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* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Unit title: Surveying the Abiotic Environment Credit points: 20 Unit code: ENV502 FHEQ level: 5 School/ Service: Unit designation: Traditional Programme group: Maritime Science and Engineering Environment and Geography Unit delivery model: CD Max & Min Student no.: N/A TOTAL STUDENT WORKLOAD Students are required to attend and participate in all the formal scheduled sessions for the unit. Students are also expected to manage their directed learning and independent study in support of the unit. PRE-REQUISITES AND CO-REQUISITES: None. UNIT DESCRIPTION This unit integrates the more advanced functionality of GIS with its use in surveying and monitoring practices. It addresses a number of areas fundamental to an environmental impact assessment. In addition to developing and reinforcing GIS techniques for data presentation and analysis, it exposes students to a range of environmental science concepts and allows them develop skills in environmental measurement by participating in practical fieldwork. The unit will focus on the non-biological components of an environmental monitoring scheme, starting from planning and design to the reporting of data. In assessment, its major focus will be on using a range of land surveying techniques to develop a more complete database of environmental parameters, which can be used both in the dissemination of ideas through means of mapping, and the testing of research questions through statistics. This analysis will also introduce students to more specialist statistical software. LEARNING OUTCOMES On successful completion of the unit, students should be able to: Knowledge and Understanding K1 Explain the relationships between suites of abiotic environmental parameters. Cognitive Skills C1 Apply relevant theories and concepts to the interpretation of field data. Practical and Professional Skills P1 Apply statistics to establish relationships within environmental data. P2 Create an appropriate GIS map to highlight spatial relationships between data sets. Transferable and Key Skills T1 Communicate research findings in an appropriate manner. AREAS OF STUDY Planning and designing monitoring and surveying schemes, the measurement of a range of environmental parameters related to air, noise, water and land characterisation, using GIS to contour environmental data, parametric and multivariate statistics. LEARNING AND TEACHING STRATEGY The unit will require students to attend workshops which will allow for a more varied approach to teaching. The extended teaching sessions will enable tutors to integrate theoretical aspects, perhaps developed by short lectures, with more hands on tutorial problems, as well as give significant scope for the teaching of field, lab and GIS skills. The key to this approach is to demonstrate to students that theories and skills do not sit in opposition within the teaching, but inform each other in a much more integrated way. Further integration between skills is developed by establishing a link between techniques in measurement, and the usefulness of GIS in disseminating and analysing geographical data. Furthermore, the move into using social data is included to demonstrate that these skills are useful across the breadth of geographical enquiry. ASSESSMENT STRATEGY Regular posting of artefacts created through study will be used for formative feedback purposes as well as to encourage engagement with the activities. The feedback upon these artefacts helps students to both enhance and judge progress against the learning outcomes assessed summatively in two equally weighted reports. The skills developed within the unit will be formally and summatively assessed through in two reports that will unite many of the skills and principles introduced in the unit. With the student identifying the notable positive and negative aspects of the methodologies applied for investigating acoustic, air and water pollution (assessment one) and developing maps of soil characteristics from two site visits. These data will be mapped with GIS and, along with appropriate statistics, the student will investigate the differences in soil characteristics at the two sites (assessment two). ASSESSMENT AE1 weighting: assessment type: length/duration: online submission: grade marking: anonymous marking: 50% Report 1500 words Yes Yes Yes AE2 weighting: assessment type: length/duration: online submission: grade marking: anonymous marking: 50% Report 1500 words Yes Yes Yes AGGREGATION OF MARKS The marks for each element of assessment will be aggregated to give an overall mark for the unit. RE-ASSESSMENT ARRANGEMENTS Reassessment will involve revising and resubmitting the reports in the light of tutor feedback. Unit Author: Paul Wright/Mitzy Valentine Unit history: Unit Approved/Year Implemented/Code Unit modified/Year Implemented/Code May 2013 June 2016 2013/14 2016/17 EGP502 ENV502