Admission and Unit Information - Bachelor of Health Science (Personal Development, Health and Physical Education)

This unit deals with foundational concepts and factors relating to population health in our society. Issues that determine both social and environmental aspects of disease, health and wellbeing will be examined. Contemporary problems impacting on states of health will be explored, including current day trends in communicable and non-communicable disease.

This unit gives a basic understanding of the human body and introduces the scientific and medical terminology used for anatomy, physiology and biochemistry. It deals with gross structure and microscopic structure of the human body. It also examines microbial organisms, their classification, how they differ from eukaryotic cells and how our body defends against them. Where appropriate, examples of functional diseases will be discussed.

This unit is designed to provide fundamental basic science and sport and exercise science content, with the intent to prepare the students for the more advanced scientific applications to the study and research of the sport and exercise sciences. Students will be exposed to computer software applications to aid data processing used in the sport and exercise sciences, with special applications to fields such as biomechanics, exercise physiology, motor learning, skill acquisition and sport psychology. In addition, students will be exposed at the introductory level to principles of cycle ergometry, treadmill exercise, and resistance training.

This unit introduces skills for studying and working in health science. Students will gain an understanding of the interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary nature of health science practice in the 21st century, and how this interacts with the specialty health professions, client and community expectations of health care and employment opportunities in health science. Students will learn foundation competencies that will underpin their academic development and their safe, responsible and ethical practice in health science service environments.

Students will learn about the variety of outdoor recreational pursuits available to individuals, whether in a school-based or community setting. Through active participation and guided instruction, students will also learn how to supervise specific forms of outdoor recreation. Lecture content will reinforce learning and skill development through the study of the development, administration and delivery of school-based and community public recreation programs, as well as study the role of recreation within Australia.

This unit examines the scientific basis for movement and sports skill development. An understanding of the principles of movement and motor skill and how they apply to performance is examined through a range of movement tasks required for track and field athletics and some team sports. Laboratory activities will focus upon the basic movement tasks of throwing, jumping, balancing, striking, running and rotary activities. An examination of the instruments used in efficient movement analysis is undertaken.

This unit provides an introduction to the psychology of health and behaviour as relevant to the health sciences. Students will be introduced to the principles and applications of psychology and health behaviour using a developmental framework. This will be followed by an examination of the psychological aspects of injury and illness and an introduction to psychological interventions for health concerns. Emphasis is upon to understanding health status and behaviour in light of relevant theory and research.

Communication is integral to professional relationships, whether working individually with a client, educating community members on health matters, or working with other professionals as part of a multidisciplinary team. This unit aims to develop communication skills in preparation for work within the health professions across these areas. Communication skills will include those needed to form therapeutic relationships with individual clients and groups, as well as those required to communicate health information to clients, groups and the wider community. Students will develop skills to establish appropriate working relationships with professional colleagues.

Health promotion is a process that seeks to enable individuals, carers, communities and populations to increase control over their health by addressing the determinants of health and equity issues, resulting in improved health outcomes. Theoretical underpinnings of the various approaches to health promotion are explored, enhancing and limiting factors analysed and the levels of health promoting actions demonstrated, including the bigger picture approaches of working with policy, environmental and engineering solutions. Health promotion competencies are developed including conducting a needs and stakeholder analysis, also planning and evaluating an intervention. The best practice, evidence base for health promotion is outlined and the need to move beyond education.

Sport and Exercise Psychology is a topic of particular relevance to those working in the sport, health and fitness, and performance industry. The field of Sport and Exercise Psychology is primarily concerned with the study of the psychological factors which impact on the adoption of physical activity, the maintenance of physical activity, and the quality of sporting performance. This unit examines pertinent theory, research, and application in the field of Sport and Exercise Psychology.

This unit introduces skills for understanding and engaging effectively with the culturally and socially diverse world in which we live and work. Indigenous Australia is a major theme and students will gain an appreciation of the achievements and needs of Indigenous Australians. The unit examines cultural awareness more broadly and puts these issues in the context of health professionals working in multi-cultural settings and handling culturally different health philosophies and practices. Cultural diversity is increasingly recognised as a major issue in the delivery of health care and a major determinant of Indigenous health.

