ESC-10039 - Fundamentals of Physical Geography

Coordinator: Peter G Knight Room: WSF30 Tel: +44 1782 7 34304

Lecture Time: See Timetable...

Level: Level 4

Credits: 15

Study Hours: 150

School Office: 01782 733615

Programme/Approved Electives for 2020/21

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None.

Barred Combinations

None.

Description for 2020/21

Covering topics such as climate change, landscapes, ecosystems, sea level, glaciers and coastal environments, this module offers a self-contained introduction to physical geography for students from a variety of backgrounds (including students with no previous experience in the subject), and a foundation in the subject for those students who wish to pursue it to a higher level. The main learning outcomes for the successful student will be: knowledge and understanding of core material in Physical Geography; appreciation of the dynamic and research-based nature of the discipline; the ability to use geographical evidence to explain features of the physical environment.

Aims

The module aims to provide a self-contained introduction to physical geography for students from a variety of backgrounds, including those with no previous experience in the subject, and to provide a foundation in the subject for those students who wish to pursue it at a higher level.

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/esc-10039/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

define important terms and briefly explain important concepts in Physical Geography: 2
identify and describe major components of the Earth's physical-geographic systems, including patterns of variation in the global environment and connections between global systems and local landscapes: 1,2
combine different types of geographical evidence in order to explain phenomena of the physical environment in a written style appropriate to the discipline: 1,2
describe the dynamic, plural and contested nature of the discipline, and the contribution of research to the development of knowledge in Physical Geography: 1,2

Study hours

90 hours guided study (4.5 hours per lecture-equivalent resource)
25 hours independent research and essay preparation
25 hours preparation of patchwork text components
10 hours scheduled Q&A meeting points

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Essay weighted 50%
2,000 word essay
2,000 word essay, plus reference list, to be prepared in accordance with the Geography House Style on a title chosen from a list provided in the module handbook at the start of the module.

2: Reflective Analysis weighted 50%
Patchwork text with a summative reflective analysis of no more than 2,500 words.
In a patchwork assessment students compile exercises, reflections and other (formative) study activities through out the module, and present these as illustrations or evidence to support a (summative) guided reflective analysis at the end of the module. See Winter (2003) and Jones-Devitt et al (2016) for details. The summative report will have a suggested word count of 1500- 2000 words, with an absolute maximum of 2000. Students will be guided through the process throughout the module. Winter, R. (2003). Contextualising the patchwork text: addressing problems of coursework assessment in higher education. ¿Innovations in Education and Teaching International¿ Vol. 40, No.2, 112-122. Jones-Devitt, S., Lawton, M. and Mayne, W. (2016) ¿HEA Patchwork Assessment Practice Guide¿. 18pp. Higher Education Academy, York.

ESC-10039 - Module Specification School of Geography, Geology and the Environment Faculty of Natural Sciences

ESC-10039 - Module Specification
School of Geography, Geology and the Environment
Faculty of Natural Sciences