| Unit name | Study and Field Skills in a Coastal Location |
|---|---|
| Unit code | GEOG20022 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Ros Death |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
All core units in Y1 BSc Geography |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
GEOG20011 Research Methods in Physical Geography and Oceans in a Changing World |
| Units you may not take alongside this one | |
| School/department | School of Geographical Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Why is this unit important?
The coastal boundary between terrestrial and marine realms is key to our understanding of how anthropogenic pressures are impacting our oceans. This unit provides an opportunity to explore the processes operating in this dynamic environment, building on the skills that you have learnt in Research Methods in Physical Geography. The unit is designed to encourage creative exploration of challenges facing coastal environments with increasing human pressures through sea-level rise, intensifying aqua-culture and pollution from upstream processes. As the boundary between terrestrial and marine environments, coastal regions are fundamental to our understanding of how changes in land management will impact the oceans. The unit will provide students with the opportunity to design and conduct field work projects to explore these issues.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
The field trip unit will provide an opportunity for the students to observe some of the processes that they will have discussed in the Year 2 oceans unit and test hypotheses about how the ocean system work. The students will use techniques that they will have learnt in Research in Physical Methods as well as Spatial Modelling to conduct field and laboratory analysis. The experience of observing these processes in the field will be valuable in developing critical knowledge and assessment necessary for four Year 3 units: Ice and Oceans, Extreme climates of the past, Sea level, and Catchment science as well as their dissertation projects.
An overview of content
The field trip will be introduced to you through two one-hour lectures during TB2 that will outline the field trip unit aims, activities and logistics. The unit itself will be a five/six day unit that will have staff-guided as well as self-directed group projects. The first two days of the unit will comprise of staff-led project days which will introduce you to the location and to the research questions that can be addressed. An example of the types of exercises which can be carried out are coastal surveying, water quality sampling as well as benthic flora/fauna mapping to assess biodiversity. You will engage with a range of issues that are important to policy makers, including ocean acidification, (micro) plastics pollution, eutrophication and ocean warming and associated deoxygenation. Through field and laboratory analysis, you will develop an in-depth knowledge of the critical ocean processes and how climate change will impact this sensitive environment.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
The unit will give you an in-depth knowledge of the critical ocean processes and how climate change will impact this sensitive environment. You will gain confidence in designing and conducting research projects as well as developing your teamwork skills. The experience of being out in the field provides time for you to develop your understanding through testing different hypotheses.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to;
This unit will be delivered through activity-based exercises for the project days, where you will be guided in the exploration of the coastal processes operating in this environment. The independent research project will encourage you to be creative in designing a project that can be implemented in the time allowed. The focus will be in developing your confidence to use the knowledge that you have acquired throughout your unit so far to investigate a scientific question that is grounded in the literature. This unit will give you confidence and experience in the design and implementation of a research project which will help in your dissertation.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
The field trip unit is delivered and assessed in the week of the field trip and is all summative.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
The unit will be assessed over the duration of the field trip. The first two project days will be led by staff and assessed through group presentations and poster sessions which will account for 30% (15% for each day). The final assignment will be the student-led group research project and individual write up, which will account for the remaining 70% (20% group dataset, 50 % individual analysis). The report is submitted at the end of the field trip.
When assessment does not go to plan
For students who are unable to attend the field trip or complete the assignment an alternative assessment involving secondary datasets will be set which allows the students to achieve the intended learning outcomes. This will be a substantive piece of written work that critically interrogates the methodologies used in the field to investigate coastal processes.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. GEOG20022).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
