On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

1.     Demonstrate understanding of key environmental issues;

2.     Demonstrate the capacity to apply and develop solutions to issues;

3.     Demonstrate competence in at least one environmental management field;

4.     Demonstrate the capacity to analyse and communicate different methods of environmental management across different social and cultural contexts;

5.     Demonstrate the capacity to apply a range of environmental policies or management methods to particular problems.

·        There is no set text for this course as there is no one textbook that deals with multi-dimensional environmental issues in the study of environmental policy and management.

 
·        Students will be provided with a comprehensive list of readings, which include a suite of peer-reviewed articles and technical
materials (i.e. policies and environmental management strategies) on the subject. Suggested readings will be made available through MyUni for students’ easy access in due course.

·        All other required materials (e.g. workshop slides, assessment information, web links) are also provided on MyUni.

MyUni/Canvas

MyUni/Canvas is a critical learning tool and means of communication and knowledge exchange in this course. Learning materials are available each week in preparation for our workshop. Other course material (e.g. readings, assessment information) and many features of MyUni/Canvas (e.g. announcements and the discussion board) will help students to organise and manage their study.

Students need to regularly check the MyUni/Canvas website and use MyUni/Canvas for the different assignments (for information and submission).

To reach the MyUni website for the course follow the links from the University of Adelaide's Homepage http://www.adelaide.edu.au or
go straight to https://myuni.adelaide.edu.au/. You will need to enter your username and password to enter the MyUni website. If you have difficulty accessing MyUni contact the Help Desk at 830 33335 or send an e-mail to myuni.help@adelaide.edu.au (See http://www.adelaide.edu.au/myuni; http://www.adelaide.edu.au/its/help/contact_details/).

The teaching in this course is based on student-centred learning principles and strategies. Students are seen as partners in the learning journey. The course employs a blended approach to teaching and learning: Small-Group Discovery workshops via face-to-face interactions in class are supplemented by effective use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and the online teaching and learning environment of MyUni/Canvas. Students have reading material and learning activities on MyUni/Canvas which need to be done before
the workshops so that the workshops can be very active and participatory. The interactive and collaborative teaching and learning thus take place inside and outside the classroom. Students learn problem-solving skills and work collaboratively in workshops.

The times suggested here are guidelines for students to achieve the course requirements and to successfully complete the course. You will need to allocate appropriate time for your study (structured and self-directed time). University policies suggest for a 6-unit course that there should be a minimum workload of 312 hours of learning activities in the semester.

STRUCTURED LEARNING
1 x 3 hours workshop per week (10 weeks): 30 hours
1 x 8 hours field trip: 8 hours

Week 1 Course Introduction: Introduction to Environmental Issues

Week 2 Place

Week 3. Urban Growth Pressure: Population and Policy

Week 4. Environmental Policy and Management

Week 5. Transport, Place and Policy

Week 6. Water, Place and Policy

Week 7. Housing, Place and Policy 

Week 8. Field Trip Preparation

Week 9. Report Writing

Week 10. Time to Develop Report 

Week 11. Pre-submission Report Feedback

Week 12. Student Poster Presentations

This course is designed to encourage discussions around a range of issues pertaining to environmental policy and management in Australia, and South Australia in particular. This Course incorporates Small-Group Discovery Sessions that will enable students and teachers to work closely with each other on real-world problems linked to student learning outcomes. The topics set for discussion are tailored to their specific interests. Students can build their skills and lead a discussion on a topic of their choice and of policy relevance and importance. Student-centred learning exercises will be a feature of these discussions.

1.   Research Essay (2,000 words): 35%

2.   Group Field Trip Report (2,000 words each student): 35%

3.   Poster Presentation: 20%

4.   Ongoing attendance and participation: 10%

Modified arrangements have been made to assessments and the details provided here reflect recent updates.
1. Ongoing attendance and participation is replaced with Reflective Workshop Journal - 10%.

To pass this course you must attend all workshops, complete and submit all assessments as described in this course profile. The field trip will be undertaken and students are expected to be able to attend.

1.      Research Essay

The Research Essay provides an opportunity for students to develop and demonstrate research and analytical and critical thinking skills. The topics (or questions) of the essay are centred around environmental POLICY and MANAGEMENT issues and interventions. Students are required to choose one topic (or a question) from a pool of topics (or questions) set by GEP staff teaching into this course and write a paper that critically analyses the strengths and weaknesses of a specific environmental policy and management approach, using case studies and peer-reviewed literature. Students are provided opportunities to discuss relevant topics (or questions) suggested by corresponding teaching staff during the seminar session each week. The research essay should include a literature review section. In order to conduct a sound literature review, students are expected to reference at least 10 literature sources (e.g. refereed journal articles and books). The suggested reading materials for each week can be used as a starting point, but students need to utilise resources beyond these. Marking will place emphasis on the quality of argument more than quantity. The referencing system that students should use is Harvard (the author-date in-text matched with bibliography).

 
2.       Report on Group Field Trip to a local community


The ability to communicate ideas in writing is an essential part of working life for most university graduates. The steps involved in writing a report based on field trip require students to collect and analyse data and information, interact positively with stakeholders and experts, identify and critically engage with other people’s ideas, present key findings, draw out implications from the findings of direct field observations and data analysis, generate an informed point of view or argument and convey that viewpoint in a clear, systematic and rigorous manner.

This assignment develops and assesses students’ written communication skills in how to apply environmental methods to real-world environmental policy and management issues. The fieldwork will be completed during the mid-semester break. Students will be grouped into 5-person clusters. Each group will be required to complete a Field Trip Report (2,000 words each student) based on a series of exercises on the day. The final report draws together a range of new information/data that you will gain from the field trip, knowledge,
skills and attributes that you have obtained and developed in your study in the Bachelor of Environmental Policy and Management. It should reflect the collective efforts of your team and be your most satisfying accomplishment.

 
3.       Poster Presentation

This assessment seeks to develop and demonstrate research skills in oral presentation and to critically examine the relationship between ‘Policy’ and ‘Place’ when they relate to real-world environmental issues. The poster presentation is the chance to showcase the quality of your work and demonstrate the highest standard of ‘public’ communication.

Students should choose a topic relevant to this course. Consult with the course teaching staff.

 
4.      Ongoing attendance and participation and completion of SGDE activities.

Seminars are the forum in which we discuss the subject matter and have small group work exercises to consolidate the knowledge.
Students will be reviewed as to their attendance and participation throughout the course. Seminar attendance is a compulsory component of the course and is monitored during the course. Students need to notify the Course Coordinator via email (yan.tan@adelaide.edu.au) as soon as possible if you have to miss a seminar. You need written evidence (e.g. medical certificate; a note from the employer; counsellor’s letter) if you have to miss one. You are required to attend ALL scheduled seminars. All students are
expected to be well prepared for each seminar and to actively participate in the discussion of the key questions raised by relevant teaching staff and also emerged from each week’s readings.

All assignments must be submitted electronically via MyUni/Canvas. To check for plagiarism we use TURNITIN. Last possible time for submission is always midnight on the due date.