GEOG 1104 - Population and Environment in Australia

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2015

Population and Environment tend to be treated quite separately in Australia, yet there are strong and important two-way relationships between them. This course focuses on these interactions and explores their implications for Australia's future. The contemporary dynamics of population growth, composition and spatial distribution are examined and analysed and the role environmental factors have had in shaping them is explored. Equally too, the impact of population on environment is examined. The constraints that environmental factors, especially water, have placed on the development of the Australian population are investigated, along with the likely influence of future climate change. A particular focus is the changing spatial distribution of the population with issues like urbanisation, 'sea change' and rural depopulation and their inter-relationship with the environment being explored. An important focus is on internal and international migration's influence in changing the population size, structure and distribution and how it affects, and is affected by, the environment. Indigenous Australians and their special relationship with the environment is discussed separately.

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Course Details

Course Code	GEOG 1104
Course	Population and Environment in Australia
Coordinating Unit	Geography, Environment and Population
Term	Semester 1
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Incompatible	GEST 1004
Assessment	tutorial paper (15%), tutorial participation (10%), essay (35%), exam (40%)

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Dianne Rudd

Course Timetable

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

Course Learning Outcomes

1. An understanding of the scale and nature of the population and environment relationship in Australia
2. An understanding of the processes underlying demographic change and the range of theories which explain those changes
3. An understanding of the spatial distribution of Australia’s population and its relationship with environment, exploring the special case of the indigenous population and the likely impact of climate change.
4. An understanding of urban and rural change and the increasing movement of population to coastal locations (‘sea change’)
5. To assess policies at national, state and local levels which impinge upon the population–environment relationship.
6. Ability to present arguments with high quality written and verbal skills
7. Interdisciplinary problem –solving skills

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Knowledge and understanding of the content and techniques of a chosen discipline at advanced levels that are internationally recognised.	1-5 and 7
The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner.	5,6,7
An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems.	7
Skills of a high order in interpersonal understanding, teamwork and communication.	1,6
A proficiency in the appropriate use of contemporary technologies.	5,6
A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life.	1-5
A commitment to the highest standards of professional endeavour and the ability to take a leadership role in the community.	6
An awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues within a global context and their importance in the exercise of professional skills and responsibilities.	1-7

Learning Resources

Required Resources

Although there is no prescribed text for this course as there is no one book that deals with the Population and Environment relationship in Australia which has tended to be a relatively neglected area of research. Data sources and literature have been compiled and are available on MyUni for easy student access. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides important census data on Australia’s population and it distribution in the form of publications and online material.
http://www.abs.gov.au/

Online Learning

MYUNI will be used for course-related announcements, emails, information about weekly tutorial assignments and readings.

Learning & Teaching Modes

Lectures followed up by tutorials on related topics providing readings as specified.

Workload

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

2 x 1-hour lectures (or equivalent) per week	24 hours per semester
1 x 1-hour tutorial (or equivalent) per week	12 hours per semester
6 hours exam and assignment preparation per week	72 hours per semester
4 hours reading/research per week	48 hours per semester
TOTAL WORKLOAD	156 hours per semester

Learning Activities Summary

Lecture Topics

Introduction: Population and its global importance
Australia’s Changing Population
Global International Migration
Australia’s Population Distribution and internal migration
South Australia’s population
The population: environment Debate in Australia
Coastal development and the Environment
Indigenous population and the environment
Population and Environment: poverty & globalisation
Cities: Growth and Change
Population & Environment: knowledge and gender
Cities: Environmental Issues and Impacts
Economic Growth and Population
Policy Responses to Climate Change
Climate and Migration
Population and Water
Climate and Australia’s Population
Climate change – future impact
Population, environment and development
Environmental migration
Population, Environment and Health
Population, Environment and Social change
Research and Policy Issues
Exam Summary

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

Exam (2 hours) 40 %, (Semester 1 exam period that all students are required to be available)
To evaluate students’ understanding of the key concepts in the population – environment relationship. The exam will be in two sections of equal value. One short answer section covering all tutorial topics and the other requiring longer essay answers relating to overall course content.

Tutorial Participation 10 %,
Tutorial summary paper 500 words 15%,
Students will be required to write a short summary paper on Australia’s population based on the first tutorial session and readings relating to lectures so that there is a common knowledge of the demographic situation in Australia and the processes shaping its distribution and composition.
Essay 2000 words 35 %
Students will be required to write an essay on one of 4 topics set by the co-ordinator which will be provided in week 5 (before the break).

Assessment Detail

Information available upon enrolment.

Submission

Information available upon enrolment.

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
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
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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Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator