Why study Health and Human Development?

VCE Health and Human Development provides students with broad understandings of health and wellbeing that reach far beyond the individual. Students learn how important health and wellbeing is to themselves and to families, communities, nations and global society. Students explore the complex interplay of biological, sociocultural and environmental factors that support and improve health and wellbeing and those that put it at risk. The study provides opportunities for students to view health and wellbeing, and development, holistically – across the lifespan and the globe, and through a lens of social equity and justice.

VCE Health and Human Development is designed to foster health literacy. As individuals and as citizens, students develop their ability to navigate information, to recognise and enact supportive behaviours, and to evaluate healthcare initiatives and interventions. Students take this capacity with them as they leave school and apply their learning in positive and resilient ways through future changes and challenges. VCE Health and Human Development offers students a range of pathways including further formal study in areas such as health promotion, community health research and policy development, humanitarian aid work, allied health practices, education, and the health profession.

Structure

The study is made up of four units:

Unit 1: Understanding health and well-being

Unit 2: Managing health and development

Unit 3: Australia’s health in a globalised world

Unit 4: Health and human development in a global context

Each unit deals with specific content contained in areas of study and is designed to enable students to achieve a set of outcomes for that unit. Each outcome is described in terms of key knowledge and key skills.

Outcomes

Outcomes define what students will know and be able to do as a result of undertaking the study.

Outcomes include a summary statement and the key knowledge and skills that underpin them. Only the summary statements have been reproduced below and must be read in conjunction with the key knowledge and skills published in the study design.

Unit 1: Understanding health and Wellbeing

This unit looks at health and wellbeing as a concept with varied and evolving perspectives and definitions. It takes the view that health and wellbeing are subject to a wide range of contexts and interpretations, with different meanings for different people. As a foundation to the understanding of health, students should investigate the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition and also explore other interpretations. Wellbeing is a complex combination of all dimensions of health, characterised by an equilibrium in which the individual feels happy, healthy, capable and engaged. For the purposes of this study, students should consider wellbeing to be an implicit element of health.

In this unit students identify personal perspectives and priorities relating to health and wellbeing, and enquire into factors that influence health attitudes, beliefs and practices, including among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Students look at multiple dimensions of health and wellbeing, the complex interplay of influences on health and wellbeing and the indicators used to measure and evaluate health status. With a focus on youth, students consider their own health as individuals and as a cohort. They build health literacy through interpreting and using data, through investigating the role of food, and through extended inquiry into one youth health focus area.

Area of Study 1

Health perspectives and influences

Outcome 1
On completion of this unit the student should be able to explain multiple dimensions of health and wellbeing, explain indicators used to measure health status and analyse factors that contribute to variations in health status of youth.

Area of Study 2

Health and nutrition

Outcome 2
On completion of this unit the student should be able to apply nutrition knowledge and tools to the selection of food and the evaluation of nutrition information.

Area of Study 3

Youth health and wellbeing

Outcome 3
On completion of this unit the student should be able to interpret data to identify key areas for improving youth health and wellbeing, and plan for action by analysing one particular area in detail.

Unit 2: Managing health and development

This unit investigates transitions in health and wellbeing, and development, from lifespan and societal perspectives. Students look at changes and expectations that are part of the progression from youth to adulthood. This unit promotes the application of health literacy skills through an examination of adulthood as a time of increasing independence and responsibility, involving the establishment of long-term relationships, possible considerations of parenthood and management of health-related milestones and changes.

Students enquire into the Australian healthcare system and extend their capacity to access and analyse health information. They investigate the challenges and opportunities presented by digital media and health technologies, and consider issues surrounding the use of health data and access to quality health care.

Area of Study 1

Developmental transitions

Outcome 1
On completion of this unit the student should be able to explain developmental changes in the transition from youth to adulthood, analyse factors that contribute to healthy development during prenatal and early childhood stages of the lifespan and explain health and wellbeing as an intergenerational concept.

Area of Study 2

Health care in Australia

Outcome 2
On completion of this unit the student should be able to describe how to access Australia’s health system, explain how it promotes health and wellbeing in their local community, and analyse a range of issues associated with the use of new and emerging health procedures and technologies.

Unit 3: Australia’s health in a globalised world

This unit looks at health, wellbeing and illness as multidimensional, dynamic and subject to different interpretations and contexts. Students begin to explore health and wellbeing as a global concept and to take a broader approach to inquiry. As they consider the benefits of optimal health and wellbeing and its importance as an individual and a collective resource, their thinking extends to health as a universal right. Students look at the fundamental conditions required for health improvement, as stated by the World Health Organization (WHO). They use this knowledge as background to their analysis and evaluation of variations in the health status of Australians.

Area of Study 2 focuses on health promotion and improvements in population health over time. Students look at various public health approaches and the interdependence of different models as they research health improvements and evaluate successful programs. While the emphasis is on the Australian health system, the progression of change in public health approaches should be seen within a global context.

Area of Study 1

Understanding health and wellbeing

Outcome 1
On completion of this unit the student should be able to explain the complex, dynamic and global nature of health and wellbeing, interpret and apply Australia’s health status data and analyse variations in health status.

Area of Study 2

Promoting health and wellbeing

Outcome 2
On completion of this unit the student should be able to explain changes to public health approaches, analyse improvements in population health over time and evaluate health promotion strategies.

Unit 4: Health and human development in a global context

This unit examines health and wellbeing, and human development in a global context. Students use data to investigate health status and burden of disease in different countries, exploring factors that contribute to health inequalities between and within countries, including the physical, social and economic conditions in which people live. Students build their understanding of health in a global context through examining changes in burden of disease over time and studying the key concepts of sustainability and human development. They consider the health implications of increased globalisation and worldwide trends relating to climate change, digital technologies, world trade and the mass movement of people. Area of Study 2 looks at global action to improve health and wellbeing and human development, focusing on the United Nations’ (UN’s) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the work of the World Health Organization (WHO). Students also investigate the role of non-government organisations and Australia’s overseas aid program. Students evaluate the effectiveness of health initiatives and programs in a global context and reflect on their capacity to take action.

Area of Study 1

Health and wellbeing in a global context

Outcome 1
On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse similarities and differences in health status and burden of disease globally and the factors that contribute to differences in health and wellbeing.

Area of Study 2

Health and the Sustainable Development Goals

Outcome 2
On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse relationships between the SDGs and their role in the promotion of health and human development, and evaluate the effectiveness of global aid programs.

Assessment

Satisfactory Completion 

The award of satisfactory completion for a unit is based on a decision that the student has demonstrated achievement of the set of outcomes specified for the unit.

Levels of Achievement

Units 1 and 2 
Emmaus College students complete graded Assessment Tasks and Semester Examinations as part of the Assessment process for Units 1 and 2..

Units 3 and 4
The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority will supervise the assessment of all students undertaking Units 3 and 4. In the study of VCE Health and Human Development students’ level of achievement will be determined by School-assessed Coursework and an end-of-year examination.

Percentage contributions to the study score in VCE Health and Human Development are as follows:

Unit 3 School-assessed Coursework	25%
Unit 4 School-assessed Coursework	25%
End-of-year examination	50%