| Unit name | Environmental Impact Assessment |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EASC30091 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Bryce |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
Successful completion of a Year 2 Earth Sciences programme. |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Earth Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Why is this unit important?
It is increasingly recognised that sustainable development is only possible when it is carried out in full awareness of the environmental risks and impacts involved. As such, environmental geoscientists have an important role to play in identifying potential hazards and ensuring they are mitigated; with many of our graduates seeking employment in this area.
In this unit, you will learn to assess environmental impacts like a professional geoenvironmental consultant; gaining familiarity with the practical and legislative processes typical of this field of work. Teaching will be delivered, as much as possible, via hands-on workshops and on-site investigations where you will ultimately learn how to collate and synthesise complex environmental information and present it in a professional manner.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit will bring together the diverse environmental skillset developed in the Environmental Geoscience programme to date and apply it to the practical assessment of environmental impacts in the real world. It seeks to give students an opportunity to practice as “professional” environmental geoscientists, and to engage in activities closely related to those carried out by graduate-level environmental consultants.
An overview of content
The course is taught as a combination of workshops and fieldwork (one day and one residential).
The workshops will cover:
The one-day fieldwork will focus on collecting observations on site to augment or verify desk-based research on environmental risks associated with development.
The residential fieldwork will complement the theoretical aspects of the unit by teaching practical skills related to investigation of geophysical and contaminant hazards that could pose environmental risk during construction or operation of a proposed development.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
In this unit, you will work with real environmental problems and gain experience using the same methods, processes and legislation used by professional environmental geoscientists. This will prepare you to apply your taught skills outside of the university context.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the unit a successful student will be able to:
As the goal of this unit is for you to develop confidence and independence in the application of your environmental geoscience knowledge to real-world problems, your learning will be student-led and focussed on preparation of your own environmental impact reports and presentations. Core concepts will be taught in a small number of lectures with most time dedicated to supporting you in the application of these concepts to assessment of real environmental impacts in interactive, practical workshops. You will receive hands-on training in the use of various practical site investigation methods typically deployed in geophysical and environmental surveys; and you will receive guidance in the construction and presentation of professional environmental reports.
You will be assessed through a combination of written and verbal tasks.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative)
Formative assessment is embedded in this practical course. In the interactive workshops you will be provided with a variety of practical tasks that will form the building blocks of the final summative report. Working through these problems in the workshop environment will provide you with instant feedback from the lecturers and your peers.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative)
The resources developed in the workshops and fieldwork will ultimately be synthesised in an environmental impact report for a defined development proposal. You will have 2,500 words for your document and a maximum of 5 figures. (70%).
The foreseen environmental risks and the mitigation strategies proposed for a development will also be presented to stakeholders at a mock public consultation (30%).
Penalties for exceeding the specific word and/or page limit will be applied.
When assessment does not go to plan
The University's Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes outline the requirements for progression on and completion of degree programmes. Students who miss an exam and self-certify their absence may complete a supplementary assessment for an uncapped mark as if taken for the first time. Resit and supplementary exams are habitually taken during the reassessment period later in the summer. As far as is practicable and appropriate, resit and supplementary assessments will be in the same form as the original assessment but will always test the same intended learning outcomes as the initial missed or failed assessment. In the case of group work, failure by a whole group would result in an appropriate group task being set and reassessed for all group members. If a single student fails a group assessment or is unable to participate for an evidenced reason, an individual reassessment will be set.
There are rigorous and fair procedures in place to support students who are ill or whose studies and assessments are affected by exceptional circumstances.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EASC30091).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
