UoPeople Online Syllabus Repository (OSR)

HS 1101 Introduction to Health Science

Prerequisites: None.

Course Description: 

Health Science is a broad field with numerous subdisciplines. Introduction to Health Science is a foundational course that provides students with a broad overview of the health sciences field, including its history, major concepts, and career opportunities. This course provides a basic introduction to biology, psychology, public health, and the social determinants of health. Students will explore career options in the health sciences as they learn about the field and the skills they will learn as they progress through the program.

Required Textbook and Materials: UoPeople courses use open educational resources (OER) and other materials specifically donated to the University with free permissions for educational use. Therefore, students are not required to purchase any textbooks or sign up for any websites that have a cost associated with them. The main required textbooks for this course are listed below, and can be readily accessed using the provided links. There may be additional required/recommended readings, supplemental materials, or other resources and websites necessary for lessons; these will be provided for you in the course's General Information and Forums area, and throughout the term via the weekly course Unit areas and the Learning Guides.

• This course does not contain a main textbook; resources to all required reading will be provided in the course Learning Guide for each week.

Software Requirements/Installation: No special requirements.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes:

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Define and describe the health science field.  
2. Identify the biopsychosocial determinants of health.  
3. Explore potential career outcomes in the health sciences.  
4. Explain the Health Science Program Learning Outcomes.  
5. Use credible resources for health science to create well-written arguments. 

Course Schedule and Topics: This course will cover the following topics in eight learning sessions, with one Unit per week. The Final Exam will take place during Week/Unit 9 (UoPeople time).

Week 1: Unit 1 - Introduction to Health Science

Week 2: Unit 2 - History and Current Trends in Health Science

Week 3: Unit 3 - Using Credible Resources for Health Science

Week 4: Unit 4 - Biopsychosocial Determinants of Health

Week 5: Unit 5 - Introduction to Biology in Health Sciences

Week 6: Unit 6 - Introduction to Psychology in Health Sciences

Week 7: Unit 7 - Introduction to Public Health in Health Sciences

Week 8: Unit 8 - Career Paths in Health Sciences

Week 9: Unit 9 - Course Review and Final Exam

Learning Guide: The following is an outline of how this course will be conducted, with suggested best practices for students.

Unit 1: Introduction to Health Science

• Introduce yourself in the course forum.
  
• Read through the Learning Guide and the Reading Assignment.
  
• Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum. 
  
• Respond to two of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum.
  
• Complete and submit the Assignment Activity.
  
• Take and submit the Self-Quiz.

Unit 2: History and Current Trends in Health Science

• Read the Learning Guide and the Reading Assignment.
  
• Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum. 
  
• Respond to two of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum.
  
• Take the Self-Quiz.

Unit 3: Using Credible Resources for Health Science

• Read through the Learning Guide and the Reading Assignment.
  
• Complete and submit the Assignment Activity.
  
• Take and submit the Self-Quiz.
  
• Take and submit the Graded Quiz.

Unit 4: Biopsychosocial Determinants of Health

• Read through the Learning Guide and the Reading Assignment.
  
• Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum. 
  
• Respond to two of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum.
  
• Complete and submit the Assignment Activity.
  
• Take and submit the Self-Quiz.

Unit 5: Introduction to Biology in Health Sciences

• Read through the Learning Guide and the Reading Assignment.
  
• Complete and submit the Assignment Activity.  
  
• Take and submit the Self-Quiz.

Unit 6: Introduction to Psychology in Health Sciences

• Read through the Learning Guide and the Reading Assignment.
  
• Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum. 
  
• Respond to two of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum.
  
• Take and submit the Self-Quiz.
  
• Take and submit the Graded Quiz.

 Unit 7: Introduction to Public Health in Health Sciences

• Read through the Learning Guide and the Reading Assignment.
  
• Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum. 
  
• Respond to two of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum.
  
• Take and submit the Self-Quiz.
  

• Read through the Learning Guide and the Reading Assignment.
  
• Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum. 
  
• Respond to two of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum.
  
• Take and submit the Self-Quiz.
  
• Read the Unit 9 Learning Guide carefully for instructions on the Final Exam.
  
• Take the Review Quiz.
  

