2019 NURBN1004 Fieldwork instructions
Students are required to engage in observation, research, reflection and analysis of where you currently live. This might be a small community, a town, or suburb of a large city. The Community Fieldwork Report will form the basis for all assessment tasks for this course and will be the repository for all information required for the fieldwork practicum.
Over the next twelve (12) weeks you are to demonstrate an understanding of the complex elements that contribute to health status within your chosen community. This will be achieved by gathering information about your community through fieldwork photography or what is called ‘Photovoice’. As part of this fieldwork process you will need to also gather and examine current available data to make sense of what you see, reflect on what you find, and finally as you reflect on what you have learned about yourself throughout the semester.
As part of the fieldwork, there are twelve (12) elements that need to be considered. These are grouped strategically so you are addressing four (4) elements every three weeks. EACH ELEMENT SHOUD ONLY BE ONE (1) PAGE IN LENGTH, NO LONGER.
You will notice that the template below has a coloured section at the top of the page and each fieldwork topic has one particular colour. E.g. green, orange, and so on. ALL element groups are to be completed within the 9 week period allocated.
During your fieldwork, you are to thoughtfully photograph what you are seeing in your community that relates to the elements of health (They have to be your OWN photographs that you have taken – Photographs must not be from the internet or taken from a car window). You will need to also make notes about your observations out ‘in the field’ and then search for statistical evidence, data, or information to understand what you have found. Although your notes will not need to be submitted as part of the assessment, they will need to be kept to help you make sense of what you are finding and how what you find may relate to the health of your chosen community. Your notes form part of your authenticity of the work, so keep them handy throughout the semester as you will need them. For example, they will be used in classroom or online discussions and may need to be presented at times throughout the semester.
Once you have taken your photograph, made your observations, and taken notes for each topic, you then need to:
1. Step back and interpret what all the information means and how it relates to the health for this population?
2. You need to ANSWER the reflective questions that are provided for each topic. The questions are based on the Gibbs Reflective Cycle using the SHOWeD principle to guide you to demonstrate your understanding and what you have learned from your data gathering and research on that particular community.
Photographs are to include a brief caption to provide meaning and understanding of what has been photographed. It is important to include the location and the date it was taken. NO photographs are to be taken directly of people.
Every 3 weeks (weeks 3, 6, and 9) you must submit a “progress report” – the report is just your Community Fieldwork Report up to that point.
As part of the progress report, you are to conduct a PEER Audit on three other student’s Community Fieldwork Report to make sure they have submitted all work correctly by the deadline. You have 72 hours (3 days) to conduct your peer audit. An instruction video will be provided online how to do this.
Submission requirements and deadlines:
Assessment 1
• Progress Report 1 Week 3 (20%) : The initial reflection AND first 4 elements of the Fieldwork workbook
Submission Due: Friday 16th August, 5pm
Peer Audit Due: Monday 19th August, 5pm
• Progress Report 2 Week 6 (20%): Elements 5-8 of the Fieldwork workbook
Submission Due: Friday 6th September, 5pm
Peer Audit Due: Monday 9th September, 5pm
• Progress Report 3 Week 9 (20%): Elements 9-12 of the Fieldwork workbook
Submission Due: Friday 11th October, 5pm
Peer Audit Due: Monday 14th October, 5pm
There are two parts to each progress report submission – 1) the submission and 2) the peer audit
Please note, lecturers will be reviewing all work undertaken, including peer audit marking to ensure accuracy and proper feedback has been provided. If you have not undertaken, or have provided a poor or careless peer audit (rushed, insensitive or incorrectly reviewed) then a 50% reduction in your own marks will occur. This will be at the discretion of the course coordinator, thus it is important that students undertake this peer audit seriously.
Assessment 2
• Final reflection Week 12 (40%): Submit the Final Community Fieldwork Report which will include the final reflection
Due Friday 1st November, 5pm