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Course Description and Learning Outcomes

Course Description

The course examines the basic concepts of health and disease in populations. Methods used in descriptive and analytic epidemiological studies, including the design, analysis and interpretation of results for observational studies and field trials are presented.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course you should be able to:

Describe the application of epidemiology to disease control, outbreak investigation, health research, and current public health, animal health, and One Health issues;

Identify, define, calculate, and interpret common measures of association (risk difference, attributable risk exposed, population attributable risk, relative risk, odds ratios) and measures of disease frequency (prevalence, risks, rates) used in epidemiological research, and cite their strengths and limitations;

Describe how to select appropriately sized samples from populations for surveys and observational studies;

Discuss disease causation, statistical associations, and causal inference, and rank common study designs by their ability to establish causality;

Discuss the use of screening tests, identify the criteria used to evaluate tests, and explain epidemiological sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and agreement, including methods for calculating these measures;

Discuss the design, methodology, and strengths and limitations of each of the common observational and experimental study types in epidemiology;

Identify and discuss the potential effects of common biases observed in epidemiological research, including various selection biases, misclassification, and confounding; and

Explain the concepts of incubation and latent periods; state transition models, effective, and basic reproductive numbers; and give examples of strategies to reduce the latter for disease control.

About Your Facilitators

Your Course Instructors

Matthew Little

Matthew Little is a PhD candidate in the collaborative International Development and Population Medicine program and holds a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship. His research focuses on the epidemiology of nutrition-related illness. His PhD project examines the prevalence and risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes and iron-deficiency anaemia in a rural region of Tamil Nadu, India. He is particularly interested in the role of food security, food environments, and nutrition in propagating rising rates of non-communicable illnesses in rural and low-resource settings. Matthew’s work has recently shifted to include an emphasis on the impacts of climate change on food security, and is a co-applicant on a CIHR Team Grant for research in Peru, Uganda, and northern Canada. Matthew’s research has brought him to several regions of the world, including Bolivia, Guatemala, Uganda, and of course, India, where he lived for two years.

Dr. Cathy Bauman

Dr. Cathy Bauman is a veterinary epidemiologist here at Guelph with over 20 years experience in veterinary medicine and human/animal public health. Her desire to become an epidemiologist was inspired by a family member who was involved in the small pox eradication program. She lives on a farm northwest of Guelph with her husband, 3 children, and too many animals. She has a special interest in zoonotic diseases of cattle, sheep and goats, test evaluations and clinical trials.

Your Graduate Teaching Assistants

Saranya Nair

Saranya Nair completed her undergraduate degree in Life Sciences at McMaster University followed by a Masters degree in Population Medicine (Epidemiology) at the University of Guelph. She is currently doing her PhD in Population Medicine (Epidemiology) under the supervision of Dr. Robert Friendship. Saranya's research interests include prevention and control of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance.

Jessica Reimann

Jessica Reimann is a PhD student and a recent Masters of Science graduate in Epidemiology, through the Department of Population Medicine, at the University of Guelph. Her interest in epidemiology and public health was piqued during her travels through Europe, where she recognized the importance of health on a global scale. Jessica completed her masters project, which focused on analgesic use by Ontario veterinarians, working with Dr. Cate Dewey.

Emma Louth

Emma Louth is a PhD Candidate in Biomedical Sciences researching the effects of fetal alcohol exposure on the brain. She completed my undergraduate degree here at Guelph and took this course in her third year and is very excited to be a teaching assistant for it now. Outside of my research, she is very involved in the Graduate Teaching Community and the Guelph campus Co-op.

Laura-Jane Weber

Laura-Jane Weber is a second-year PhD student in a collaborative Population Medicine and International Development Studies program. She conducts participatory research with an Inuit community in Nunavut, with a focus on remote maternity care and obstetric and neonatal health outcomes. LJ enjoyed the POPM*3240 course during her U of G undergraduate degree in Bio-Medical Science - so much so that she assumed a TA position for this course in the W16 semester, and is excited to be a TA yet again this Fall.

