Undergraduate Course: Children's Health and Wellbeing (EDUA08093)
Course Outline
| School | Moray House School of Education |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course explores key debates about children's health and well-being. Students utilise a range of reading to develop knowledge and understanding of key theories, policies and areas of practice relating to the promotion of children's health and well-being. They learn about local, national and international policy contexts.
The course examines a range of topics relating to different aspects of children's health and well-being, and the complexity of health promotion strategies and activities in relation to issues of social inequality. Students will consider the foundational principles and values within, and the historical development of, a range of health promotion strategies, and the inherent tensions in promoting children's health and well-being.
The course also examines the relationships between children, families, practitioners and institutions within health promotion strategies and explores how changing practices change and reimagine these relationships. |
| Course description |
The course covers the following sessions:
1. Introduction: the social determinants of health
2. International perspectives on children's health and well-being
3. The 'normally developing' child? Neuroscience and 'early intervention'
4. Unborn children's health and well-being
5. An obesity epidemic? Food and the 'healthy family'
6. Breast is Best? Infant feeding, social stigma and health inequalities
7. Assessment workshop
8. Tell Tale Signs: Breaking silences around childhood sexual abuse
9. Teenagers, sex and pregnancy
10. Summary and re-cap
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | All non BA Childhood Practice students should contact the Course Organiser before enrolling on the course as entry to the course is at the discretion of the Course Organiser who will ensure that potential students are able to meet the assignment criteria. |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2017/18, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: 32 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
You will be formally assessed on the basis of a 2,000 word essay. For your essay, you are asked to:
Draw upon a range of relevant literatures to evaluate a health promotion strategy or activity of your choice. In your evaluation you should consider:
- the policy context for the strategy or activity, and its foundational principles and values of the strategy, and its historical development;
- how the strategy or activity promotes children's health and well-being, its effectiveness in doing so, and its relationship to models and theories of children¿s health and well-being;
- how the strategy or activity affects children and families, and the relationships between children, families, practitioners and institutions; and
- the implications of the strategy or activity in terms of social inequalities and processes of social exclusion.
This assignment will constitute 100% of the final mark for the course.
The course materials focus on engaging critically with and evaluating a range of different health promotion strategies and activities to explore the various bullet points that the students are asked to consider in the above task. |
| Feedback |
In addition to the final feedback on your essay, in this course there will be the following formative (= non-marked) assessment opportunities:
1. WORKSHOP GROUP DISCUSSIONS
Class sessions for Children's health and well-being have been designed to include interactive group workshop activities. Information about these activities can be found on Learn in advance of each class. You should come fully prepared and able to share ideas and questions. Through discussion, your tutor and other students will help clarify any misunderstandings, and work on applying theoretical ideas to practical examples. Such discussions are very important opportunities for feedback. Your tutor will comment on your understanding of the ideas covered in the course, and may give you specific advice regarding your progress. Such feedback is intended to help you understand what your strengths and development points are, and to enable you to take informed responsibility for your learning and progression. To really make the most of them, you may find it helpful to write up notes from the discussions as soon as possible after the event. You will also be able to extend these discussions with your classmates using the online discussions function on Learn.
2. ONLINE GROUP DISCUSSIONS
You will also be taking part in online discussions, which offer opportunities for peer feedback and your tutor will also pick up issues raised in these discussions during workshop sessions.
3. ASSIGNMENT EXAMPLES
Children's health and well-being is assessed by an essay. Examples of essays from previous years will be available via the course assessment folder, together with other guidance including the grade-related marking criteria. You can use these in a number of ways. For instance, you could discuss them with another student or small group of students, you might want to try 'marking' the essays yourself and compare your assessment with the actual marking sheet. There will be an opportunity for discussion of the example in class where you will work in groups to discuss the essay, try and 'mark' it yourself and compare to the grade-related marking criteria. This is a feed-forward activity which will help you develop the skills and knowledge needed for the assignment. This will work best if you come well prepared, having already familiarised yourself with the examples, and have notes on what you want to share or ask.
4. FEEDBACK ON ESSAY PLANS
Taking into account students' feedback from previous years, time has been allocated within the course timetable to provide formal feedback to essay plans prior to submitting the assignment essay. One class will be devoted to providing individual and group feedback to your essay plans/mind maps, from tutors and peers. Students are welcome to submit essays plans/mindmaps earlier via email and receive online feedback. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the complexity of children's health and well-being, particularly in relation to the social determinants of and inequalities in health and well-being.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the foundational principles and values of health promotion strategies, their historical development in relation to public health and the inherent tensions in promoting children's health and well-being.
