ENAR12016 - Earth Science

General Information

Unit Synopsis

This unit aims to provide students with knowledge of the structure, composition and mode of formation of the more common rock forming minerals, the classification of rock types and genesis of metallic and non metallic ores. You will gain an appreciation of geological time and a knowledge of the major geological processes that have sculptured and impacted Planet Earth since its formation. On completion of the unit, you will be able to define and identify the more common Earth Resources (minerals, ores, fossil fuels, soil and water), describe the geological processes which form them, and relate these processes to the unifying theory of Geology, Plate Tectonics. The principles of geoconservation, geoheritage and sustainability are introduced and embedded as themes throughout this unit.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 2
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 2
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites There are no pre-requisites for the 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).

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Residential School Compulsory Residential School
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Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2024

Term 1 - 2024 Profile
Mixed Mode
Term 1 - 2025 Profile
Mixed Mode

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).

Assessment Overview

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.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Written Assessment 25%
2. Practical Assessment 30%
3. Group Work 20%
4. Written Assessment 25%

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

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 1 - 2022 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 100.00% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 33.33% response rate.

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.

Source: Lecturer and Industry feedback
Feedback
Add information on indigenous issues into the mining cycle lectures.
Recommendation
Develop new teaching resources on indigenous issues (Native Title, cultural awareness) for the mining cycle lectures and during fieldwork exercises.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: Student feedback
Feedback
Continue to provide tactile practical sessions during Residential School field and laboratory sessions.
Recommendation
Continue to update field and laboratory resources and equipment to use during Residential School fieldwork.
Action Taken
In Progress
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Identify earth materials such as common rock forming minerals, rock types, ores, fuels and describe the processes that form them
  2. Explain geological time and the methods used to determine age, stratigraphy and rate of earth processes
  3. Relate geological processes and time to plate tectonics
  4. Apply geological knowledge of rock types, geological time, earth processes and tectonics to create a geological history and simple geological map of a defined geographic area
  5. Explain how human interaction with earth processes and materials can impact the environment
  6. Prepare project reports and demonstrate an effective, professional level of teamwork and communication, and support collaborative peer group learning.

The Learning Outcomes for this unit are linked with the Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standards for Professional Engineers in the areas of 1. Knowledge and Skill Base, 2. Engineering Application Ability and 3. Professional and Personal Attributes at the following levels:

Introductory
1.6 Understanding of the scope, principles, norms, accountabilities and bounds of sustainable engineering practice in the specific discipline. (LO: 1N 2N 3N 4N 5N 6N )
2.3 Application of systematic engineering synthesis and design processes. (LO: 1N 2N 3N 4N 5N 6N )
2.4 Application of systematic approaches to the conduct and management of engineering projects. (LO: 1N 2N 3N 4N 5N 6N )
3.2 Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains. (LO: 1N 2N 3N 4N 5N 6N )
3.3 Creative, innovative and pro-active demeanour. (LO: 5N )

Intermediate
1.1 Comprehensive, theory-based understanding of the underpinning natural and physical sciences and the engineering fundamentals applicable to the engineering discipline. (LO: 1N 2N 3N 4N 5I 6I )
1.3 In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the engineering discipline. (LO: 1I 2I 3N 4N 5N 6I )
1.4 Discernment of knowledge development and research directions within the engineering discipline. (LO: 1I 2I 3N 4N 5I 6N )
1.5 Knowledge of engineering design practice and contextual factors impacting the engineering discipline. (LO: 5I )
2.1 Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving. (LO: 1N 2N 3N 4N 5I 6N )
2.2 Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources. (LO: 1N 2N 3N 4I 5I 6N )
3.1 Ethical conduct and professional accountability. (LO: 1N 2N 4N 5I 6N )
3.4 Professional use and management of information. (LO: 1N 2N 3N 4N 5I 6N )
3.5 Orderly management of self, and professional conduct. (LO: 5I 6I )
3.6 Effective team membership and team leadership. (LO: 1N 2N 3N 4N 5I 6N )

Note: LO refers to the Learning Outcome number(s) which link to the competency and the levels: N – Introductory, I – Intermediate and A - Advanced.
Refer to the Engineering Undergraduate Course Moodle site for further information on the Engineers Australia's Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineers and course level mapping information
https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/course/view.php?id=1511

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 - Written Assessment • •
2 - Practical Assessment • •
3 - Group Work • •
4 - Written Assessment • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6
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 • •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10