Overview
This unit describes the science behind environmental problems caused by human activities. Students will develop practical skills in the laboratory and the field that relate to environmental assessment. Students will integrate science knowledge and practical techniques to propose solutions to environmental problems. Topics covered are: energy and biomass flow in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems; water resources and pollution; land degradation; the soil environment; formation and degradation; evolution of agricultural systems.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2017
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Residential Schools
This unit has a Compulsory Residential School for distance mode students and the details are:
Click here to see your Residential School Timetable.
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Emails, Moodle evaluation
Some students were dissatisfied with aspects of the residential school and the associated assessment, specifically appropriateness and organisation of the activities the time available to write the technical report.
Those contentious aspects of the residential school will be improved where possible and made clearer, including methods resources and additional material published earlier, and the time to write the technical report will be extended. Terms and concepts to be covered during residential school also will be published before residential school. ALC assistance will be arranged to help students with Excel use. Learning outcomes and aims of the residential school task will be emphasised more in the approach to residential school, and resources provided for the report writing (e.g., detailed template) will be highlighted more.
Feedback from Moodle evaluation
Return of assessment too tardy.
Focus of 2016 on improved assessment marking and return will continue, and will be improved further where possible.
Feedback from Emails, Moodle evaluation
Numerous positive comments regarding the unit operation, components, and support mechanisms
These aspects will be maintained and improved where possible.
- Apply knowledge of scientific content to describe the basis of environmental science problems.
- Perform practical environmental field and laboratory assessments and report the results.
- Demonstrate research communication skills relevant to environmental issues.
- Analyse environmental problems and propose strategies to address the problems.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
1 - Group Discussion - 10% | ||||
2 - Presentation - 10% | ||||
3 - Practical and Written Assessment - 30% | ||||
4 - Examination - 50% |
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
1 - Communication | ||||
2 - Problem Solving | ||||
3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
4 - Information Literacy | ||||
5 - Team Work | ||||
6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
8 - Ethical practice | ||||
9 - Social Innovation | ||||
10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures |
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
1 - Group Discussion - 10% | ||||||||||
2 - Presentation - 10% | ||||||||||
3 - Practical and Written Assessment - 30% | ||||||||||
4 - Examination - 50% |
Textbooks
Environment: The Science Behind the Stories
Latest Edition (Latest Edition)
Authors: Withgott, J and Brennan, S
Benjamin Cummings
San Francisco San Francisco , CA , U.S.A.
Binding: Hardcover
Additional Textbook Information
This textbook is the same used for the unit ENVR11011 and is also referred to in the unit BIOL11101.
'Environment: the science behind the stories' latest edition (currently Withgott J & Laposata M (currently 5th (Global) ed.) Pearson
Students please note - the fourth edition of the textbook (Withgott J & Brennan S 2011 Benjamin Cummings) is acceptable also, however, the 4th (International) edition 2014 by Pearson is not preferable because it is missing a chapter (Ch 23 Minerals and mining).
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- A good brain willing to explore and learn!
- Recent (but not necessarily latest) versions of installed software including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; Adobe reader, Java or ability to download same and other software to enable Blackboard Collaborate sessions (available free via unit Moodle website).
- Recent computer/laptop with sufficient hard drive & memory size, plus adequate Internet access and connection reliability to facilitate significant uploads/downloads/ video streaming and sustained lengthy connections (e.g., for lecture downloads, real time oral presentations), with microphone and speakers (built-in or external) OR microphone+speaker headset (cheap '$20' set is suitable)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
b.heath@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Foundations I: environmental science and its application
Chapter
Textbook Chaps 1 & 2: 'Environmental systems and ecosystem ecology' & 'Earth's physical systems: matter, energy, and geology'.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Make at least one constructive post to this week's 'weekly assessable questions' online forum, and each week thereafter, post to that week's topic and review preceding weeks.
Module/Topic
Foundations II: ecosystems and communities
Chapter
Textbook Chaps 4 & 5: 'Species interactions and community ecology' & 'Environmental systems and ecosystem ecology'.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Foundations III: populations and communities
Chapter
Textbook Chap 3: 'Evolution, biodiversity, and population ecology'.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Foundations IV: impacts of disturbance
Chapter
Textbook Chaps 4 (part, see lecture) & 6 (part, see lecture): "Species interactions and community ecology' & 'Ethics, economics, and sustainable development' or 'Environmental ethics and economics: values and choices'.
Events and Submissions/Topic
ALL students must submit their completed PowerPoint slides, and nominated their preferred presentation session, no later than 2345 hrs (11.45 pm) AEST Wednesday 2 August 2017 (Week 4) in preparation for presenting online in a self-nominated session in Week 5.
Module/Topic
Application: soil management
Chapter
Textbook Chap 'Soil and agriculture' (soil sections).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Attend and deliver online presentation at nominated preferred session this week (Week 5).
