Module Information

Module Identifier
EA20110
Module Title
Environmental Management
Academic Year
2017/2018
Co-ordinator
Dr Ryan Wilson
Semester
Semester 2
Other Staff
 

Course Delivery

Delivery Type Delivery length / details
Seminar 1 x 4 Hour Seminar
Lecture 8 x 2 Hour Lectures
 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Assessment 1 x 2000 word environmental project report  1 x 2000 word environmental management project report (project report will be prepared as groups; but each student will be responsible for writing a separate chapter). Individual marks for project report will be based 50% on the team report as a whole, and 50% based on the individuals contribution to that report.  50%
Semester Assessment 1 x team project pitch to include a video presentation  1 x project pitch to include the presentation of an A0 poster and a two-minute video presentation at the end of module conference. Weighting for individual components: poster (50%), video presentation (30%), project pitch (20%)  50%
Supplementary Assessment Supplmentary assessment 1 - report  In the case of non-participation in the group assignment for project 2, submission of an 1500 word individual report is required  Resubmission of failed coursework components if the aggregate mark is a fail. Marks for passed components will be carried forward in the calculation of the re-sat module mark.  50%
Supplementary Assessment Supplmentary assessment 2 - project pitch  Resubmission of failed coursework components if the aggregate mark is a fail. Marks for passed components will be carried forward in the calculation of the re-sat module mark.  50%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

Appraise the limitations and constraints of environmental management solutions to address environmental problems

Evaluate the ways in which environmental systems are managed for specific purposes

Apply appropriate data analysis techniques to develop a solution to a particular environmental problem

Present and pitch ideas as a professional project proposal in a formal environment

Brief description

This module introduces the student to the extremely broad topic of environmental management from a variety of perspectives. Students will work in groups and focus upon investigating an actual environmental management problem (selected from a choice including, for example, projects that focus upon mapping flood risk and quantifying insured losses, or that calculate water or carbon footprints). In this capacity, students will get an opportunity to grapple with the details of a problem from a professional perspective. Project outlines and appropriate baseline data will be supplied for each project. Students will then apply appropriate data analysis techniques, including the application of numerical problem solving and use of Geographic Information Systems, to produce solutions to the environmental problem. Group work recreates a working environment similar to that experienced in environmental consultancy workplaces. Lectures will lay the theoretical foundation to help the student recognize the types of environmental issues and the range of management techniques used to address them. Workshop sessions are designed to deal with practical issues that the different project teams may be facing as they undertake their particular problem investigations.

Aims

The course aims to:
1 Demonstrate the challenges and benefits of effectively applying geographical and environmental principles to real environmental problems.

2 Evaluate the ways in which environmental systems are managed for specific purposes.

3 Develop numeracy and data analysis skills.

4 Develop effective team working skills through data analysis, report writing, and pitching ideas as a professional project presentation in a formal environment.

Content


Lecture 1: Introduction to environmental management, module structure, and projects. This lecture will include an examination of environmental management undertaken in contemporary applied practice, a summary of how the module is assessed through a combination of individual and group marks, and a summary of each assessment project (these projects will vary e.g. mapping flood risk and quantifying insured losses, or calculating water or carbon footprints).
Lecture 2: Teamworking, skills and projects. This lecture will outline each project in detail and will identify the skills that will be used and developed during each project. During this lecture, students will undertake a teamwork role test (e.g. BELBIN) to assist group formation and project selection. The lecture will also discuss the importance of developing effective teams to undertake project work.
Lecture 3: Project report workshop. During this workshop, students will work in groups to plan, and undertake, their project work. The lecturer will be available to provide technical guidance on methodology and to clarify questions associated with each project.
Lecture 4: Peer review of draft project reports. During this workshop, each group will review a draft project that has been produced by another group. This will assist each group in developing their project. The lecturer will be available to provide technical guidance on methodology and to clarify questions.
Lecture 5: Introduction to second assignment: the art of pitching. This lecture will introduce the second assignment (video presentation and project pitch). To support knowledge development and group research, further information on contemporary academic and applied practice will be examined for each project.
Lecture 6: Video production. This lecture will focus upon demonstrating the technical skills that are necessary to produce a high quality video (part of the second assessment).
Lecture 7: Transferable skills and the workplace. This lecture will guide students through a series of exercises to identify: (i) the skills that they have learnt and developed; (ii) which skills they are strong and weak at, and which need improvement; (iii) what aspects of project work they like; and (iv) how they can apply new and old skills in a CV to get the job they want.
Lecture 8: Conference preparation workshop. During this workshop students will work in groups to plan, and undertake, their project work. The lecturer will be available to provide technical guidance and to clarify questions.
Lecture 9: End of module conference. Each group will present their video and deliver their project pitch to the module lecturers and the rest of the module cohort. This will simulate an environment similar to that encountered in industry when tendering for business.

Module Skills

Skills Type Skills details
Application of Number Projects will involve the application of numerical problems, including statistical analysis. Students working in groups proposing detailed economic or environmental analyses may choose to include a stronger numerical component.
Communication Verbal: Students (working in teams) will have to give a short presentation of a poster in an end-of-module conference to persuade their peers of their proposed environmental management project. Students will also have to communicate effectively within their groups for the projects to be successful. Project reports will convey their findings in written form.
Improving own Learning and Performance Not formally assessed but opportunities for improving own learning and performance are provided through self-reflection in lectures and through feedback on assessments.
Information Technology Students will need to apply word processing and spreadsheet software. Members of each team will engage with video editing software. Teams may optionally choose to use more specialised software packages to address their particular environmental management problem (e.g. ArcGIS).
Personal Development and Career planning Students will gain increased confidence in applying geographical and environmental science skills and theory to real problems, based on actual places with actual data. Students will get an opportunity to approach the same environmental management problems from a variety of perspectives (e.g. public sector vs. private sector, consultancy vs. regulator). This may help illustrate some of the challenges and short-omings as well as the rewards of each perspective. Students may be forced to work with individuals they may not agree with but will be expected to conduct themselves professionally regardless.
Problem solving Students will be given actual 'real-world' environmental management problems and be expected to develop solutions based on the actual constraints and logistics for their respective projects. The team-projects will be role-playing exercises in which professional-level expectations will be placed on the students. However, when mistakes are made the students will have the luxury of learning from those mistakes without major consequences a real situation (e.g. loss of life, loss of job, loss of money, loss of credibility).
Research skills Undertaken during independent reading and research as well as interaction with groups.
Subject Specific Skills Students will be provided with first-hand experience in addressing environmental management problems. The same forms, report formats and tools used by agencies, consultancies and researchers will be used by the students. The students will develop a familiarity with the regulatory and project implementation process that can make them highly competitive in today’s job market.
Team work Environmental management problems in the real world are too large to be addressed by any single individual. Similarly, in this module students will be required to work as part of a team to come up with solutions to the assigned management problems. Each student will participate in a team to undertake assignments for this module. Individual marks for assignments will be based 50% on the team as a whole, and 50% based on the individual’s contribution.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 5