Forum Posts (20%)

You will need to access the specific requirements, dates, and resources published on the Moodle site (click on the appropriate link in the 'Assessment' box), however a general description is published here.

Every other week of the term, beginning in Week 1, you are required to participate in an online discussion that will relate to the previous two weeks' lecture content.A 'model' answer and other feedback will be posted by the teaching team once the period for student posts has closed. Posts after the close date will not receive any marks.

There is a word limit on each post of 500 words, excluding citations. Dot points are acceptable.

Past experience indicates a strong relationship between student participation (especially forum participation) and student success in this unit.

In this unit you will be graded on your constructive participation rather than solely on the accuracy of your answer (i.e. there is no one correct answer).

Note that 'constructive participation' is defined here as providing a reasoned rationale based on environmental science principles and supported by evidence (not just stating agreement or disagreement with an earlier post or the topic question), and means a post must include some new relevant information (not simply restating or paraphrasing the views expressed in earlier posts to the forum).

Note that the Week 1 forum is not graded but please contribute just the same. You should participate constructively and within the relevant timeframes in the remaining 5 forums to score full marks (i.e., at 4 marks per forum for a maximum 20% of total unit marks).

• 1 mark — A disorganized response marred by spelling and grammar mistakes that is otherwise reasonable;
• 2 marks — a well-organized and reasonable response with few errors in spelling and grammar;
• 3 marks — a well-organized and reasonable response with few errors in spelling and grammar and appropriate references; and
• 4 marks — a well-reasoned and well-organized response with few errors in spelling and grammar containing arguments supported with appropriate references.

Home Sustainability Audit (HSA, 20%)

You will need to access the specific requirements, dates, and resources published on Moodle (click on the appropriate link in the 'Assessment' box), however a general description is published here.

This assessment requires you to conduct a home sustainability audit (HSA) of your home and your activities (e.g., resource consumption, waste generation and disposal) over a weekend (April 1 and 2, 2017), and to use that data to put your ecological footprint into context. You will be able to perform the HSA irrespective of your location at the time - even if you are on a mine site, in college accommodation, etc. - this location will represent your 'home' at the time for the purposes of this activity. If you have questions about what constitutes a 'home', please email me.

This assessment activity involves three tasks, with each task requiring completion on a different date, as follows.

1. Undertake the home sustainability audit by recording the required data and answers to questions in worksheets and Excel spreadsheets downloaded from the Moodle site. The audit period for all students will be from 2359 hrs (11.59 pm) AEST Friday 31 March, 2017 through to 2359 hrs (11.59 pm) AEST Sunday 2 April, 2017.

2. Upload the completed worksheets and spreadsheets to the Moodle site by 2345 hrs (11.45 pm) AEST Wednesday 5 April, 2017. At the same time, download from the Moodle site the comparison audit results provided by the lecturer for the purposes of comparing with your audit results (Task 3 below).

3. Complete your HSA report as describe on Moodle, and upload your final report (comparisons, graphs/charts, and answers to the questions) by 2345 hrs (11.45 pm) AEST Tuesday 18 April, 2017. Uploading your final report completes the Home Sustainability Audit assessment task.

Please note that it is assumed you have basic word processing skills and chart construction using Microsoft Word and Excel, respectively. Short videos on these topics are available on the Environmental Science Gateway Moodle site.

Tasks 2 and 3 of this assessment (Task 2 and 3) will receive marks (Task 2: using criterion 1 below & Task 3: using criteria 2-4 below) that put together will provide you with a total mark (out of 20 possible marks) for the entire assessment activity.

Your work will be assessed according to the following four criteria (5 marks each):

1. Evidence of your ability to collect (i.e. Task 1), collate and present data accurately and in a manner interpreted easily by others;
2. Your demonstrated knowledge of scientific content related to issues of energy, water and waste as appropriate to our coverage in the course lectures, your ability to research the relevant topic areas in our textbook and elsewhere, and your answers to questions asked;
3. Your demonstrated ability to find information and evidence from your spreadsheets, documents and lecture notes, and elsewhere, and to apply this to higher-level questions provided to you (such as those questions asking for your 'educated opinion' as a trainee environmental scientist, etc.); and
4. Evidence of your ability to communicate scientifically and clearly using appropriate terminology, the quality of your writing and technical presentation skills, and the correct use of references, formatting of references and bibliography.

Online Oral Presentation at the 'Annual ENVR11011 Conference' (20%)

You will need to access the specific requirements, dates, advice and resources published on the Moodle site (click on the appropriate link in the 'Assessment' box).

