Unit information: Study and Field Skills for Geography in 2028/29

Please note: Programme and unit information may change as the relevant academic field develops. We may also make changes to the structure of programmes and assessments to improve the student experience.

Unit name Study and Field Skills for Geography
Unit code GEOG20035
Credit points 20
Level of study I/5
Teaching block(s) Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director Professor. Dan Lunt
Open unit status Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)

None.

Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)

None.

Units you may not take alongside this one

None.

School/department School of Geographical Sciences
Faculty Faculty of Science

Unit Information

This unit is a fieldwork trip, which may contain either or both human and physical geography components. The field trip will be introduced through introductory lectures that will outline the fieldtrip unit aims, activities and logistics. The unit itself will have staff-guided as well as self-directed group projects.

The unit aims to:

  • Familiarise students with the relationship between theory and practice
  • Provide experience in using techniques that they will have encountered in Research Methods units
  • Provide experience in conducting fieldwork and analysis.

The experience of being in the field will be valuable for students in developing critical knowledge and assessment necessary for Year 3 units as well as their dissertation projects. Towards the end of the fieldtrip, students will present their work and receive feedback.

Your learning on this unit

Upon successful completion of this unit, students will:

  1. Have had an opportunity to put their learning and technical experience into practice in a field setting;
  2. Be able to plan and undertake independent field and research work;
  3. Be able to present the results of such studies verbally and in written form.

The following transferable skills are developed in this Unit:

  • Written and verbal communication
  • Team working and collaboration
  • Problem solving
  • Lateral and strategic thinking
  • Analytical skills
  • Planning and implementing research projects
  • Project management

How you will learn

Briefing lecture, Fieldwork (residential)

How you will be assessed

Fieldwork assessment which may be aggregated from several individual and/or group activities, depending on the nature of the trip (100%) [ILOs 1-3]

When assessment does not go to plan

Students will be offered an alternative essay-based assessment for completion, either in the summer reassessment period or during the fieldtrip.

Resources

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. GEOG20035).

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.