Module Information
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | 4 x Forum Posts (200 words per post): Student will select their 4 best forum posts and submit these to be marked | 25% |
| Semester Assessment | Develop an integrated holding plan (2,000 words) | 45% |
| Semester Assessment | Presentation: Review the potential impact of specific innovations on smallholder agriculture. Presentation either as MP3 recording plus power point slides, or MP4 screen captured presentation using software such as screen-o-matic | 30% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Students must take elements of assessment equivalent to those that led to the failure of the module | 100% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Critically evaluate the contribution of smallholdings to agricultural production and society at local or global levels.
2. Demonstrate a fundamental understanding of the interaction between different components of smallholder systems.
3. Develop an integrated holding plan.
4. Analyse the relative limitations and merits of a variety of current and emerging technologies and practices within smallholder systems.
Brief description
This module will assess the role of small-scale producers in future food production and discuss how research into new sustainable technologies could help them and their communities prosper under conditions of global change. After an outline of smallholder agriculture around the world, the module focuses on new research to improve small scale food production. The module will be run over approximately 14 weeks.
Content
1. Smallholding communities around the world
2. Smallholders and society
3. Principles of business management for smallholders
4. Nutrient management and the environment
5. Water Management
6. Crop production
7. Livestock production
8. Low cost, low risk technologies
9. Renewable and biotechnologies for smallholders
Written Formative Assessments:
- Case report- smallholder agriculture in a chosen region (500 words)
- Forum posts: students will be encouraged to post at least once in each forum and to reply at least once to another student's post (200 words per post).
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | Students will be expected to incorporate financial components into their holding plan. |
| Communication | Students will be expected to be able to express themselves appropriately in their assignments. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | Detailed feedback will be given for assignment work which will also provide general guidance towards the student's next assignment. A formative assignment will be set early in the module to provide initial feedback and guidance prior to summative assignments. |
| Information Technology | Students will be required to source information from a variety of scientific publication data bases and to use Blackboard for all aspects of the module. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | This module will provide the students with the latest research into smallholder agriculture to help them provide the most up-to-date information/advice to their colleagues/clients in the agri-food industry. |
| Problem solving | Online forum posts will be used to help develop and improve students' problem solving skills, through use of questions that present theoretical problems for the students to solve. |
| Research skills | Students will be required to undergo directed self-study and so will develop their literature research skills. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Smallholder production techniques and systems. |
| Team work | Online assessments will require students to debate among themselves to develop a consensus of opinion. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 7