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Overview

Course Prescription

Our environment sustains our lives but at times threatens our health. These threats may occur naturally, or arise from damage we have inflicted on the environment. This course considers health impacts of climate change, pollution, lifestyle choices, poverty and affluence, workplace hazards, emerging infectious diseases, and dangers affecting cancer risk.

Course Overview

We survive in an environment of fluctuating physical conditions, potentially harmful chemicals, and disease-causing microbes. As a species, our activities and industries are also altering the environment and generating many untested and potentially harmful substances. In this course, we'll journey around the world, identifying different kinds of health hazards, the routes by which we may be exposed to them, and how they impact our bodies. We'll also explore the different ways of gathering evidence in the medical and health sciences and how this can be impacted by misinformation and disinformation.

Main Programme

Course Contacts

Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles (s.wiles@auckland.ac.nz) is the course director and Dr Ho Joon Lee (hj.lee@auckland.ac.nz) is the course coordinator. All enquiries should be directed to both A/P Wiles and Dr Lee.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect approximately 35 hours of lectures and interactive 'lectorials' involving in-class discussions, approximately 35 hours of reading and thinking about the content, and approximately 50 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation. 

The mid-semester test is held during lecture time. There is no final exam.

Locations and Semesters Offered

Scheduled

YearTermCampusStart Date
2026Semester TwoCity20-Jul-2026
2026Semester TwoCity20-Jul-2026

Other Attributes

Level 7 (Diploma, Bachelors Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma)

Teaching and Learning

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities to complete/receive credit for components of the course.

Lectures will be available as recordings, but attendance is encouraged. 

The course will not include live online events.

Attendance on campus is required for the test.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Additional Information on Learning Resources

Lecture notes may be provided by each lecturer in electronic form on Canvas. There is no textbook. For extra information students are encouraged to access the e-library system of e-journals and search engines (PubMed) that provide unlimited information on matters pertaining to health. Any readings required for assignments will be readily accessible online.

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license. You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

  • Honesty - in all aspects of research work
  • Accountability - in the conduct of research
  • Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
  • Good stewardship – on behalf of others
  • Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
  • Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.


Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO #OutcomeProgramme Capability Link
1
2
3
4
5
6

Assessments

Assessment TypeAssessment PercentageAssessment Classification

Additional Information on Assessment

There will be three assignments for this course and a mid-semester test. There is no final exam. Assignment 1 is worth 35% and involves students submitting a weekly reflective journal and final reflection which may be written, video, or audio. Assignment 2 is worth 15% and involves students creating a visual resource (for example, a brochure, poster, infographic, video, webpage, or storyboard) to illustrate the different kinds of studies used in the medical and health sciences to gather evidence. Assignment 3 is worth 35% and involves students identifying risks and proposing mitigations for a place with meaning to them. The mid-semester test is worth 15% and is a one hour test held during class time after the mid-semester break. The test will have three sections: health basics, information literacy, and hazard identification. All sections are compulsory. Health basics and information literacy sections test recall, while identifying hazards tests application of knowledge. 

Assessment to CLO Mapping

Assessment Type123456

Student Feedback, Support and Charter

Student Feedback

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Class representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor. Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

Wellbeing

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Student Academic Complaints and Disputes

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.