HLTH461-14S2 (C) Semester Two 2014

Special Topic

This occurrence is not offered in 2014

30 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 14 July 2014
End Date: Sunday, 16 November 2014
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 27 July 2014
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 12 October 2014

Description

Special Topic

Special Topic: Investigate Health

HLTH461 is a new special topic designed for students interested in learning more about embarking on a research study for their master’s thesis, investigating a health topic.  HLTH461 provides an opportunity to consider processes for student investigations of issues in health as defined by the World Health Organisation (1948, 2006): “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.  
Course content focuses on realistic and practical approaches for students who are considering undertaking research at the masters level and who have no previous experience in conducting research.  Post-graduate students have read many published research studies, and read descriptions of studies since they were undergraduates.  However, published research studies are more complex and sophisticated than student research, and published research may give students an unrealistic or even intimidating idea of the research process, including data analysis.

Learning Outcomes

The purpose of this course is to demystify the student research processes and to give students a practical introduction to what a master’s thesis is likely to involve.  Students will have the opportunity to read student theses, and to learn from students who have undertaken research.  This course will help students understand processes in selecting a topic, reading research about the topic to develop a research question, and practical processes in participant recruitment for student research. Kaupapa Māori processes and considerations will be discussed. In addition, we will look at the processes involved in the creation or selection of interview questions, questionnaires and/or checklists used to collect data and how initial analysis would be undertaken.  Students will also have an opportunity to learn about the practical aspects of the preparation of forms required for ethical approval in student research.  University guidelines for thesis work will also be considered.  At the conclusion of the course, students will have an understanding of the processes that would be involved in embarking on master’s thesis work of their own.

Prerequisites

Subject to approval of the Director, Health Sciences Centre

Timetable Note

HLTH 461 is a block course.  
9:00-4pm, 15 -18 July (Tu-Fr),
9:00-4:00, 14-15 August (Thur-Fri)
9:00-4:00,  18-19 September (Thur-Fri)

Course Coordinator

Kathleen Liberty

Lecturer

Arindam Basu

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage 
Description of Existing Thesis 30 Jul 2014 30%
Application of Meta-Analysis to the Refinement of a Research Question 09 Sep 2014 30%
Research Concept Plan 17 Oct 2014 40%

Textbooks / Resources

Required readings will be available on LEARN http://www.learn.canterbury.ac.nz/ or sourced by students from the UC Library databases. Students will be required to access and download PDF files of journal articles from UC Library.

Additional Course Outline Information

Assessment and grading system

Grade    GPA      Marks

A+           9         90 – 100
A             8         85 – 89
A-            7         80 – 84
B+           6         75 – 79
B             5         70 – 74
B-            4         65 – 69
C+           3         60 – 64
C             2         55 – 59
C-            1         50 – 54
D             0         40 – 49
E            -1          0 – 39

A Pass is 50 marks or over

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,891.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

Minimum enrolments

This course will not be offered if fewer than 4 people apply to enrol.

For further information see School of Health Sciences .

All HLTH461 Occurrences

  • HLTH461-14S2 (C) Semester Two 2014 - Not Offered