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Unit of study_

HSBH3016: Individual and Societal Ageing

Semester 2, 2023 [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

Unit code HSBH3016
Academic unit Participation Sciences
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
None
Prerequisites
? 
HSBH1003 or HSBH1013
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

No

Teaching staff

Coordinator Lee-Fay Low, lee-fay.low@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Lee-Fay Low, lee-fay.low@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Participation Tutorial attendance
Tutorial participation
10% Multiple weeks Ongoing
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Case study
Case study and reflection
15% Week 05
Due date: 01 Sep 2023 at 23:59
750 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2
Assignment Service and policy scoping report
Brief report
15% Week 06
Due date: 08 Sep 2023 at 23:59
750 words
Outcomes assessed: LO4 LO5
Presentation Practice or policy improvement brief
Individual presentation
20% Week 10
Due date: 11 Oct 2023 at 23:59
10 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Practice or policy improvement brief
Written report
40% Week 12
Due date: 29 Oct 2023 at 23:59
1500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5

Assessment summary

  • Tutorials: Attend/participate in scheduled tutorials
  • Case study: Interview an older person, describe their experiences of ageing and identify factors that impact on their health and quality of life
  • Service and policy scoping report: Identify and comment on 3-5 services and policies of relevance to the health of the older person in your case study.
  • Practice or policy improvement brief  – presentation: Identify an issue relevant to older people in your local area or in your potential future workplace, and make recommendations on how policies and/or practices could be changed to improve outcomes for older people. Outline this in a 10 minute presentation. Issues might include but are not limited to representation in media including health promotion, age discrimination, age-friendly environments, social engagement and inclusion, technology.
  • Practice or policy improvement brief – written report. Present your issue and recommendations in a report written for the audience (e.g. council, allied health practice, hospital, not-for-profit orgnisation, government department) you want to persuade to help you implement your recommendations.

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 sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

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.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

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 Unit overview; population ageing Workshop (2 hr) LO1 LO2
Week 02 Experiences of ageing & ageism Workshop (2 hr) LO2 LO4 LO5
Reframing ageing Tutorial (1 hr) LO2 LO4
Week 03 Psychosocial aspects of ageing Workshop (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4
Exploring data, services and policies relating to ageing Tutorial (1 hr) LO2 LO4
Week 04 Healthy ageing Workshop (2 hr) LO1 LO2
Influences on quality of life Tutorial (1 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 05 Services for older people Workshop (2 hr) LO3 LO5
Personal perspectives on ageing Tutorial (1 hr) LO5
Week 06 Advocacy: promoting the well-being of older Australians Workshop (2 hr) LO3 LO4
Interdisciplinary perspectives on ageing Tutorial (1 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 07 Indigenous Ageing Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2
Indigenous Ageing Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO5
Week 08 Built environment, ageing and dementia Workshop (2 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5
Age-friendly environments Tutorial (1 hr) LO3 LO4
Week 09 Telehealth and older people Workshop (2 hr) LO3 LO4
Technology and older people Tutorial (1 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 10 Practice or policy improvement brief presentations Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 11 Review, unit evaluation Workshop (2 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 12 Drop in consultation - written brief One-to-one tuition (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5

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.

Minor changes to workshops and marking rubrics in response to student feedback

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.