Keele Badge

ESC-30074 - Module Specification
School of Geography, Geology and the Environment
Faculty of Natural Sciences

For academic year: 2023/24 Last Updated: 13 February 2024

ESC-30074 - Frontiers in Volcanology
Coordinator: Ralf Gertisser Room: WSF32 Tel: +44 1782 7 33181
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 6
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 733615

Programme/Approved Electives for 2023/24

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

ESC-10070 (Minerals and Rocks)
ESC-20001 (Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology)
ESC-20094: Volcanoes and the Environment

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2023/24

Students will explore the "cutting-edge" research literature on volcanology, critically evaluating these articles in terms of their strengths, weaknesses and significance for both the discipline and society. This module will be based on a combination of practical classes and workshops covering computer aided literature searching, reviewing research manuscripts, web authoring techniques, and writing an article for a popular scientific magazine, as well as independent research. By the end of the module students will have further developed their research skills, have acquired in depth knowledge of volcanology topics at the forefront of the discipline, will have acquired the necessary skills to design and produce a web site to a professional standard and will have further developed their scientific communication skills.

Aims
The module aims to encourage students to explore and critically evaluate the "cutting-edge" research literature on volcanology in terms of its strengths and weaknesses as well as its significance for the discipline and society. The module also develops scientific communication skills.

Intended Learning Outcomes

extract, evaluate and synthesise information from the current research-based literature on specific topics in volcanology using computer-aided literature searching facilities: 2,3
communicate scientific information effectively: 2,3
author a set of self-contained Web pages to provide an overview of a contemporary topic in volcanology as well as critically evaluate the importance of the topic to both the discipline and society: 3

Study hours

- 7 x 3-hour practical classes.
- 1 x 3-hour oral presentation session
- 126 hours independent study

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Oral Presentation weighted 30%
Oral presentation on one specific paper in Volcanology at the forefront of the discipline.
Oral presentation of 10 minutes duration demonstrating understanding of a "cutting-edge" paper on a volcanology topic, including an evaluation of the article in terms of its strengths, weaknesses and significance for the discipline.

2: Short Paper weighted 35%
Article based on a detailed literature review on a specific volcanology topic
Carry out a detailed literature review on a specific volcanology topic and present the results from this exercise via an article written for a popular scientific magazine (length = 600-800 words).

3: Website weighted 35%
Web site based on a detailed literature review on a specific volcanology topic
Carry out a detailed literature review on a specific volcanology topic and present the results from this exercise via a web site. The module will include several practical classes covering web authoring techniques.

Please note that for the 2022/23 Academic Year programmes may be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there may be some changes made to how modules are delivered and assessed. The latest information will be provided to you by your School in module handbooks. We endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes and details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/student-terms-and-conditions/

Last Updated: 13 February 2024