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Unit outline_

HSBH3016: Individual and Societal Ageing

Semester 2, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit offers students an insight into the challenges and opportunities associated with population ageing and what is required to meet the needs of the increasing numbers of older people and those who will interact with them. It addresses the social and individual dimensions of ageing, health and well-being and the transitions that occur in later life. There will be an emphasis on the policy and practice implications of an ageing society and the role of various public and private providers (government, health care practitioners, family, voluntary) in providing services and care to older people. Students will be expected to develop a critical understanding of the issues related to ageing and the life course and gain an understanding of initiatives and policy debates relating to population ageing and quality of life of older people, their families and carers.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Participation Sciences
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
HSBH1003 or HSBH1013
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

No

Teaching staff

Coordinator Kate O'Loughlin, kate.oloughlin@sydney.edu.au
Guest lecturer(s) Lee-Fay Low, lee-fay.low@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Kate O'Loughlin, kate.oloughlin@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Participation Tutorial attendance
Tutorial participation
10% Multiple weeks Ongoing
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Online task Online activities
Online activities
20% Multiple weeks 800 words per activity
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Written assignment
Written task
40% Week 11
Due date: 13 Nov 2020 at 23:59
2500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Final exam (Take-home extended release) Type E final exam Take home exam
Essay
30% Week 12 1 hour
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Type E final exam = Type E final exam ?

Assessment summary

Assessments for this unit are different to those listed in the Handbook and have been updated to reflect changes in unit delivery due to the current COVID-19 situation

  • Online activities: Requires completion of activity worksheets to aid in understanding concepts and issues related to ageing.
  • Tutorials: Attend/participate in scheduled tutorials
  • Individual written assignment: Identify what you consider an important issue for meeting the needs and advancing the social position of older people through policies and/or service delivery, drawing on directions being set by the World Health Organisation, Australian Human Rights Commission and other ageing-specific government reports (e.g. Intergenerational Report 2015). These include, but are not limited to: health promotion, media representations, health literacy, age discrimination, age-friendly environments, technology, social engagement.
  • Take home exam (essay, closed book)

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Written work submitted electronically after 11.59 pm on the due date will be considered to have been submitted late. For every calendar day up to and including ten calendar days after the due date, a penalty of 5% of the maximum awardable marks will be applied to late work. For work submitted more than ten calendar days after the due date a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 1. Introduction/overview; 2. The ageing population and population health Lecture (2 hr)  
Week 02 1. Psycho-social aspects of ageing; 2. Self and identity Lecture (2 hr)  
Population ageing: what do we know about it? Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 03 Attitudes to ageing: implications for health service delivery Lecture (2 hr)  
Self and identity Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 04 The longevity revolution Online class (2 hr)  
Week 05 Healthy ageing Lecture (2 hr)  
Media representations of older people Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 06 Advocacy: promoting the well-being of older Australians Lecture (2 hr)  
Health promotion for older people Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 07 Social engagement and well-being Lecture (2 hr)  
Discussion of written assignment Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 08 Accommodation and care Lecture (2 hr)  
Age-friendly living environments Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 09 Ageing and technology Online class (2 hr)  
Week 10 Health literacy Lecture (1 hr)  
Online consultation for individual written assignment One-to-one tuition (1 hr)  
Week 11 Review, unit evaluation, exam details Lecture (2 hr)  
Week 12 Take home exam Independent study (1 hr)  

Attendance and class requirements

This unit will be delivered in a blended format of online and on campus delivery. Lectures will be delivered online via Zoom (Wednesday, 10am-12 noon) in Weeks 1, 6, 8, 10 and 11 and on campus in a workshop format in the scheduled lecture time in Weeks 2, 3, 5 and 7 for those able to attend and online for those unable to. An online assessment task will replace the scheduled lecture and tutorial in Weeks 4 and 9. The tutorials will be run on campus in Weeks 2, 3, 5 and 7 and online in Weeks 6, 8 and 10. There are no scheduled tutorials in Weeks 1, 11 and 12 and no lecture scheduled in Week 12 as students will complete a take-home exam.

Students are expected to attend all scheduled lectures either online via Zoom or on-campus; the content delivered each week is critical to your learning and to meet the learning objectives. Material discussed in the lectures or provided online is regarded as having been provided to all students in the unit.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

  • O’Loughlin, K., Browning, C. & Kendig. H. (eds). (2017). Ageing in Australia: Challenges and Opportunities. New York: Springer.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. understand the concept of healthy ageing
  • LO2. consider the life course perspective and other ways of viewing the ageing process
  • LO3. demonstrate appreciation towards using a multidisciplinary approach to ageing and the need for this to inform the provision and delivery of services
  • LO4. demonstrate increased knowledge of a range of ageing-related issues relevant to promoting and maintaining health and independence
  • LO5. demonstrate awareness of the policies and services available to meet the care and support needs of older people.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Adjustments required due to Covid-19 include changing one assessment task (in-class exam now a take-home exam) and delivering teaching materials in a blended format of online and limited on campus contact.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.