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GEOL1141: Sustainability

Please ensure you check the module availability box for each module outline, as not all modules will run in each academic year. Each module description relates to the year indicated in the module availability box, and this may change from year to year, due to, for example: changing staff expertise, disciplinary developments, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback. Current modules are subject to change in light of the ongoing disruption caused by Covid-19.

Type Open
Level 1
Credits 20
Availability Available in 2024/2025
Module Cap None.
Location Durham
Department Earth Sciences

Prerequisites

  • None.

Corequisites

  • None.

Excluded Combinations of Modules

  • None.

Aims

  • To acquire a fundamental understanding of sustainability.
  • To introduce global issues and concepts around sustainability, with an emphasis on aspects most relevant to Earth Sciences such as water, climate, energy and mineral resources, food resources, and natural hazards.
  • To introduce the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  • To focus on nine of the seventeen SDGs.
  • To use research-led teaching from the beginning of the first year.
  • To provide students with key techniques in processing, visualizing and presenting scientific data.

Content

  • Explanation and discussion of sustainability issues, using geoscience-facing SDGs as a framework for structuring and delivering material.
  • Knowledge and understanding of fundamental aspects and principles of environmental and Earth sciences relevant to sustainability.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • Overview of global natural resources and their rates of use and replenishment/recycling.
  • Strategies and case studies for sustainability.

Subject-specific Skills:

  • Familiarity with sustainability literature, data sources and their formats.
  • Understanding of research methodologies in Earth Sciences, and an appreciation of the specific research foci in Durham Earth Sciences.

Key Skills:

  • Analysis of quantitative and qualitative data sets, including time series analysis, image interpretation.
  • Inter-relation of different branches of science.
  • Writing skills.
  • Presentation skills (poster).
  • Skills to distinguish the quality of data sources.
  • Recognizing and avoiding plagiarism.
  • Processing data in Excel.
  • Data presentation using Inkscape.

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

  • Lectures and practical sessions. Practical classes to expand on concepts introduced in lectures. Some sessions may use intersperse short mini-lectures with staged practical activities.
  • Posters will be displayed at a module mini-conference at the end of Term 2. Depending on student numbers, posters might be paired or group efforts.
  • The lectures and practical sessions are supported by handouts, directed reading and web-based material.
  • The practicals provide opportunities to apply principles, concepts and theory to case studies and real-life examples.
  • Guidance is provided on scientific presentation and data handling techniques.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
Lectures20Weekly1 Hour20Yes
Practicals20Weekly2 Hour40Yes
Reading and study of class hand-outs, preparation for and execution of formative and summative assessments, background reading both directed and independent, and preparation for summative poster.140 
Total200 

Summative Assessment

Component: CourseworkComponent Weighting: 100%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
In class test 20 
Poster 80 

Formative Assessment

Examples of best practise to be given throughout both terms, including solutions to specific problems and advice on scientific communication for different intended audiences.

More information

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