analysis, contribute no new ideas, connections, or applications, are off topic

----: Did not add information e.g. posted a comment or asked a colleague about a post

Students are expected to contribute on an on-going basis throughout the semester. The date range for this task comprises the start of the semester and the date final results are published on ISIS.

Assessment Task 2

Final Assessment

Students are required to demonstrate their understanding of overall course content by answering specific questions (which could be of essay, short answer or calculation type) related to the integration and understanding of all course material. Assessments are made available through Wattle, timed (time limits updated on the assessment section of Wattle), can be downloaded and completed offline, are open book and are submitted by upload back to Wattle.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request it in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item.

Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Feedback will be available on coursework throughout the semester on an individual basis and the course cohort.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Resubmission of assignments that fail to upload may be requested via email and must be submitted within 24 hours of the request.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students