MINING 4104 - Socio-Environmental Aspects of Mining
North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2021
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code MINING 4104 Course Socio-Environmental Aspects of Mining Coordinating Unit School of Civil, Environmental & Mining Eng Term Semester 1 Level Undergraduate Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact Up to 4 hours per week Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N Assumed Knowledge MINING 1011 Assessment In class activities, Quizzes, Major Group Discovery Project: report and presentation, Debate (includes report) Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Dr Noune Melkoumian
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
No information currently available.
University Graduate Attributes
No information currently available.
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Learning Resources
Required Resources
(i) Lawrence, D (Editor), 2011. A Guide to Leading Practice Sustainable Development in Mining,
Dept of Resources, Energy and Tourism, 198p,
(ii) Selected Minerals Tertiary Education Council (MTEC) Mine Planning Modules (compiled
as Course Learning Guide and Reader/Notes).
(iii) DVD: Mining Education Australia “Socio-environmental Aspects of Mining”
3 Disc set of selected media broadcasts and corporate videos.Recommended Resources
(i) Spitz, K and Trudinger, J, 2009. Mining and the Environment – from Ore to Metal, Taylor and Francis, UK, ISBN 978-0-515-46510-6 (pbk), 890p.
(ii) Environmental Management in Minerals Industry – Mulligan (ed)
Information should be obtained from a variety of sources, including the library and the media. Internet sources must be treated with caution: as a generalization the most reliable sources are universities, recognized research organizations, and government departments. The larger, reputable, companies are acceptable sources, but remember that almost everyone on the web is trying to sell you something.
Two particularly useful site for this course are:
http://www.ret.gov.au/resources/Pages/Publications.aspx
http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/mineralsOnline Learning
All Resources for this Course are available on MyUni, the online learning system for the University of Adelaide (https://myuni.adelaide.edu.au/. These include:
· Course Profile
· Learning Guide
· Reader (Notes)
· Projects/Assignments
· PowerPoint Presentations
· Past examination paper with model answers
Note: Each student will be supplied with a set of 3 DVDs containing selected media broadcasts and corporate videos. Please, collect the Discs from the School Office. -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
This course uses a number of different teaching and learning approaches including:
· Lectures
· Problem-solving tutorials
· Verbal presentation coaching
· Self-directed activities
· Group activitiesWorkload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
Lectures = 3 hours per week
Tutorials = 1 hour per week
Group Work = 2 hrs per week
Self Study = 3 hrs per week
Excursion = 1 hour per weekLearning Activities Summary
Schedule Week Activity Hours Content Week 1 Lecture/tutorial 4 Course introduction/expectations; The Demon Fault
What is Sustainable development; International perspectivesWeek 2 Lecture/tutorial 4 Legislative context;
EIA;EMS; Risk management (ERM)Week 3 Lecture/tutorial 4 Codes of conduct; Enduring value; Corporate responsibility; EMPs and other reporting; auditing; IN CLASS Activity (critique sustainability reports); Workforce training and awareness;
QUIZ – 15% Groote Eylandt Scenario Tutorials commence. (15%)Week 4 Lecture/tutorial 4 Leading Practice Environmental Management (LPEM) – an introduction;
LPEM – Mineral Exploration
LPEM – Air (includes dust & gas)
Uranium mining:
Quarries and industrial minerals
Student Verbal Presentations ( 10%) progressive through week 8Week 5 Lecture/tutorial 4 LPEM – Waste rock
LPEM – Tailings (design, types, risks etc)Week 6 Lecture/tutorial 4 LPEM – Water including ARD
LPEM - Environmental Monitoring and sampling
ASSIGNMENT 3 due (Report 20%)Week 7 Lecture/tutorial 4 LPEM – Hazardous substances including cyanide
LPEM – small scale & placer miningWeek 8 Lecture/tutorial 4 Mine planning to reduce impact
Introduction to Mine Rehabilitation
QUIZ – 15%Week 9 Lecture/tutorial 4 Mine Rehabilitation continued
Mine Rehabilitation continued
Field excursion - week of May 9th Groote Eylandt Scenario Tutorial report dueWeek 10 Lecture/tutorial 4 LPEM – mine closure Week 11 Lecture/tutorial 4 LPEM – communities and mining Field excursion report due ( 10%) Week 12 Lecture/tutorial 4 LPEM – Social and community impact –
QUIZ - 15%Field trip Field trip (Week 9) 6 Examples of metal, coal or industrial minerals operations highlighting issues covered in course
INDIVIDUAL REPORTSpecific Course Requirements
The University of Adelaide is a member of Mining Education Australia and has agreed to the common 3rd and 4th year mining curriculum offered by MEA participating universities (The University of Queensland, The University of New South Wales and The Western Australian School of Mines at Curtin University of Technology). This course is run simultaneously at the four MEA universities. When one considers this fact the total number of students enrolled in the course is well over 200 students.