Australian society is currently facing critical challenges in the areas of health & wellbeing, mental health, and nutrition. This unit examines the interdependence between these areas, and how personal and socio-cultural health issues can be addressed in a pro-active, holistic and sensitive manner.

This unit focuses on the principles of coaching (young) children and adolescence in a variety of Striking/Fielding sports using a games sense through understanding approach. It builds on theories and practical aspects of game sense presented in Invasion Games 1 and 2. In particular it addresses issues of diversity and difference, and inclusion in sport and recreation activities. The organisation of the Disability Education Program (DEP) and the catering for diverse groups with special needs is addressed through a games sense approach. As well as addressing a range of traditional sports (Baseball, Cricket, Softball) the unit gives students the opportunity to design game sense approach programs for a range of alternate activities catering for diverse groups (Blind cricket, Table cricket, Boccia, Lifeball, Sitting volleyball, Goal ball, wheelchair basketball). Students will implement a coaching/teaching program in a local school. Students will be required to complete the DEP training program and gain a number of Level 0 coaching certificates in both traditional sports and modified sports. Some of these aspects (e.g. Project/coaching clinic hours for AFL/ARU) may occur outside of time tabled class lectures and tutorials. There is an additional costs ($35 approximately) associated with this unit for the DEP program. This is facilitated by an external service provider from the NSW Department of Education and Training and NSW Department of Sport and Recreation.

This unit will consider the reasons and roles of evidence-based practice and research, and introduce students to their language and core concepts. Skills will be developed for asking clinical or professional healthcare questions and to translate these into search strategies for finding evidence. To make sense of that evidence, students will be introduced to quantitative and qualitative research methods, types of data, how data is described and how biostatistics is used to provide meaning to research data.

Whereas health is commonly understood in terms of objective signs and symptoms (or their absence), wellbeing emphasizes subjective experience in the context of social and environmental factors that may support or impede a personal sense of wellbeing. This unit approaches wellbeing through a self-investigatory and reflective model that seeks to integrate systemic analysis of the individual, social, emotional, environmental and spiritual aspects of health and wellbeing in a personally meaningful way. Consideration of how issues of social justice and equity have differential impacts on both individuals and communities, and develop frameworks for taking personal and social action to enhance wellbeing.

This unit examines the growing importance of the study of ethics and sports. Such study not only includes the increasing incidence of the abuse of nutritional and pharmacological ergogenic aids, but also address local and global socio-economic and cultural issues such as the inequalities in opportunity for sport participation and excellence, professional athlete challenges to the Olympic movement, age appropriateness of youth talent identification and specialized training, etc.

The unit explores contemporary health issues which relate to young peoples health and wellbeing through a range of topics and issues that construct young peoples lives. Students will examine the nature of young peoples lives and the biological, psychosocial, sociological, and political environments that significantly impact and influence young peoples lives and health. The nature, extent and social determinants of risk taking will be explored in light of the tasks of adolescence. The unit will further equip students with the skills to seek out appropriate support networks and agencies within the community, and to put into place processes that will assist young people to better deal with these health issues.

Students will be instructed on how to teach swimming, diving, water aerobics, canoeing, kayaking, rowing, snorkelling and SCUBA diving to individuals of different ages. Students will also train in swimming to improve stroke mechanics and fitness in order to pass the Bronze Medallion Lifesaving certification. Students will also be exposed to each of the aforementioned aquatic activities in order to develop moderate to high competencies to aid their abilities to teach each activity in a school or community recreation setting.

Students will actively engage in a variety of dance styles and gymnastics movement experiences to develop their own composition and skill competencies and examine the elements of movement and composition that underpin these forms of physical activity. Development of student ability to plan and implement quality-learning experiences that will enhance enjoyment of these forms of physical activities will be an integral component of this subject.

This unit presents the functional anatomy, exercise physiology, physical fitness, biomechanics, motor development and exercise training content required to function as competent personal trainers and/or sports coaches. Students will also complete laboratory exercises designed to train and provide experience in key aspects of personal training and coaching, including assessments of different components of physical fitness in laboratory and field settings, skill analyses from biomechanical and motor development perspectives, resistance training experience and coaching, and quantifying skill in sports and athletics.