Programme/Approved Electives for 2020/21
None
Available as a Free Standing Elective
No
This module will give you the opportunity to drive real change towards a more sustainable future, working with a partner organisation. Projects may help partners to tackle the climate emergency, or may be targeted at another area of sustainabilty challenge presented by the partner organisations. You will work as a group to address the challenge posed by the partner organistion, bringing together your expertise with learning on the theory of sustainability and tools of sustainability analysis and driving change. Partner organisations will vary each year and may include a range of local stakeholders from councils, businesses, community groups, education providers, as well as Keele University itself. The module may provide the opportunity to complete an accredited carbon literacy course.In your groups you will carry out a sustainability analysis of the problem, and plan and carry out a programme of work over the course of the module. The programme of work will vary depending on the partner requirements, but may include an action-orientated project (for example designing and implementing an environmental awareness campaign) to a more research-orientated project (for example carrying out a carbon footprint analysis). You will present your programme of work in a formatively assessed presentation to gain feedback from your peers and partner organisation in order to inform a final report that you will prepare, that will be available to your partner organisation.
Aims
This module aims to provide students with the opportunity to tackle a live sustainability-focused project working with an internal or external partner, with the aim of contributing to real positive change or real research usable to the partner.Students will work in groups to i) develop a project plan and programme of work (action or research), working in partnership with their partner organisation; ii) conduct the programme of work; iii) present this to the partners in the form of a presentation (for formative feedback) and report.
Intended Learning Outcomes
work as a team member to contribute to the team process and products and reflect on their own contributions to the project and the project outcomes: 1,2,3plan and execute an achievable programme of work (either action or research based), based on partner requirements: 1,2present the results of the work effectively to a partner audience through a presentation and report: 2apply learning about sustainability tools and enacting change to a real project: 1,2
20 hours workshops/support sessionsIndependent research = 60 hoursGroup preparation of programme of work = 20 hoursPresentation preparation = 10 hoursReport (or equivalent) preparation = 30 hoursIndividual reflection = 10 hours
Description of Module Assessment
1: Research Proposal weighted 20%Research/action proposalThis is a group assessment (approx. 5 students per group). The assessment comprises a proposed project plan (equivalent of 1000 words) for a project to be undertaken within the duration of the module. The plan will include a clear outline of the aims to be achieved; an evaluation of the proposed sustainability benefits; a rationale for the focus; and a detailed outline of the different stages to be completed and related timescales and different areas of team responsibility. Marks will be awarded for the piece of work and will be the same for each group member.
2: Group Project weighted 60%Group project disseminationThis is a group assessment (approx. 5 students per group) with one report (or equivalent) submitted per group. Groups will prepare a formatively assessed presentation to be presented to their partner organisation. Feedback from this presentation will be used to prepare a summatively assessed 2500 word final report (or equivalent) that will be made available to the project partners. The report (or equivalent) will cover the aims, rationale, what they carried out/found out. The majority of the mark will be awarded for the piece of work, with modification to take into account 10% of the group mark based on a peer-derived mark for group performance.
3: Reflective Diary weighted 20%Reflective diaryThis is an individual assessment of approximately 1000 words. Students carry out a reflection on the project that they have carried out. They will reflect on their learning, their learning styles, as well as a reflection on what has been achieved, its relevance to a sustainable future, and the limitations of the work achieved. This diary should take approx. 10 hours to prepare.