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Application: agricultural land management 1
Chapter
Textbook Chap 'Soil and agriculture'.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Applications: agricultural land management 2
Chapter
Textbook Chap 'Agriculture, biotechnology, and the future of food'.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Application: aquatic and marine systems management
Chapter
Textbook Chaps 'Freshwater systems and resources' & 'Marine and coastal systems and resources'.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Application: native vegetation and forest management
Chapter
Textbook Chap 'Forests, forest management, and protected areas'.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Residential school/combined block practicum in Rockhampton: Mon 11 - Thurs 15 Sept 2017, inclusive (Week 9).
Module/Topic
Application: management for conservation
Chapter
Textbook Chap 'Biodiversity and conservation biology'.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Application: Indigenous land management
Chapter
Textbook Chap 6 'Ethics, economics and sustainable development' or 'Environmental ethics and economics: values and choices' (part, see lecture).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Technical reports from Rockhampton Residential school/combined block practicum due for submission 14 days after end of CBP i.e., 2345 hrs (11.45 pm) AEST Fri 29 Sept 2017 (Week 11).
Module/Topic
Holism of environmental science: putting it all together for the term
Chapter
Review textbook chapters.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Group Discussion
You will need to access the specific requirements, dates, and resources published on our unit Moodle site (click on the appropriate link in the 'Assessment' box there), however a general description is published here.
In each fortnight of term, beginning Week 1, you are invited to participate in an online discussion that will relate to each week of lecture content in the unit. Thefortnightly 'assessable questions' forum tasks and topics will differ each time - you might be invited to critique a media article for its scientific content, to provide some solutions to a mock environmental problem, or to explore and apply your environmental science knowledge and life experience to a current environmental issue. Other times you will be asked to respond to questions that allow you to demonstrate your knowledge of the unit content. Occasionally, you will be asked simply for your reasoned personal opinion.
Each new fortnightly forum will open only for one week. You are well advised to attempt your best answer since this assessment activity will provide learning opportunities, skills training, and good practice for the examination. Only 'constructive participation' will be rewarded.
A 'model answer' and other feedback will be posted for each forum assessed once the period for student posts has closed. Consequently, any student posts appearing after the 'model answer' cannot be counted towards a student's grade.
Past experience and research indicated a strong relationship between unit participation (especially forum participation) and student success.
Each new 'weekly assessable questions' forum opens for student posts at 0800 hrs (8 am) AEST on the Monday morning of the relevant week and closes the very next Monday morning at 0800 hrs (8 am) AEST (i.e., 7 days after that particular discussion opened).
Review/Exam Week Wednesday (11 Oct 2017)
Student posts will be read, feedback provided weekly, constructive participation assessed and marks awarded, collated and published in week 13 )Rev/exam week) at up to one mark per post for a maximum of 10 marks total.
In recognition of the range of new experiences that these forums will provide you, you will be assessed on your 'constructive participation' only.
'Constructive participation' is defined here as providing a reasoned rationale based on relevant environmental science principles (not just stating agreement or disagreement with an earlier post or the topic question) and means a post must include some new (to the discussion) relevant information (not simply restating or paraphrasing views expressed in earlier posts in the forum that week). Accordingly, this is the criterion by which a student's contribution to a forum will receive two marks or no marks.
Since the Week 1 forum is not graded (but please contribute just the same) you will have 5 forums in which to participate constructively and within the relevant timelines to score full participation marks (i.e., at 2 marks per forum for a maximum 10% of total unit marks).
Also, please note there is a minimum achievement level set for this assessment activity (i.e., you must equal or exceed this set minimum achievement level for you to be considered for a passing grade for this unit overall, irrespective of your achievement level in other assessment components in this unit).
- Apply knowledge of scientific content to describe the basis of environmental science problems.
- Analyse environmental problems and propose strategies to address the problems.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Ethical practice
2 Presentation
You will need to access the specific requirements, dates, advice and resources published on our unit Moodle site (click on the appropriate link in the 'Assessment' box), however a general description is published here.
Your broad task is to speak online to your PowerPoint presentation on a topic of your choice (but within the requirements prescribed on our unit Moodle site for this activity) delivered online in real time (i.e., live) to an audience of fellow students from ENVR11012 and a member of the teaching team, and to be a member of the audience whilst fellow students are presenting.
There are two requirements:
- Submission of your completed PowerPoint slides, and nomination of your preferred presentation session, by the prescribed date 2345 hrs (11.45 pm) AEST Wednesday 2 August (Week 4); and
- Attendance at your nominated preferred presentation session in the audience, and speaking to your PowerPoint presentation, in Week 5.
You will be able to nominate (online via our unit Moodle site) which of the available presentation sessions you would like to present in (there will be a range of them to try to accommodate your other commitments), however, numbers permitted in each session will be limited so choose early to avoid disappointment. You will be required to be in attendance in your session some 10 minutes before the published start time, and to remain in attendance for the maximum allocated duration (typically, two - three hours). In order to present your work and otherwise participate in a session, you will employ an online conferencing system known as Zoom (your session accessed and entered via our unit Moodle site). The session will be recorded.
You will not transmit video during your presentation (thus we won't be able to see you), only audio and your PowerPoint slides (thus your computer system will need to be equipped with microphone and speakers), hopefully helping to reduce your anxiety.
