DEVT 3007 - Climate Change and Sustainable Development

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2020

This course explores sustainable development in the context of climate change. Sustainable development has emerged as the global norm and dominant approach to reconcile the goals of economic development, environmental quality and social equity. It has been enshrined in the post-2015 international development agenda as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Climate change is one of the SDGs because it is a global challenge and affects the achievements of all other SDGs. The course investigates how climate change and sustainable development are linked, and how both are combined in local, national, regional and international policy-making about environment and development challenges such as poverty, global inequalities, loss of biodiversity, and the deterioration of global ecosystems. The main purpose of the course is to examine the ways in which state, private sector and civil society interact on national and international levels to address climate change and sustainable development issues through better policy making and governance models and frameworks of sustainability. Major issues covered in the course, such as the global governance of climate change, and forest and energy governance, are explored through case studies from Australia and various other regions of the world.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code DEVT 3007
    Course Climate Change and Sustainable Development
    Coordinating Unit Anthropology and Development Studies
    Term Semester 2
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 contact hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Prerequisites At least 12 units of Level I undergraduate study
    Incompatible DEVT 3006, GEOG 3020
    Assessment Student e-portfolio 50%, Research essay/report 40%, peer assessment 10%
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Thomas Wanner

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes



    1. Identify the complexity and operations of governance systems and processes on international, national and local levels.


    2. Explain differences between government and governance, and the various ideas and meanings attached to the goal of sustainable development.


    3. Critically analyse policy-making processes in regard to sustainability issues


    4. Apply high quality written and verbal communication skills


    5. Work effectively in a team and in tutorial/workshop situations


    6. Apply analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills to specific governance and sustainable development problems


    7. Use and employ effectively online technologies (MyUni) for communication and exchange of own ideas and knowledge, and overall student learning


    8. Conduct independent research of a governance of sustainable development case study with a high level of originality, quality and creativity


    9. Critically reflect on own learning about governance and sustainable development issues
    University Graduate Attributes

    No information currently available.

  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    All required material will be provided on MyUni.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    The course is taught in a three hour workshop which includes a lecture and group/team based learning activties.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

     

    STRUCTURED LEARNING

    1 x 3 hour seminar per week - 36 hours


    WORKLOAD – SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING
     

    6 hours reading per week: 72 hours per semester

    2 hours research per week: 24 hours per semester


    2 hours assignment preparation per week: 24 hours per semester

     
    TOTAL = 156 hours per semester

    Learning Activities Summary
    WEEK 1  Introduction: Governance and SD: short history of contested concepts
    WEEK 2  Governance: Politics, Power, Policy
    WEEK 3  Sustainable Development Governance
    WEEK 4  Global Governance: Ethics, Security, Justice
    WEEK 5  Global/Regional/National Environmental Governance
    WEEK 6  Governing a Green Economy
    WEEK 7  Governance and the Global Commons
    WEEK 8  Governing Climate Change
    WEEK 9  Governing Knowledge and Learning for Sustainability
    WEEK 10 Governance of Risk & Sustainability Science 
    WEEK 11 Local governance: community-based sustainable development
    WEEK 12:  Conclusion and Course review
    Specific Course Requirements


    Attendance at SGDE workshops is compulsory (students are required to attend at least 90% of all workshops); students need to submit all required assessment pieces for marking.
    Small Group Discovery Experience
    Students work together in groups during each week's seminars/workshop.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Task Type Due Weighting Learning Outcome
    Research essay or report Formative and Summative

    end of semester

    40% 1-4, 8
    Student work portfolios Summative to be negotiated 50% 1-7, 9
    Self and peer assessment Summative all semester 10% 5-7

    Modified arrangements have been made to assessments and the details provided here reflect recent updates.
    1. Research essay or report - now 50%
    2. Student work portfolios - now 40%
    Assessment Related Requirements
    Students are required to submit all required assessment pieces for marking.
    Faculty policies about late assignments and penalities will apply. 
    Assessment Detail
     

    Research essay or report (2,000 words)

    Students are required to research and write a 2,000 words essay or report about a governance and sustainable development issue of their choice


    Self-and peer assessment

    Students are involved in self and peer assessment activities as formative assessment for their essay/report; and provide self assessment for their participation in the seminars/workshops.


    Student Work e-portfolio (2,500 words)


     
    Students will collect their work (eg the preparation for the seminars; MyUni activities in e-portfolio on MyUni (2,500 words)
    Submission

    No information currently available.

    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.