Students will use SPARK to assess each of their Team Member’s contribution to the Group project(s). For each project 6 students will be selected at random to for a project team. Team members are expected to work together to achieve the objectives of the projects. SPARK will allow the course coordinator to monitor how your team is functioning and provide help as required. SPARK factors calculated by the system based on information you input, will be used to calculate the individual mark for the project. Please refer to Section 9 for more details on the use of SPARK. -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
Assessment TimetableAssignment/quiz. Week handed out Week due % Details 1 3 3 15 Quiz to test understanding of material presented to date 2 2 4,5,6,7,8 10 10 min group presentation on the topic to be discussed that day. Will require background reading. 3 3 6 20 Individual assignment on one issue (future of the Uranium Industry in 2011 - 2012 topic is yet to be set ) and its impacts on the mining industry 4 8 8 15 Quiz to test understanding of material presented to date 5 12 12 15 Quiz to test understanding of material presented to date 6 9 11 10 Individual report on the field trip 7 2 9 15 Groote Eylandt Scenario Assessment Task Task Type Due Demonstrate knowledge of the legal, political & ethical context of mining in Australia and overseas. Describe, explain the various contexts Quizzes 1 and 5 Describe and apply the principles of Sustainable Development Describe, analyse, synthesize principles and applications Quiz Report / tutorial Critique company-based initiatives in environmental management against national and international standards Analyse, compare environmental plans against each other and standards Quiz Report / tutorial Identify, analyse and apply state of the art techniques in environmental management of mine sites Brainstorm risks, prioritize, analyse, synthesize and evaluate solutions Group presentations Reports/and Tutorial
Identify the major issues and management strategies associated with social/community impacts of mining in Australia and internationally.As for above with focus on social issues Quiz Report / tutorial
Student presentations for Assignment-1 and debates for Assignment-2 will be delivered online only during the corresponding session as scheduled.
All student must attend the online sessions for the above presentations and debates. These presentations and debates will be recorded in Zoom. These presentations and debates will be recorded in Zoom. (Note: there is no final examination for this course)Assessment Detail
1 Quiz
Type: In class quiz
Learning Objectives: 1, 2, 3
Date: week 3
Weighting: 15 %
Duration: 45 minutes
Format: Multiple choice and short answer ( 1 - 2 paragraphs )
Areas covered: Course scope; media coverage and perceptions; Demon Fault & other videos; sustainable development; international perspectives; legislation; EIA, EMS, risk management; codes of conduct; corporate responsibility; EMPs.
Criteria & marking: quiz will have roughly 10 multiple choice questions for 10 marks and roughly 6 short-answer questions for 20 marks.
2 Group Presentations
Type: In class verbal presentation
Learning Objectives: 3, 4
Date: weeks 4 through 8
Weighting: 10 %
Duration: 12 minutes + 5 minutes for questions
Format: Powerpoint presentations
Areas covered: Leading Practice Environmental Management
Criteria & marking: Marks will be awarded based on content, delivery, group cohesiveness and answers to questions in class
3. Individual Assignment
Type: essay ( 3000 words maximum including appendices)
Learning Objectives: 3, 4
Date: week 6
Weighting: 20 %
Format: Technical report – see MEA Report Writing Guide
Areas covered: Recent coal or metal mine incidents.
Criteria & marking: Executive summary, introduction, literature, resources review, discussion.
4. Quiz
Type: In class quiz
Learning Objectives: 3, 4
Date: week 8
Weighting: 15 %
Duration: 45 minutes
Format: Multiple choice and short answer ( 1 - 2 paragraphs )
Areas covered: Leading Practice Environmental Management
Criteria & marking: quiz will have roughly 10 multiple choice questions for 10 marks and roughly 6 short-answer questions for 20 marks.
1. Quiz
Type: In class quiz
Learning Objectives: 4, 5
Date: week 12
Weighting: 15 %
Duration: 45 minutes
Format: Multiple choice and short answer ( 1 - 2 paragraphs )
Areas covered: mine planning to reduce impact; rehabilitation; closure; communities; social impact; field trip.
Criteria & marking: quiz will have roughly 10 multiple choice questions for 10 marks and roughly 6 short-answer questions for 20 marks.
6. Field Trip Report
Type: essay + calculations (1000 – 1200 words )
Learning Objectives: 3, 4
Date: week 9 - report due week 11
Weighting: 10 %
Format: brief report + problem-solving exercise
Areas covered: acid mine drainage, material handling, remediation
Criteria & marking: students will prepare a short report on the nature and quantitative scope of the problem at Brukunga. This will be followed by an analysis of the problem, a suggested plan for remediation, and costing of alternative plans.
7. Group Tutorial – Groote Eylandt
Type: group tutorial
Learning Objectives: 4, 5
Date: weeks 3 – 8 report due week 9
Weighting: 15 %
Format: small group tutorial ( depending on number of tutors )
Areas covered: issues and management strategies associated with social/community impacts of mining in Australia
Criteria & marking: tutors will award marks based on participation in brainstorming sessions during tutorials, and group reports. Reports will be mostly recommendations going forward with the isssues and highlighting pros and cons. Peer assessment using SPARK ( see section 9 ) will be included.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.
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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.
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Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
- International Student Support
- Library Services for Students
- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
- YouX Student Care - Advocacy, confidential counselling, welfare support and advice
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Elder Conservatorium of Music Noise Management Plan
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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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.
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