Delivery mode

2 hr of lectures + ~2 to 4 hr prac classes each week of semester. There is a compulsory 7 day field trip during the mid-semester break. Lecture slides and related material are provided on the Unit website at least the night before. Lectures may be recorded, we will find out in Week 1. You are expected to participate in full and to the greatest of your ability. This includes reading the literature, web materials, and completing the assessment tasks to a standard that you would expect to provide to an employer or relevant external body.

ENVE338 is a field and practical intensive unit. We aim to give you the field experience and hands on application to knowledge and theory learnt in class. The objective is prepare you with skills for the workplace – it is not a content driven course, we use the content to illuminate skills, practice, method and approach, all of which you will require when working. Content can change constantly in the workplace and you will need flexibility to deal with new or variable content and situations.

FRIDAY AND MID-SEMESTER BREAK FIELDWORK SESSIONS

We run practical classes in the laboratory or field on Tuesdays and a longer mid-semester fieldtrip – all of which are compulsory in FULL. Assessment tasks are framed around the lectures and practical components. A few notes about working in the field:

Weather:

We do not normally cancel fieldtrips for bad weather! You must be prepared to work in the rain and sun with the appropriate clothing, and avoid dehydration. Transport: In the prac classes, you must provide your own. On the longer mid-semester break field trip, buses will be supplied.

Cost:

The cost for the mid-semester fieldtrip will be announced in the first few weeks of class. Your costs are limited to accommodation and personal food.

 Food:

We will be staying at delightful Cowra, a township of 10,000 people about 310 km west of Sydney. Most supplies can be purchased there. For those with special food requirements, taking some food out of Sydney may be necessary.

Accommodation:

Will be advised, but almost certainly a motor inn or country pub with shared rooms to save on cost.

 Personal field equipment:

·      Each student should bring the following aids/comforts on each field trip:

·      Boots; NO SANDALS, THONGS ETC in the field. Doesn't have to be steel caps, just sturdy boots. 

·      Water bottle (full, of course!) & food for each day.

·      Wet weather gear (we go irrespective of the weather). Hat -  NO BASEBALL CAPS. Really. Sunscreen, warm clothing. 

·      Waterproof (or waterproof bag) field note book and writing implements (see note below)

·      Calculator, hand lens, reconnaissance maps and readings

·      Camera.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE STURDY BOOTS AND A WIDE BRIMMED HAT, YOU WILL NOT DO FIELDWORK.

WHS equipment, including compulsory hi-viz clothing, will be supplied by MQU.

Website:

Practical material and important messages will be available on https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MQ/

Class times and locations:

• Tuesdays:

• Lecture 1000 - 1200 h, C5A313.

• Practicals: 1400-1800 h. E5A 210 Petrograph Lab or the Soil Labs in the E5A basement or in Building EMC².

[note: we will not always be in this room for this session – several session will be field-based – listen for advice in the lecture and ilearn postings].

Recommended resources:

Reading suggestions will be provided on an ongoing basis – see unit website.

 Minimum performance requirement

In order to pass this unit, the aggregate mark must be 50% or greater. It is not compulsory to pass each component.

Attendance Requirements

Attendance at the mid-semester field trip is compulsory. Date: September 20-26 inclusive. Location: Near Cowra, NSW. Full details to be provided.

Assignment submission

All assignments MUST be submitted via either at the start of class on the due date (quizzes, COC, Portfolio); or via turnitin (Derelict Mine report).

Extensions and penalties 10% of the mark allocated for the assignment will be deducted per day or part thereof for any work that is submitted late.

Handing work in on time is your responsibility. Only a medical certificate or a letter with appropriate supporting documents outlining other serious, extenuating circumstances can be used to submit an assignment after the due date without penalty. All applications for special consideration or extension must be sought before the due date unless this is absolutely impossible. All applications for extensions of deadlines must be submitted to the subject convenor, with sufficient evidence that their case can be reviewed.

Returning assessment tasks

Assessment tasks will be returned in class, where possible. Assessment tasks submitted at the end of semester will be available for collection from the Science Centre.

Student Commitment

Students should expect to spend about 150 hours in total over the full semester on (including class contact hours, fieldwork and private study). These are minimum requirements and should you wish to achieve a higher than pass grade, you may chose to work harder and/or more efficiently.

Feedback and unit evaluation

In this unit you will receive a range of verbal and written feedback on your assessment tasks and work in class or online. To monitor how successful we are in providing quality teaching and learning, the Department of Environment and Geography also seeks feedback from students. One of the key formal ways students have to provide feedback is through unit and teacher evaluation survey along with other methods, where appropriate. The feedback is anonymous and provides the Department with evidence of aspects that students are satisfied with and areas for improvement. Students previously enrolled in this unit have contributed to its development through the suggestion of more group orientated practical tasks.

Referencing and Citations

There are various types of referencing styles. They differ markedly between journals and journal types: medical science journals differ from law journals, which differ again from science journals.

The referencing style in Environmental Pollution is appropriate for this unit. It is simple and clear.

Please format ALL assignments using the method detailed in the published journal articles:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/02697491

Reference style

Name and year style in the text Text:

All citations in the text should refer to:

1. Single author: the author's name (without initials, unless there is ambiguity) and the year of publication;

2. Two authors: both authors' names and the year of publication;

3. Three or more authors: first author's name followed by 'et al.' and the year of publication. Citations may be made directly (or parenthetically). Groups of references should be listed first alphabetically, then chronologically. Examples: "as demonstrated (Allan, 1996a, 1996b, 1999; Allan and Jones, 1995). Kramer et al. (2000) have recently shown ..."

List:

References should be arranged first alphabetically and then further sorted chronologically if necessary. More than one reference from the same author(s) in the same year must be identified by the letters "a", "b", "c", etc., placed after the year of publication. Note that any (consistent) reference style and format may be used: the Publisher will ensure that the correct style for this journal will be introduced for the proof stages, the final print version and the PDF files for electronic distribution.

Examples:

Reference to a journal publication:

Van der Geer, J., Hanraads, J.A.J., Lupton, R.A., 2000. The art of writing a scientific article. Journal of Scientific Communications 163, 51-59.

Reference to a book:

Strunk Jr., W., White, E.B., 1979. The Elements of Style, third ed. Macmillan, New York.

Reference to a chapter in an edited book: Mettam, G.R., Adams, L.B., 1999. How to prepare an electronic version of your article, in: Jones, B.S., Smith, R.Z. (Eds.), Introduction to the Electronic Age. E-Publishing Inc., New York, pp. 281-304.

Reference to a URL:

NTP (National Toxicology Program), 2012. National Toxicology Program Monograph on Health Effects of Low-level Lead. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. June 13th, 2012. http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/NTP/ohat/Lead/Final/MonographHealthEffectsLowLevelLead_prepublication_508.pdf (accessed 19Nov14).