Unit 9: Course Review and Final Exam

• Read the Learning Guide and take the Review Quiz, if you haven't already done so
• Prepare for, take, and submit the Final Exam
• The Final Exam will take place during the Thursday and Sunday of Week/Unit 9 (UoPeople time); exact dates, times, and other details will be provided accordingly by your instructor

Course Requirements:

Discussion Assignments & Response Posts/Ratings
Some units in this course require that you complete a Discussion Assignment. You are required to develop and post a substantive response to the Discussion Assignment in the Discussion Forum. A substantive response is one that fully answers the question that has been posted by the instructor. In addition, you must extend the discussion by responding to at least two (2) of your peers’ postings in the Discussion Forum. Discussion Forums are only active for each current and relevant learning week, so it is not possible to contribute to the forum once the learning week has come to an end. Failure to participate in the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum and responding to peers as required may result in failure of the course.

Assignment Activity

Assignment Activity is graded by your instructor. The grading rubric is listed under the assignment instructions. The grading rubric is a document that outlines the criteria that your instructor will use to grade your work.

Quizzes

This course will contain three types of quizzes – the Self-Quiz, the Graded Quiz, and the Review Quiz. These quizzes may contain multiple choice, true/false, or short answer questions. The results of the Self-Quiz will not count towards your final grade. However, it is highly recommended that you complete the Self-Quiz to ensure that you have adequately understood the course materials. Along with the Reading Assignments, the results of the Self-Quiz should be used as part of an iterative learning process, to thoroughly cover and test your understanding of course material. You should use the results of your Self-Quiz as a guide to go back and review relevant sections of the Reading Assignments. Likewise, the Review Quiz will not count towards your final grade, but should also be used to assist you in a comprehensive review and full understanding of all course material, in preparation for your Final Exam. Lastly, the results of the Graded Quiz will count towards your final grade. Specific instructions on the format and content of the Graded Quiz will be provided by your instructor.

Final Exam
The Final Exam will take place during the Thursday and Sunday of Week/Unit 9, following the completion of eight units of work. The format of the Final Exam is similar to that of the quizzes, and may contain a combination of different question types. You will have one attempt to take the exam, and it will be graded electronically. Specific instructions on how to prepare for and take the exam will be provided during Week/Unit 8.

Course Forum

The Course Forum is the place to raise issues and questions relating to the course. It is regularly monitored by the instructors, and is a good place to meet fellow students taking the same course. While it is not required to participate in the Course Forum, it is highly recommended.

Course Policies:

Grading Components and Weights
Each graded component of the course will contribute some percentage to the final grading scale, as indicated here:

This course will follow the standard 100-point grading scale defined by the University of the People, as indicated here:

Grade Appeal
If you believe that the final grade you received for a course is erroneous, unjust, or unfair, please contact your course instructor. This must be done within seven days of the posted final grade. For more information on this topic, please review the Grade Appeal Procedure in the University Catalog.

Participation
Non-participation is characterized by lack of any assignment submissions, inadequate contributions to the Discussion Forums, and/or lack of peer feedback to Discussion/Written Assignments. Also, please note the following important points about course participation:

• Assignments must be submitted on or before the specified deadline. A course timeline is provided in the course schedule, and the instructor will specify deadlines for each assignment.
• Any student showing non-participation for two weeks (consecutive or non-consecutive) is likely to automatically fail the course.
• Occasionally there may be a legitimate reason for submitting an assignment late. Most of the time, late assignments will not be accepted and there will be no make-up assignments.
• All students are obligated to inform their instructor in advance of any known absences which may result in their non-participation.

Academic Honesty and Integrity
When you submit any work that requires research and writing, it is essential to cite and reference all source material. Failure to properly acknowledge your sources is known as “plagiarism” – which is effectively passing off an individual’s words or ideas as your own. University of the People adheres to a strict policy of academic honesty and integrity. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in sanctions by the University, including dismissal from the University or course failure. For more information on this topic, please review the Academic Integrity Policy in the University Catalog.

Any materials cited in this course should be referenced using the style guidelines established by the American Psychological Association (APA). The APA format is widely used in colleges and universities across the world and is one of several styles and citation formats required for publication in professional and academic journals. Refer to the UoPeople APA Tutorials in the LRC for help with APA citations. For help with using library, kindly refer to UoPeople Library.

Code of Conduct
University of the People expects that students conduct themselves in a respectful, collaborative, and honest manner at all times. Harassment, threatening behavior, or deliberate embarrassment of others will not be permitted. Any conduct that interferes with the quality of the educational experience is not allowed and may result in disciplinary action, such as course failure, probation, suspension, or dismissal. For more information on this topic, please review the Code of Conduct Policy in the University Catalog.