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GEOG56215: Becoming an Effective Environmental Researcher

It is possible that changes to modules or programmes might need to be made during the academic year, in response to the impact of Covid-19 and/or any further changes in public health advice.

Type Tied
Level 5
Credits 15
Availability Available in 2024/2025
Module Cap None.
Location Durham
Department Geography

Prerequisites

  • None

Corequisites

  • GEOG56115, GEOG56315, GEOG56415

Excluded Combinations of Modules

  • N/A

Aims

  • Development of skills to enable personal effectiveness as a researcher in environmental science

Content

  • Skill development that falls within Domain B of the Vitae RDF, such as self-confidence, self-reflection, time management, networking>

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • A critical understanding of key concepts and approaches in environmentalresearch methods, and a practical understanding of different contexts in which to apply them.
  • Ability to understand and apply a set of key methods and tools to a specific subject area within Environmental Science.

Subject-specific Skills:

  • Using innovative and critical approaches to demonstrate an ability to analyze and synthesize approaches to environmental science and its underlying data.
  • Designing a research programme and demonstrating its feasibility both in terms of approaches used and practicalities of resources.

Key Skills:

  • Development of personal effectiveness as a researcher (e.g. elements within Vitae Domain B, such as self-confidence, self-reflection, time management, networking)

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Lectures to present technical and scholarly information, as well as the research contexts for this information
  • Workshops and seminars to develop the specific skills identified by the student to enable them to become an effective environmental researcher
  • Reading and self-paced learning to reinforce the above
  • Contact hours in the table below are indicative and will be based on a students individual needs as they progress, as identified by their Training Needs Analysis.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
Lectures101 hour10 
Seminars103.5 hours35 
Workshops103 hours30 
Reading and self-paced learning75 
Total150 

Summative Assessment

Component: PortfolioComponent Weighting: 100%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Reflexive portfolio providing an evaluation of how the learning outcomes have been met. Because of the range of potential learning outcomes, the portfolio may be made up of a range of different materials, including, but not limited to, reflexive essays, copies of presentations (and evaluation of the experience of presenting), reflexive diaries, project reports and links to other materials online, including audio-visual.2,500 words100 

Formative Assessment

Verbal and/or written feedback from (a) supervisory team; (b) director at PhD Host Organization; (c) Academic Director of IAPETUS2 using the TNA process for self-reflection via Pebblepad, and by workshops biannually at DTP events. All students will be given the opportunity for 1:1 feedback via tutorials at these events or via duo.

More information

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