Method of Learning

Throughout the course, we will expose you to the basic and fundamental concepts of Epidemiology through the use of current and historic examples in public and animal health. This course will enable you to understand how we assess and understand the frequency, distribution, and determinants of health and disease in populations.

Course Structure

This course will use a modular approach, whereby you will be exposed to, and learn, the course content on a weekly basis through course units. These units will scaffold your learning by presenting the content in a stepwise approach, where subsequent units expand on the material previously learned.

This course consists of nine units:

Unit 01: Foundations in Health & Disease Transmission Unit 02: Bias & Causation Unit 03: Screening & Diagnostic Testing

Unit 04: Measures of Association & Disease Frequency Unit 05: Sampling Unit 06: Observational Study Design Unit 07: Intervention Studies Unit 08: Surveillance & Outbreak Investigations Unit 09: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Epidemiology

What to Expect for Each Unit

Each unit is made up of a number of activities and will use a number of tools to teach/communicate, including text, diagrams/charts, pictures/visuals, video, social media (i.e., Twitter), textbook readings, PDF articles, discussion forums, and audio clips. The typical structure of each unit will comprise several parts, including:

Pre-Unit Reflection: A high-level question requiring a reflective statement/response to demonstrate thinking.

Unit Introduction: A video introducing the unit, followed by a description of the intended learning outcomes.

Unit Content: You will be assigned a variety of articles and sections from the textbook to read. In addition, there will be instructor’s notes provided to guide you through the readings. The readings and notes will be supplemented by short videos to help reinforce concepts introduced throughout the unit.

Hands-on activities: Active exploration and development of numeracy skills that relate to the intended outcomes. Mini-tutorials will be used to help students learn how to perform the various calculations for their assignments. Practice exercises will be given to help students develop their skills.

Practice questions will be posed throughout readings and activities. Unit Summary: A section reviewing the main ideas, key points, and

expectations of the unit. Post-Unit Reflection: You will be asked to answer the same question asked

in the pre-unit reflection. Your original answer will be provided for reference and to gauge changes in thinking.

Quiz: Once all previous material has been completed, a graded online quiz, comprised of five multiple-choice questions, will be made available.

Checklist: Each unit will end with a comprehensive list of crucial questions and activities in the unit to ensure that no important information or activity is left behind. Once you complete a unit, you are encouraged to use the checklist as a self-assessment tool to verify that you meet the expectations of the unit. The tool allows you to check the box to indicate that you completed the task or you know the answer to a question provided on the list.

NoteIt is strongly recommended that you follow the course schedule provided on the course website. The Schedule outlines what you should be working on during each week of the course and lists the

important due dates for your assignments. By following the schedule, you will be better prepared to complete your assignments and succeed in this course. You can access the course schedule by selecting the Schedule in the Navbar.

Ask Questions

In this course, you are expected to ask questions of your instructor and find solutions to content or course-related issues with which you are unfamiliar. If you encounter difficulties, the instructor is here to help you. You can post your questions in the Ask Your Professor Discussion. To access the discussion, select the Discussions link in the course Navbar on the course website. If you have a question concerning a personal matter, please send your instructor a private message. See the Problems, Questions, Comments section at the end of the Outline for instructor’s contact information.

We encourage you to ask questions of your fellow students in the Discussion section(s). We will also be making a Twitter account for this course, where you, TAs, and professors will engage in sharing information, news stories, and other media related to Epidemiology and the content discussed in the course.

Course Website

The course website acts as your classroom. There is a variety of course content, texts, graphics, videos, activities, and other relevant information provided within each unit. You will also find the links to required and suggested online resources throughout the course. It is recommended that you log in to your course website every day to check for announcements, access course materials, review weekly schedule and assignment requirements, participate in discussions, and take quizzes.