Your task is to prepare a PowerPoint presentation on a topic of your choice (but within the requirements laid out on Moodle). This will be delivered online to a live audience of other ENVR11011 students and a member of the teaching team. You must also attend your presentation session (see below) and view all other presentations in your session.

There are three requirements:

1. Nominate your preferred presentation sessions (nominations open at end of Week 2 and close in Week 3);
2. Submit 3 to 4 completed PowerPoint slides by 2345 hrs (11.45 pm) AEST Thursday 4 May (Week 8); and
3. Attend the entirety of your nominated 'conference' session, including your own presentation, in Week 9.

The setting for this assessment activity is the 'Annual ENVR11011 online conference', a mock online environmental conference that will run over a series of days in Week 9. Like a 'real' conference, this conference will be divided into sessions, within which you and your fellow students will present. You will be able to nominate (via the Moodle site) which of the conference sessions you would like to present in. There will be weekday, evening, and weekend slots available. However, numbers permitted in each session will be limited so choose early to to get a session that best fits your schedule. Session nominations will be open from the end of Week 2 until Thursday, Week 3. The session you are in will be confirmed at the end of Week 3.

You will be required to attend your online session 15 minutes before the published start time, and to remain in attendance for the allocated time (maximum three hours). In order to present your work and participate in the conference, you will employ an online conferencing system known as Zoom (free). Details about how to access and use Zoom will be provided by Week 3.

You will only transmit your PowerPoint slides and audio during the presentation. This will minimise bandwidth to ensure students with poor internet connection are not disadvantaged.

Your online oral presentation will be assessed using the following criteria:

1. Have you accurately identified and explained the environmental problem/need for a modified approach (i.e., what is the problem?) (10 marks);
2. Have you identified and explained the scientific background of this environmental problem/need for a modified approach (i.e., the science of why it is a problem) (10 marks);
3. Have you described in layperson's terms the new 'approach' (10 marks);
4. Have you described, with evidence, how the implemented new 'approach' reduced or fixed the problem (10 marks);
5. Have you developed a high quality presentation including staying within prescribed constraints (10 marks); and
6. Have you handled questions ably and demonstrated knowledge and research of your topic area and the related scientific principles (10 marks).

Please note 'pretty' slides do not attract more marks, but clear presentations with simple text, good quality pictures or diagrams, and simple design, etc., are much more desirable!! Information to help you with this will be available on Moodle.

The criterion sheet/marking sheet to be used for this assessment will be available on Moodle by Week 3.

End-of-term Online test (summary assessment of content from ENVR11011) (40%)

This test may take up to 6 hours. Please plan accordingly.

You will need to access the specific requirements, dates, advice and resources published on Moodle (click on the appropriate link in the 'Assessment' box), however a general description is published here.

In Week 12, you will complete and submit an online test presented to you electronically via Moodle. The test consists of three scenario-style questions drawn randomly from a question bank and each worth 50 marks. The test will total 150 marks. Each question will comprise a number of parts that attempt to elicit critically reasoned and evidence-based answers from you based on information presented in the unit. Each of your answers should be no more than 800 words (excluding the questions and sub-questions). All questions as a whole and parts of questions will have the maximum number of marks achievable indicated. This test is 'open book', however, your answers must be your own and references or external sources must be cited appropriately.

The test will open to all students at 2345 hrs (11.45 pm) AEST Thursday, 1 June, 2017 and you will have a 48 hours from that time to complete and submit this assessment activity. You will be required to complete and submit your answers online (via Moodle) by 2345 hrs (11.45 pm) AEST Saturday, 3 June, 2017. You essentially have all day Friday and Saturday to peruse and complete the test, but please allocate at least 6 hours to complete this exam.

All parts of questions and each question as a whole will have the maximum number of marks achievable indicated. Each major point/scientifically accurate 'fact'/scientifically valid point in your reasoning or rationale (as relevant to the question) will accrue one mark. In this way, you will be marked on your demonstration of knowledge of unit content, and your ability to apply your knowledge to unfamiliar situations or problems, and you can accrue marks up to the maximum indicated for that part of a question. A guide to features of different quality answers (from 'Fail' to 'High Distinction') will be published on Moodle.

Please note that failure to submit responses or the entire test (for whatever reason) will be equivalent to not attempting that portion of the test. Also, any submissions (including updated versions) received (by any form of communication/transmission) after the 48-hour period for submissions has closed cannot be accepted and will be deemed 'failure to submit'.

Please note there is a minimum achievement level set for this assessment task, i.e., you must equal or exceed the set minimum achievement level for this assessment in order to be considered for a passing grade for the course overall (irrespective of your achievement level in other assessment activities).