- Utilize a range of literature, research and evidence to analyze policies and practices, including those within students' own services.
- Compare and contrast key models and theories of children's health and well- being and health promotion practice, and analyze how they are reflected in relevant local, national and international health promotion activities and policy contexts.
- Reflect on the relationships between children, parents and other family members, practitioners and institutions within health promotion activities, and explain how changing practices affect these relationships.
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Reading List
Indicative Reading:
Ashton J and Seymour J (1988) The New Public Health - the Liverpool experience OUP
Bax M, Hart H, Jenkin SM (1990) Child Development and Child Health: the pre-school years. Blackwell Science, Oxford.
Brannen J (1994) Young People, Health and Family Life. Open University Press, Buckingham.
Bond J, Coleman P, Pearce S (eds) (1993) Ageing in Society: Introduction to Social Gerontology. 2nd edn. Sage, London.Bowling A (1999) Research Methods in Health: Investigating health and health services Open University Press, Buckingham
Downie R, Tannahill, A and Tannahill A (2000) Health promotion - models and values Oxford Medical Publications Oxford
Gabe J and Conrad P (1999) Social Perspectives on the New Genetics Blackwells, London
Iphofen R and Poland F (1998) Sociology in Practice for Healthcare Professionals Macmillan, Houndsmills
Jones L and Siddel M eds (1997) The Challenge of Promoting Health Exploration and practice Macmillan, Basingstoke
Katz J and Pebardy A eds (1997) Promoting Health: Knowledge and Practice Macmillan, Basingstoke
Lupton D (1994) Medicine as culture Sage London
MacDonald T (1998) Rethinking Health Promotion: A global approach Routledge. London
Murray Parkes C, Stevenson-Hinde J & Harris P (eds.) (1991) Attachment Across the Life Cycle. Routledge, London.
Naidoo J and Wills J(2000) Health promotion: Foundations for practice. Balliere Tindall
Naidoo J and Wills J (1998) Practising Health Promotion: Dilemmas and Challenges Balliere Tindall London
RUHBC (1989) Changing the Public Health John Willey and Sons, London
Marteau T and Richards M (1996) The Troubled Helix Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Sidell M, Jones L, Katz and Pebardy A eds (1997) Debates and Dilemmas in Promoting Health: A reader Macmillan, Basingstoke |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Research and Enquiry
- be able to identify, define and analyse problems and identify or create processes to solve them
- be ready to ask key questions and exercise rational enquiry
- be able to critically assess existing understanding and the limitations of their own knowledge and recognise the need to regularly challenge all knowledge
- search for, evaluate and use information to develop their knowledge and understanding
- have an informed respect for the principles, methods, standards, values and boundaries of their discipline(s) and the capacity to question these
- understand economic, legal, social, cultural and environmental issues in the use of information
Personal and Intellectual Autonomy
- be open to new ideas, methods and ways of thinking
- be creative and imaginative thinkers
- be independent learners who take responsibility for their own learning, and are committed to continuous reflection, self-evaluation and self-improvement
- be able to make decisions on the basis of rigorous and independent thought, taking into account ethical and professional issues
- be able to use collaboration and debate effectively to test, modify and strengthen their own views
Communication
- make effective use of oral, written and visual means to critique, negotiate, create and communicate understanding
- use communication as a tool for collaborating and relating to others
- further their own learning through effective use of the full range of communication approaches
Personal Effectiveness
- be able to manage risk while initiating and managing change
- be responsive to their changing surroundings, being both flexible and proactive
- have the confidence to make decisions based on their understandings and their personal and intellectual autonomy
- be able to flexibly transfer their knowledge, learning, skills and abilities from one context to another
- understand social, cultural, global and environmental responsibilities and issues
- work with, manage, and lead others in ways that value their diversity and equality and that encourage their contribution to the organisation and the
wider community |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Classes contain lectures, case studies and group work discussions. |
| Keywords | children,health,well-being,social inequalities,health promotion |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Ms Maggie Morrison
Tel: (0131 6)51 4237
Email: |
Course secretary | Ms Ann Black
Tel: (0131 6)51 6382
Email: |
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