Learning Resources

Required Textbook

Title: EpidemiologyAuthor(s): Gordis, L.Edition / Year: 5th editionPublisher: Elsevier Saunders

You may purchase this textbook at the University of Guelph Bookstore or the Guelph Campus Co-op Bookstore.

eReserve

In this course, you will be required to read a few journal articles. These articles are accessible online through the eReserve link on the Navbar located on the course website. Note: You will need your Central Login ID and password in order to log in to the library website.

Consult the Schedule page for the breadth of reading assignment.

http://www.guelphcampus.coop/bookstore

http://www.guelphcampus.coop/bookstore

http://www.bookstore.uoguelph.ca/

Course Evaluation

The table below outlines the assignments that you are responsible for throughout the course. Select the Assignments link to review the details about each assignment listed in the course evaluation table.

Assessment Scheme

Assignment Weight

Quizzes (best 10 of 11) 20%

Headline Assignment 15%

Group Project Assignment 30%

Final Exam 35%

Total 100%

* Special arrangements are required by Open Learning to write an invigilated final exam off-campus, and students registered with SAS will follow the required procedures of the SAS exam office.

Note: For specific assignment and quiz due dates, see the Schedule link in the course Navbar.

Viewing Grades

Unofficial assignment marks will be available on the Grades page of the course website.

Re-Grading Policy

The following policy is in place for ALL requests for remarking of assignments (no exceptions):

A marking scheme will be made available in the Assignments section on the course website for all assignments. Consult the marking scheme provided and carefully review your answers and marks received.

All re-grade requests must be submitted through Dropbox on the course website. Students will have one week after the assignments are returned to the Dropbox to submit a re-grade request online.

If you believe an error was made, upload a scanned copy of your assignment and write a short and specific statement indicating why you think there is an error (i.e., you must clearly justify the re-grading) in the Comments box of the Dropbox submission page on the course website.

Note: The course instructor(s) will do re-grading; materials will be re-graded in entirety and all appropriate adjustments made.

Important Dates

Refer to Schedule on Courselink for a complete list of activities and due dates by week. Refer to Assignments on Courselink for specific instructions and weights of each assignment. Please remember the following important dates for all quizzes, assignments, and exams in this course:

Assignment Due Date / Time

Week 1 Quiz (Practice) Friday, September 16th / 11:59 PM EST

Week 2 Quiz Friday, September 23rd / 11:59 PM EST

Week 3 Quiz Friday, September 30th / 11:59 PM EST

Week 3 Headline Assignment (for assigned students)

Presentation: Monday, September 26th / 11:59 PM EST

Discussion Summary: Sunday, October 2nd / 11:59 PM EST

Week 4 Quiz Friday, October 7th / 11:59 PM EST


Presentation: Monday, October 3rd / 11:59 PM EST

Discussion Summary: Sunday, October 9th / 11:59 PM EST



Presentation: Monday, October 10th / 11:59 PM EST

Discussion Summary: Sunday, October 16th / 11:59 PM EST

Week 6 Quiz Friday, October 21st / 11:59 PM EST


Presentation: Monday, October 17th / 11:59 PM EST

Discussion Summary: Sunday, October 23rd


Self and Peer Evaluation for Headline Assignment (Everyone)

Friday, October 28th / 11:59 PM EST

Group Project Check-in #1 Wednesday, November 2 / 11:59 PM EST

Week 8 Quiz Friday, November 4th / 11:59 PM EST


Group Project Check-in #2 Wednesday, November 16th / 11:59 PM EST



Group Project Research Proposal Sunday, November 27th / 11:59 PM EST

Final Exam Wednesday, December 7th / 11:30 AM EST

How to Succeed in this Online Course

This is a fully online course that differs in a number of ways from your typical university courses. The online course supports the flexibility in accessing the content and managing your learning and communication with your instructor and course mates. You may do your work at any location and whenever you have the time. However, there are deadlines for assignments that you must meet. You need to keep pace with the course and submit your assignments or participate in online discussions on a schedule set by your instructor.

