Outline

Overview

This unit introduces key concepts in health communication. Students will explore micro- and macro-level theories of health (behaviour) communication that inform the design and implementation of health communication campaigns, planned and unplanned effects of communication campaigns, and the evaluation of such campaigns. It aims to give students a critical and practical understanding of theory and research concerning the role of communication in health promotion efforts.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Media and Communications
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Olaf Werder, olaf.werder@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Tiffanny Junee, tiffanny.junee@sydney.edu.au
	Charlotte Launder, charlotte.launder@sydney.edu.au
	Ali Abbasi, ali.abbasi@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 March 2026

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Case studies	Communication Strategy Report Real-life case study report	30%	Formal exam period Due date: 08 Jun 2026 at 23:00	2250 Words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
In-person written or creative task	Group Strategy Q&A Assessment of live creative task	5%	Multiple weeks	250 words	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Group Strategy Presentation Presentation	10%	Multiple weeks	250 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
In-person written or creative task	Health Topic Research Report 2000-word essay	30%	Week 07 Due date: 17 Apr 2026 at 23:00	2 hours	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Case studies	Reflective Essay Long-answer essay	25%	Week 10 Due date: 09 May 2026 at 23:00	1250 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Health Issue Report	1000 words	20%
Communication Strategy Report	2000 words	30%
Communication Strategy Presentation	500 words	20%
Reflective Essay	2500 words	30%

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.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

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:

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

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

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.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to Health Communication	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 01	Introduction to Health Communication	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 02	Public Media and Health	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	Public Media and Health	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	Health Comm Theories	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 03	Health Comm Theories	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	Health Literacy/Educational Approaches	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 04	Health Literacy/Educational Approaches	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	Health Policy Approaches	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 05	Health Policy Approaches	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	Persuasion (Promotion/Social Marketing)	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 06	Persuasion (Promotion/Social Marketing)	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	In-class Health Topic Report	Assessment (2 hr)
Week 08	Evaluation of Interventions	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 08	Evaluation of Interventions	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	Case Studies 1 (Smoking, alcohol, drugs)	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 09	Case Studies 1 (Smoking, alcohol, drugs)	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	Case Studies 2 (Obesity, HIV/AIDS, Infectious diseases)	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 10	Case Studies 2 (Obesity, HIV/AIDS, Infectious diseases)	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 11	New directions in health communication	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 11	New directions in health communication	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	Communication Strategy Presentations	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 12	Communication Strategy Presentations	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	Communication Strategy Presentations	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 13	Communication Strategy Presentations	Tutorial (1 hr)

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 system available via Canvas.

Learning outcomes

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. Recognise the interplay of theories and assumptions on outcomes and effects
LO2. Learn about the dissemination of health-related content
LO3. Study and develop processes of communication that influence public health
LO4. Train thoughtful critique and engagement of others in issues debates

