Module Information
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Field Trip | 1 x 3 Hour Field Trip |
| Lecture | 19 x 2 Hour Lectures |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Exam | 2 Hours Seen Examination | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | Essay (2500 words) | 50% |
| Supplementary Exam | 2 Hours Seen Examination | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Essay (2500 words) | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Identify, describe, and assess contemporary debates in the field of political geography.
2. Critically interrogate a range of sources and texts of concern to the political geographer, ranging from academic texts to policy documents.
3. Demonstrate evidence of a depth of reading in political geography.
4. Articulate a written argument in essay form on the significance of academic research in a particular area of political geography.
5. Apply and evaluate political geography concepts in the context of examples and case studies drawn from independent study.
Brief description
This module provides second year students with a comprehensive grounding in the important subject area of political geography. Drawing explicitly on research conducted within and outwith the New Political Geographies research group, the module will introduce students to the key academic debates taking place within this subject area, as well as demonstrating their real-world applicability through the use of policy and other case studies.
Content
The first section, consisting of 8 x 2-hour lectures and two workshops are taught in Semester 1. The second section, taught in semester 2, will include 8 x 2-hour lectures and 2 x 2-hour workshops. The first part is assessed by an exam during the semester one exam period, and the second part by a 2,500-word essay. Note that the sequence in which the two parts can change depending on staff commitments, and there is no pedagogical reason why one should follow the other.
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | Not explicitly addressed in this module. |
| Communication | The module will develop students’ skills of written communication, both in writing their case study essay and in completing their written examination. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | The structure of the module has been geared towards providing students with regular feedback over the course of the academic year and this should provide students with the opportunity to improve their own learning and performance. |
| Information Technology | The exam, essay and independent study requires students to undertake independent research of case studies. The module will enable students to enhance their research skills and practise their IT skills when writing the essay. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | The module will help students to develop a range of transferable skills. The essay will test students’ ability to discuss the applied nature of political geography. |
| Problem solving | The module will develop students’ problem-solving skills in a number of ways. Students will be required to analyse a range of sources and texts, and complete small problem-solving exercises during the lectures. |
| Research skills | The exam, essay and independent study requires students to undertake independent research of case studies, which will require students to synthesize a range of academic and non-academic source material. |
| Subject Specific Skills | The essay will develop and test students’ ability to see how ideas and debates from political geography can be applied to empirical case studies. |
| Team work | The lectures will include class-based problem-solving exercises and discussions which will provide opportunities for students to develop team-working skills and discuss their thoughts with the class. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 5