Where to Get Started with this Course

Your course website acts as your classroom. Start by navigating through all the course components to become comfortable with the organization of the course and familiar with the course expectations. If you are new to online learning or to this version of CourseLink go to Start Here (located in the Navbar) to get familiar with various content areas and tools of this site.

Then continue with the course Outline. You also need to visit the Schedule page where you will find a weekly timeline for the course along with due dates. On the Assignments page, you will find out about completing required elements for the course. The Units will provide you with content information, instructor's notes, and learning activities. The Resources section of the course website has useful general and course-specific information and links. The eReserve section provides you with an access to required readings. If you have any questions you can ask them in the Ask Your Professor discussion area.

Keys to Succeeding in this Course

To get the most from your learning experience and succeed in this course, you will be expected to do the following:

Log in to the course site every day to access all the necessary information and check for new course developments. If you feel lost in the online course environment, don't panic. Look for News postings (i.e., instructor's announcements) on your course home page that might give you information about how to proceed.

Spend approximately 9 to 12 hours per week to complete your work on the course. Remember when you take a regular course on campus you usually spend 3 hours a week in class and 6 to 9 hours a week outside of class on homework. All these hours you will need to spend online now.

Keep up with the unit, textbook, and other required readings on a weekly basis. Participate actively in unit discussions by posting messages and replying to the discussions on a

weekly basis. Because you are part of a community of learners in this course, a lot depends on your participation in course activities.

Make meaningful contributions to unit discussions and avoid last-minute participation. If you are required to provide comments to your peers' discussion contributions, you will be letting your peers down if you don't post your replies in a timely manner.

Use the instructions and criteria list in planning for your research paper assignments and review them before you submit your original work for marking. Sadly, high-quality work has lost marks simply because the stated instructions were not followed.

Complete all required assignments on time as specified on the Schedule. Be sure to check the technical requirements and make sure you have the proper computer, that you have a supported browser, and that you have reliable Internet access. Remember that technical difficulty is not an excuse not to turn in your assignment on time. Don't wait until the last minute, as you may get behind in your work. Check out the next section to see if you meet the minimum technical requirements for this course.

Ask questions of your instructor, TAs, and course mates in order to find solutions to issues with which you are unfamiliar.

Determine and implement effective time management skills for this course. Read carefully the course schedule to help you create a structure for participation and manage your workload in the course. Plan to set aside time each week to complete course readings, activities, and assignments. Visit the Schedule to chart out your workload and timelines for completion.

Work as hard as in your typical face-to-face course, or even harder. Assess and make modifications to your learning in order to become an independent learner, with guidance from your instructor. Be prepared for self-study and for monitoring and pacing your learning.

Make friends and have fun! Because everyone must post messages in the discussions, you can get to know your instructor, TA, and classmates sometimes even better than you do in your regular course. Keep in mind that the more you contribute to your online course, the more you will get out of it.

Optimize Your Learning with a Weekly Routine

As mentioned earlier, flexibility and self-regulation are inherent in online learning. They can also be major challenges if you tend to procrastinate or lack time-management skills. Therefore, you need to set aside uninterrupted time when you are at your best for studying and take responsibility for what you learn and what you do throughout the course. Try to make up a weekly time plan and learn to follow it. Schedule your study throughout the week so that you don't have to finish all assignments in one day (e.g., try to complete Task A by Thursday and Task B by Monday). An ideal combination would be 1 or 2 learning tasks per day.

You might consider the following as a weekly routine for your study:

1. Check for course updates from your instructor in the News located on the course home page.2. Review the Schedule for assignment due dates and other information.3. Consult the Assignments page for requirements.4. Work though the Unit section assigned for the week.5. You can bookmark where you are in the course when you leave so that you can return to that place

from the Bookmarks widget located on the course home page.6. Visit Discussions area and participate by asking questions, making comments, or offering support

to your course mates.