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
Learning outcomes

Alignment with Competency standards

Outcomes	Competency standards
	Public Health Dentistry - 1.a. recognising the personal limitations and scope of the specialty and knowing when to refer or seek advice appropriately 2.b. communicating effectively with patients, their families, relatives and carers in a manner that takes into account factors such as their age, intellectual development, social and cultural background 2.c. use of technological and telecommunication aids in planning and delivering specialist treatment 2.d. communicating effectively in all forms of health and legal reporting, and 2.e. interpreting and communicating knowledge, skills and ideas. 3.a. critically evaluating scientific research and literature, products and techniques to inform evidence-based specialist practice, and 3.b. synthesising complex information, problems, concepts and theories. 4.1.a. historical and contemporary literature 5.2.b. writing reports.
	Public Health Dentistry - 1.a. recognising the personal limitations and scope of the specialty and knowing when to refer or seek advice appropriately 1.b. practising with personal and professional integrity, honesty and trustworthiness 1.c. providing patient-centred care, including selecting and prioritising treatment options that are compassionate and respectful of patients’ best interests, dignity and choices and which seek to improve community oral health 1.d. understanding and applying the moral, cultural, ethical principles and legal responsibilities involved in the provision of specialist dental care to individual patients, to communities and populations 1.e. displaying appropriate professional behaviour and communication towards all members of the dental team and referring health practitioner/s 1.f. understanding and applying legislation including that related to record-keeping 1.g. demonstrating specialist professional growth and development through research and learning 1.h. supporting the professional development and education for all members of the dental and/or health community, and 1.i. demonstrating leadership in the profession. 2.b. communicating effectively with patients, their families, relatives and carers in a manner that takes into account factors such as their age, intellectual development, social and cultural background 2.c. use of technological and telecommunication aids in planning and delivering specialist treatment 2.d. communicating effectively in all forms of health and legal reporting, and 2.e. interpreting and communicating knowledge, skills and ideas. 3.a. critically evaluating scientific research and literature, products and techniques to inform evidence-based specialist practice, and 3.b. synthesising complex information, problems, concepts and theories. 4.1.a. historical and contemporary literature 5.2.b. writing reports.
	Public Health Dentistry - 1.a. recognising the personal limitations and scope of the specialty and knowing when to refer or seek advice appropriately 2.b. communicating effectively with patients, their families, relatives and carers in a manner that takes into account factors such as their age, intellectual development, social and cultural background 2.c. use of technological and telecommunication aids in planning and delivering specialist treatment 2.d. communicating effectively in all forms of health and legal reporting, and 2.e. interpreting and communicating knowledge, skills and ideas. 3.a. critically evaluating scientific research and literature, products and techniques to inform evidence-based specialist practice, and 3.b. synthesising complex information, problems, concepts and theories. 4.1.a. historical and contemporary literature 5.2.b. writing reports.
	Public Health Dentistry - 1.a. recognising the personal limitations and scope of the specialty and knowing when to refer or seek advice appropriately 1.i. demonstrating leadership in the profession. 2.b. communicating effectively with patients, their families, relatives and carers in a manner that takes into account factors such as their age, intellectual development, social and cultural background 2.c. use of technological and telecommunication aids in planning and delivering specialist treatment 2.d. communicating effectively in all forms of health and legal reporting, and 2.e. interpreting and communicating knowledge, skills and ideas. 3.a. critically evaluating scientific research and literature, products and techniques to inform evidence-based specialist practice, and 3.b. synthesising complex information, problems, concepts and theories. 4.1.a. historical and contemporary literature 5.2.b. writing reports.

Responding to student feedback

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

Hello everyone, Thank you for your feedback on the Unit of Study Survey (USS) for MECO6919. We appreciate everyone's feedback, but also realise that a response rate of 42% is not exactly include everyone's perception. We will reflect on the ratings and the comments you made, and, where applicable, will use them to make improvements in the unit next year. The unit was overall again quite well evaluated. However, there were a few things that I will try to improve following your comments: 1) There were some comments to be more specific with assignment descriptions and clearer on the rubrics. We had changed the assignment structure this year to comply with upcoming overall changes to unit assessments at USYD, and we recognise that there is more work to be done to have a well-scaffolded assignment structure. 2) The comment we get every term in about every unit is students' participation levels. I wish I had a simple solution to that (barring embarrassing someone by forcing them to speak, which, by the way, also created some comments on feeling anxious about that). We try to create an environment where everyone can feel at ease, but I realise a host of factors impact someones ongoing silence. We continue to strive to find an answer, though. 3) There were a few calls to refresh the lecture vignette component, as it is slowly becoming dated. It will be a task in the next few months before the next iteration of this unit comes in S1/26. Aside from that, I was satisfied that the unit was overall well-received and found your endorsement. In fact, almost all of you (between 85-93%) were overall satisfied with being engaged in the course and feeling appreciated when participating as the standout criteria. If you would like to give us any further feedback about the unit, we'll be happy to reflect on that as well. Please send an email to olaf.werder@sydney.edu.au.

Additional information

As per School policy, students must complete all assignments in the unit to obtain a grade and avoid an automatic Absent Fail (AF) mark
Contact your session teacher for course-specific questions (e.g., group issues), and contact the unit coordinator for larger issues (such as simple extensions, special considerations, seminar switches/course clashes).
Apply for extensions (where applicable) sufficiently ahead of the due date, not the day before or the day of (exceptions are emergencies). Note that there are no individual extensions for group efforts.
If you are unsure whether this unit is right for you (in case it is an elective), please make an appointment with the coordinator to discuss it, rather than enrolling or disenrolling within a week or two, which could disrupt class proceedings.
More information can be found on Canvas after enrolment

Dr. Werder Website

Disclaimer

Important: the University of Sydney regularly reviews units of study and reserves the right to change the units of study available annually. To stay up to date on available study options, including unit of study details and availability, refer to the relevant handbook.

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

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

MECO6919: Health Communication

Semester 1, 2026 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links