2020/21 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue
NUFF5665M Master of Public Health International: Project
45 creditsClass Size: 30
Module manager: Ricky Kalliecharan
Email: r.kalliecharan@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: 1 May to 30 Jun (14mth) View Timetable
Year running 2020/21
This module is not approved as an Elective
Module summary
This module provides students with an opportunity to building on theoretical learning on research methods by designing, conducting and reporting on a research project. This project will be focused on a topical public health or health systems issue. Student will become familiar with international public health/health systems research priorities, research methodology, research ethics, health & safety risk assessment, development of evidence-based implementation plans, oral presentations and academic writing.Objectives
This module aims to provide students on the 18 month variant of the Masters of Public Health International programme to gain independent experience of designing, conducting and reporting on a project in health systems and/or a public health. Projects can be based on primary data collection or action research (development of an evidence based intervention).Students will be encouraged to conduct their fieldwork at their place of work and/or country of origin, on a public health/health systems issue relevant to the organisation. Students may choose to go to another country (with approval of the programme/module leader) to do their fieldwork if they can locate a suitable host organisation. The choice of countries that you can go to for your project is dependent on travel advice from the FCO https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, even if this maybe your country of origin.
This experience will also strengthen the student's interpersonal, planning and organisational skills, independent working and initiative.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this module students will be able to:
- Develop and present a feasible and ethical research (including action research) protocol to investigate a topic relevant to public health or health systems strengthening;
- Use their research protocol to plan and conduct safe fieldwork to collect data, working effectively with stakeholders in a developing health system;
- Demonstrate appropriate analysis of these data, and present the findings clearly and concisely;
- Discuss the implications of these findings, including developing recommendations for improving public health/health systems practice and policy or developing evidence-based plans for intervention; and
- Clearly document all of the above in a structured report, according to guidelines provided.
Skills outcomes
Research skills including:
- Identifying public health and/or health systems research priorities;
- Setting research objectives;
- Defining and applying research ethics;
- Conducting risk assessment for field work;
- Qualitative and/or quantitative data collection and analysis;
- Develop evidence-based implement plans; and
- Academic writing
Syllabus
The module objectives will be delivered and met through a combination of teaching, tutorials, student presentations, supervision to support the study design and implementation, and a written dissertation.
- The development of a research (including action research) protocol will be built on the learning from the previous compulsory module - Health Systems Research Methods (NUFF 5710M).
- Teaching (4 class-based sessions): Choosing your topic and host; Research ethics; Health & safety risk assessment; Writing-up (academic writing).
- Tutorials (3 class-based; 1 remote): Examples of public health/health systems research - methods and challenges; NVIVO (SPSS is provided in Health Systems Research Methods - NUFF 5710M); Practice presentations for protocols; and Keeping in touch - webcast.
- Students will be assessed on their research protocol to meet the requirements for the School of Medicine research ethics approval.
- Each students will meet with their supervisor to discuss the UoL requirements for risk assessment before the student can start data collection.
- Each student will have 6 meetings (in-person and/or remotely - via blackboard collaborate or skype) with their supervisor to discuss issues related to data collection, analysis and writing-up. Supervisors also read draft chapters of the report.
Teaching methods
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
| On-line Learning | 1 | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| On-line Learning | 10 | 1.00 | 10.00 |
| Supervision | 6 | 1.00 | 6.00 |
| Meetings | 2 | 0.25 | 0.50 |
| Group learning | 1 | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Lecture | 4 | 3.00 | 12.00 |
| Tutorial | 2 | 3.00 | 6.00 |
| Independent online learning hours | 3.00 | ||
| Private study hours | 407.50 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 39.50 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 450.00 | ||
Private study
Private study- Pre- and post-session reading, as recommended by the academic staff
- Preparing for fieldwork including liaising with the host for fieldwork
-Fieldwork (115 hours)
- Preparation of the assessments, ethics form and the risk assessment form
- Data analysis and writing-up
Independent online learning
- An on-line formative MCQ test on research ethics
Opportunities for Formative Feedback
Student progress is monitored through a number of processes including:- Proposed research topics are approved by the module leader early in the module.
- Students receive individual feedback on the quality of the research protocol from peers and an academic in the presentation of their protocols.
- Students obtain feedback on their research ethics from the relevant University research ethics committee.
- Students receive individual feedback (prior to fieldwork starting) on the health and safety issues of their fieldwork using the University's fieldwork risk assessment procedure.
- The project supervisor has responsibility to monitor the progress of the student's schedule of activities during the module and to read draft chapters of the report. Students and supervisors agree written minutes of each supervision meeting.
- The module leader also monitors student progress though a webcast and module blog while students are on fieldwork.
Opportunities for formative feedback include:
- Feedback from the module leader on the choice of topic and host
- Feedback from peers and an academic on the research protocol
- Feedback from ethics panel and field work activity organiser on research ethics
- Feedback from supervisor on health and safety risk assessment
- Feedback from supervisor on progress of field work and analysis and writing up from supervision meetings
- Feedback from module leader through module blogs
Methods of assessment
Coursework
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
| Report | 10,000 word project report | 85.00 |
| Oral Presentation | Presentation of research protocol | 15.00 |
| ------------------------- | Ethics approval - SoM approved form (pass/fail) | 0.00 |
| ------------------------- | Risk assessment approval - SoM approved form (pass/fail) | 0.00 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100.00 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Reading list
The reading list is available from the Library websiteLast updated: 23/04/2021 16:27:54
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