These are just a few tips that you might find helpful to succeed in this online course. Each of you has a different learning style and different preferences; apply those that fit your situation. Good luck with your course!

Undergraduate Policies and Resources

As a student of the University of Guelph, it is important for you to understand your rights and responsibilities and the academic rules and regulations that you must abide by.

If you are a registered University of Guelph Degree Student, consult the Undergraduate Calendar for the rules, regulations, curricula, programs and fees for current and previous academic years.

If you are an Open Learning Program Student, consult the Open Learning Program Calendar for information about University of Guelph administrative policies, procedures and services.

Email Communication

University of Guelph Degree Students

As per university regulations, all students are required to check their uoguelph.ca e-mail account regularly: e-mail is the official route of communication between the University and its students.

Open Learning Program Students

Check your email account (the account you provided upon registration) regularly for important communications, as this is the primary conduit by which the Open Learning and Educational Support will notify you of events, deadlines, announcements or any other official information.

When You Cannot Meet Course Requirements

When you find yourself unable to meet an in-course requirement due to illness or compassionate reasons, please advise your course instructor in writing, with your name, ID number and email contact.


Consult the Undergraduate Calendar for information on regulations and procedures for Academic Consideration.


Please refer to the Open Learning Program Calendar for information on regulations and procedures for requesting Academic Consideration.

Drop Date


The last date to drop one-semester courses, without academic penalty, is indicated in the Schedule section of this course website. See the Undergraduate Calendar for regulations and procedures for Dropping Courses.


Please refer to the Open Learning Program Calendar.

Copies of Assignments

Keep paper and/or other reliable back-up copies of all assignments: you may be asked to resubmit work at any time.

Accessibility

The University of Guelph is committed to creating a barrier-free environment. Providing services for students is a shared responsibility among students, faculty and administrators. This relationship is based on respect of individual rights, the dignity of the individual and the University community's shared commitment to an open and supportive learning environment.


Students requiring service or accommodation, whether due to an identified, ongoing disability or a short-term disability should contact the Student Accessibility Services as soon as possible.

For more information, contact SAS at 519-824-4120 ext. 56208 or email SAS or visit the SAS website.


If you are an Open Learning program student who requires academic accommodation, please contact the Academic Assistant to the Director. Please ensure that you contact us before the end of the first week of your course (every semester) in order to avoid any delays in support. Documentation from a health professional is required for all academic accommodations. Please note that all information provided will be held in confidence.

If you require textbooks produced in an alternate format (e.g., DAISY, Braille, large print or eText), please contact the Academic Assistant to the Director at least two months prior to the course start date. If contact is not made within the suggested time frame, support may be delayed. It is recommended that you refer to the course outline before beginning your course in order to determine the required readings.

The provision of academic accommodation is a shared responsibility between OpenEd and the student requesting accommodation. It is recognized that academic accommodations are intended to “level the playing field” for students with disabilities.

Academic Misconduct

The University of Guelph is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and it is the responsibility of all members of the University community – faculty, staff, and students – to be aware of what constitutes academic misconduct and to do as much as possible to prevent academic offences from occurring. University of Guelph students have the responsibility of abiding by the University's policy on academic misconduct regardless of their location of study; faculty, staff and students have the responsibility of supporting an environment that discourages misconduct. Students need to remain aware that instructors have access to and the right to use electronic and other means of detection.

Please note: Whether or not a student intended to commit academic misconduct is not relevant for a finding of guilt. Hurried or careless submission of assignments does not excuse students from responsibility for verifying the academic integrity of their work before submitting it. Students who are in any doubt as to whether an action on their part could be construed as an academic offence should consult with a faculty member or faculty advisor.

The Academic Misconduct Policy is detailed in the Undergraduate Calendar.