ALL students must submit their finished PowerPoint slides, and nominate their preferred presentation session, on hte unit Moodle site no later than 2345 hrs (11.45 pm) AEST Wednesday 2 August (Week 4) in preparation for presenting online in that self-nominated session in Week 5.
Week 7 Friday (1 Sept 2017)
Generalised verbal feedback at each session. Marks and personal feedback will be delivered via our unit Moodle site.
I will be measuring your achievement using the following four (4) criteria (with a maximum of 10 marks available for each):
- Describes the species / population / community / ecosystem / biome in detail and identifies essential requirements of the area/species in question.
- Correctly identifies and explains the consequences of environmental threats/problems.
- Correctly identifies and explains the scientific basis of the environmental threats and problems described (the ‘science behind the story’). *If time permits, describes management options for the species/environment in question.
- Presentation quality – engaging speech (incl. not reading), uncluttered slides, referenced slide material, time management, handles questions well (incl. evidence of research beyond content).
* This is an optional part of this criterion (Criterion #3), and students should consider the following before attempting to satisfy the criterion:
- Students will be awarded more marks if they have chosen a topic specific enough to allow them time to satisfy the first three criteria well AND describe management options.
- Students still can obtain full marks for Criterion #3 if they do not address management options but describe a more complex environmental problem comprehensively.
- Addressing the primary part of Criterion #3 less than comprehensively, and then spending time discussing management options is not an adequate strategy - students taking this strategy will receive low marks for Criterion #3.
Maximum of 40 marks available for this activity to be scaled to provide 10% of the total marks available for the unit overall.
Please note a minimum achievement level is 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 unit overall, irrespective of your achievement level in other assessment components of the unit).
- Apply knowledge of scientific content to describe the basis of environmental science problems.
- Demonstrate research communication skills relevant to environmental issues.
- Analyse environmental problems and propose strategies to address the problems.
- Problem Solving
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
- Ethical practice
3 Practical and Written Assessment
You will need to access the specific requirements, dates, instructions, and resources published on our unit Moodle site (click on the appropriate link in our 'Assessment' box), however a general description is published here.
During your ENVR11012 residential school/combined block practicum, you will (a) participate in a field trip to visit locations displaying environmental degradation, (b) take plant, soil and water samples from these sites, (c) spend time in the laboratory analysing these samples, and (d) spend some time writing up the results, for later submission of your findings as an 'advisory technical report'.
To assist you with the task of writing up the results as a technical report, general assistance in interpreting results will be provided at the end of the laboratory sessions, and a day during our combined block practicum (CBP) is set aside for you to use for writing whilst staff assistance is available directly.
Additionally, you will be provided with information regarding expected function of a technical report and its sections in environmental science and a report 'template' (and other resources) to guide you. Guidance will be provided before our combined block practicum as to which areas of environmental science relevant to your report to research, allowing you to write an outline of an introduction and the research methods you'll employ in the field to ensure efficiency and accuracy on the field trip. This should make for meaningful environmental study during our CBP, and easier writing during and after our CBP.
Only those students attending the CBP will be able to submit a report.
While report length will vary according to a student's writing style, student experience has demonstrated it is unlikely an adequate report would be than 1 200 words in length and commendable reports have been up to 2 000 words in length.
While field and laboratory work will be undertaken in teams, each report is to be an individual's written report. That is, whatever your role in your team or the comparative degree of your contribution to the work of the team, the writing up and presentation of the methods and findings is to be your own, original work culminating in your individual report. (Note though it is expected data within a team, and class data required to be shared, will be common to reports as appropriate, and there might be literature cited commonly at times.) Plagiarism, and the weak paraphrasing of the work of another, even that of a fellow team member, will not be acceptable, tolerated, or treated lightly.
2345 hrs (11.45 pm) AEST on the day that is fourteen (14) days after from the end of the residential school/combined block practicum attended.
Review/Exam Week Friday (13 Oct 2017)
Feedback will be provided against assessment criteria provided below and on our unit Moodle site.
The more detailed criteria published on our unit Moodle site are summarised here as the following three (3) broad criteria:
- preparing a technical report of appropriate structure with appropriate functionality of report sections for a general audience interested in environmental issues (60%);
- description, explanation, interpretation and critique of scientific data and the drawing of reasonable conclusions from these data (25%), and
- the communication of environmental science through acceptable presentation format and good concise written expression (including accepted treatment of sources) (15%).
The report template provided on our unit Moodle site will clarify and assist you with meeting these assessment criteria.
Please note a minimum achievement level is set for this assessment activity (i.e., you must equal or exceed this set minimum achievement level for you to be considered for a passing grade for this unit overall, irrespective of your achievement level in other assessment components in this unit).
- Apply knowledge of scientific content to describe the basis of environmental science problems.
- Perform practical environmental field and laboratory assessments and report the results.
- Demonstrate research communication skills relevant to environmental issues.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
Examination
Dictionary - non-electronic, concise, direct translation only (dictionary must not contain any notes or comments).
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.