Module manager: Karen Vinall-Collier
Email: k.a.Vinall@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
As per Dental Surgery Programme/ Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy Programme admissions requirements.
This module is not approved as a discovery module
In this first module of the Enquire theme, you will be introduced to the basic principles of population health. You will explore the foundations of psychology and sociology that allows us to understand how best to deliver health gain. Key enquiry skills will be introduced to equip you as you advance through this theme.
In this module students will learn the basic principles of population health, the foundations of psychology and sociology, and key enquiry skills. You will gain a holistic understanding of how health is influenced by both individual behaviour and social determinants. You will think to about issues in health using theoretical foundations. The combination of lectures, seminars, practical sessions, and assessments ensures that you gain both theoretical knowledge and practical experience. By the end of the module, you will have a deeper understanding of how health is shaped by individual behaviours and social structures, and how you can contribute to improving population health outcomes.
The module includes online and in-person lectures, seminars, and a World Café style event as well as some practical sessions in a computer cluster on campus. Lectures will provide key knowledge and theoretical underpinning for the module topic areas. Seminars and world café style events will allow students to engage in discussions to develop their understanding to apply theory to practice. The practical sessions in computer clusters are to support the search strategy and information retrieval work
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Describe the basic principles of population health, social trends and patterns of health including psychological and social factors that affect health throughout the lifecourse.
2. Describe evidence-based prevention at a community / population level including the role of health promotion in the prevention of oral diseases.
3. Demonstrate the skills to undertake a search strategy and retrieve information that addresses an area of oral health promotion or disease prevention.
4. Discuss the health care needs of different communities and how dental professionals can engage with and support them.
Demonstrate inter-personal skills by communicating and reflecting on interactions with a range of groups:
AS1 - reflection
SK8 - relationship development
- Introduction to principles of the Population Health approach
- Definitions of health, Determinants of health and inequalities in health
- Demographic and social trends in oral health
- Health promotion and Approaches to prevention
- Evidence-based prevention at a community / population level
- Sustainable healthcare
- Development of a search strategy
- Engaging with different communities
- Reflecting on how dental professionals can support communities
- Psychology and sociology applied to dentistry
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Lecture | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| Practical | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Seminar | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Seminar | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Private study hours | 175 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 25 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
All pass/ fail elements in the module must be passed to pass the module overall.
Coursework:
Students will also receive group feedback following the world café style event, which will be from both staff and attendees from the day. Students will be given feedback following their written assessment in a structured format to ensure key aspects of the assignment have been addressed.
Written Assessment:
A formative examination at the end of Semester 1 will combine content from all modules in Year 1. This will allow students to experience a formal University environment with a low-stakes outcome. Students will experience the range of question types across Year 1 modules and receive feedback on performance. The aim is to prepare students for the assessment at the end of Semester 2.
Students will receive pre-populated structured feedback following their formative written assessment (single best answer style questions) to support them in their knowledge-based learning and guide them to identify gaps in their knowledge base within the module.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Community Engagement Written Assessment 1500 words (Pass/Fail) | 0 |
| In-course Assessment | FORMATIVE: Formative written assessment (single best answer style questions) with pre-written feedback (2 hour) | 0 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 0 | |
Community Engagement Written Assessment This assessment will follow the world café style event where students will engage with dental professionals who work closely with different communities (e.g. homeless people, vulnerable populations, older people) to learn from their experiences. The assessment will be in a structured format to explore the health care needs of different communities and how dental professionals can engage with and support them. Formative Assessment in Year 1 is a combined 2-hour examination with content from all Year 1 modules. This will be scheduled as one examination. The allocated time for each of the 4 Year 1 modules will be proportionate to the module credit size.
| Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc) | 1.0 Hrs 0 Mins | 0 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 0 | |
In-person closed book, time limited examination - Pass/Fail
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
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