Acceptable Use

The University of Guelph has an Acceptable Use Policy, which you are expected to adhere to.

Copyright Notice

All content within this course is copyright protected. Third party copyrighted materials (such as book chapters and articles) have either been licensed for use in this course, or have been copied under an exception or limitation in Canadian Copyright law.

The fair dealing exemption in Canada's Copyright Act permits students to reproduce short excerpts from copyright-protected materials for purposes such as research, education, private study, criticism and review, with proper attribution. Any other copying, communicating, or distribution of any content provided in this course, except as permitted by law, may be an infringement of copyright if done without proper license or the consent of the copyright owner. Examples of infringing uses of copyrighted works would include uploading materials to a commercial third party web site, or making paper or electronic reproductions of all, or a substantial part, of works such as textbooks for commercial purposes.

Students who upload to CourseLink copyrighted materials such as book chapters, journal articles, or materials taken from the Internet, must ensure that they comply with Canadian Copyright law or with the terms of the University’s electronic resource licenses.

For more information about students’ rights and obligations with respect to copyrighted works, see Fair Dealing Guidance for Students.

Grades

The assignment of grades at the University of Guelph is based on clearly defined standards, which are published in the Undergraduate Calendar for the benefit of faculty and students.

Grading System

In courses, which comprise a part of the student's program, standings will be reported according to the following schedule of grades:

Letter Grade

Percentage

A+ 90-100A 85-89A- 80-84B+ 77-79B 73-76B- 70-72C+ 67-69C 64-66C- 60-62D+ 57-59D 53-56D- 50-52F 0-49

Rights and Responsibilities

For distance education (DE) courses, the course website is considered the classroom and the same protections, expectations, guidelines, and regulations used in face-to-face settings apply, plus other policies and considerations that come into play specifically because these courses are online.

Please consult the Open Learning and Educational Support website for more information on your rights and responsibilities when learning in the online environment.

Plagiarism Detection Software

Students should be aware that faculty have the right to use software to aid in the detection of plagiarism or copying and to examine students orally on submitted work. For students found guilty of academic misconduct, serious penalties, up to and including suspension or expulsion from the University can be imposed.

Recording of Materials

Presentations which are made in relation to course work—including lectures—cannot be recorded or copied without the permission of the presenter, whether the instructor, a

classmate or guest lecturer. Material recorded with permission is restricted to use for that course unless further permission is granted.

Religious Holidays

Should a student need to miss scheduled tests, mid-term examinations, final examinations, or requirements to attend classes and participate in laboratories for religious reasons, please advise the instructor within two weeks of the distribution of this course outline so that alternate arrangements can be made.

Problems, Questions, Comments

Course Instructors

Matthew Little

Dr. Cathy Bauman

Teaching Assistants (TAs)

Laura-Jane Weber

Jessica Reimann

Saranya Nair

Emma Louth

Note

All course correspondence should be directed to [email protected], which is monitored by the course instructors and graduate teaching assistants to ensure you receive the quickest and most accurate reply possible.

Online office hours will be held via Skype from 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM EST on Wednesdays. You will be responsible for emailing the course email address to organize a time slot within those hours. The course skype handle is 3240de.

mailto:[email protected]

Technical Support

If you have any questions regarding the technical requirements or access to the course website, please contact:

CourseLink Technical SupportUniversity of GuelphDay Hall, Room 211

Email: [email protected]: 519-824-4120 ext. 56939Toll-Free (CAN/USA): 1-866-275-1478

Walk-In hours (ET):Monday - Friday: 8:30am - 4:30pm

Phone/Email hours (ET):Monday - Friday: 8:30am - 8:30pmSaturday: 10:00am - 4:00pmSunday: 12:00pm - 6:00pm

General InquiresEmail: [email protected] Phone: (519) 824-4120 Ext. 55000Office: Johnston Hall, Room 160



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