School of Physical and Geographical Sciences  
 
 
ESC-40018 MGeoscience: Global Environmental Change  
Co-ordinator: Dr Katie Szkornik    Room: WSF28, Tel:33614  
Teaching Team:  
Lecture Time: See Timetable...  
Level: 4 Credits: 15 Study Hours: 150  
School Office:
 
 
 
Programme/Approved Electives for
None
Available as a Free Standing Elective
No
Prerequisites
Option module for all MGeoscience students who have been allowed to progress to the final year (i.e. year 4) of the course.
Barred Combinations
Not available to those students who have taken module ESC-30018 (Global Environmental Change).
Description

The Earth&©s environment has been constantly changing throughout the history of the planet, and continuing change will have a serious impact on human activity. However, our understanding of how the environment changes is incomplete, and thus our ability to predict and adapt to future change is limited. This module aims to examine the key issues and debates about global environmental change. In particular, it aims to highlight the relationships between global environmental change and the characteristics of the Earth's surface processes and landscapes, and to recognize the contested and limited nature of knowledge in this very dynamic subject.



Aims
To enable students to develop a systematic understanding and critical awareness of key issues and debates in Global Environmental Change that are at the forefront of the discipline. In particular, to enable students to appreciate the relationships between global environmental change and the characteristics of the Earth's surface processes and landscapes, and to recognize the contested and limited nature of knowledge in this very dynamic subject.
Intended Learning Outcomes
  • Ability to demonstrate a detailed knowledge of fundamental information about the causes, mechanisms and history of Global Environmental Change.
  • Ability to demonstrate a systematic knowledge and understanding of issues and debates concerning reconstruction of environmental change, based on knowledge and understanding of research at the forefront of the discipline.
  • Ability to demonstrate an appreciation of the relationships between global environmental change, its causes and consequences, and the characteristics of the Earth's surface processes and landscapes, and to make informed judgements about issues and debates in global environmental change.
  • Ability to develop and sustain well-informed arguements recognizing the contested and limited nature of knowledge in the discipline of global environmental change, presenting information and analysis of information in a clear and coherent form appropriate to the conventions and standards of scientific communication in Physical Geography and related disciplines.
Study hours
  • 20 hours lectures
  • 20 hours lecture preparation/guided reading
  • 50 hours coursework preparation (essay and poster/web site)
  • 60 hours independent study including web-based programme
Description of Module Assessment
001: Exercise weighted 10%
Short-answer test in-class or by VLE
002: Exercise weighted 10%
Short-answer test in-class or by VLE
003: Essay weighted 30%
1500 word essay plus visual summart in poster or web-based format
004: 2 Hour Unseen Exam weighted 50%
Two-hour unseen examination - choice of 2 questions out of 6
Version: (1.06B) Updated: 03/Mar/2013

This document is the definitive current source of information about this module and supersedes any other information.