Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Senior Lecturer, Convenor
Emilie Ens
Senior Lecturer
Tim Ralph
Professor
Mark Taylor
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Credit points |
Credit points
4
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MRes
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit will engage students with cutting-edge approaches to research in environmental sciences. Current research outlooks, big questions, strategies, and project design and management techniques will be addressed, providing a base of understanding for core concepts relevant to individual research topics. Activities include tailored workshops, fieldwork, seminar attendance, directed reading of research papers, and discussion and critiquing of research topics and trends. Presentation of a seminar and a written report based on the research frontiers examined are required for completion of this unit.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
The assessment tasks in ENVS700 are designed to:
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Research Report Part 1 | 30% | No | Week 5 |
Research Report Part 2 | 20% | No | Week 8 |
Oral Presentation | 20% | No | Week 11 |
Research Frontiers Blog | 30% | No | Week 12 |
Due: Week 5
Weighting: 30%
How do scientists approach research on a pressing environmental issue? In this assignment you are required to conduct background research and develop a research and communication plan for a specific issue and study area. You should outline how your research can address critical questions in the study area, the research approach including the different types of methods to be used, and a communication plan for liaising with stakeholders and partners through all stages of the project.
In Week 6 you will visit the study area and meet with key stakeholders, which will give you the opportunity to assess whether the approach you have developed may work in the real world.
Due: Week 8
Weighting: 20%
How could you improve your research design and communication plan? This is a reflective exercise designed to enable you to critically assess the approach you designed for an environmental issue at a study area. You should discuss the merits and limitations of your approach based on experiences and feedback attained through the fieldtrip, and outline key ways in which the research approach could be improved.
Due: Week 11
Weighting: 20%
What are the frontiers in environmental research? This assessment requires you to give an oral presentation (20 minutes, with associated PowerPoint slides) in which you discuss how you could approach a novel research question in environmental science. Building on what you have learned through the earlier assessment tasks, you should apply this to your own ideas for research by explaining the current state of knowledge, knowledge gaps, and opportunities for research on your chosen topic. The presentation should include some ideas about how you could contribute to research in your chosen field and what approach you would take to instigate this work.
Due: Week 12
Weighting: 30%
First entry (due by Friday of Week 2): Why is environmental research important? Write a short reflective statement outlining why you have chosen to pursue a research project in the field of environmental science. Discuss your goals and motivations, and develop some preliminary ideas for research based on discussions with an academic staff member.
Second and third entries (due by Friday of Week 12): How do approaches to research differ? Write a short blog that critically assesses the approaches to research presented in at least two seminars (one blog entry per seminar). You should meet with the presenter in each case, and discuss their approaches with them. Your blog entries should consider the style of presentations, the scope and outcomes of the research, and potentially the merits and limitations of the research design and methods.
Please note that you are required to attend all Department of Environmental Sciences seminars in this session, as well as one external seminar if possible, from which you can select the seminars to form the basis of your blog entries.
ENVS700 includes classes/workshops, fieldwork, seminar attendance, directed reading of research papers, and discussion and critiquing of research topics. ENVS700 will make use of web-based teaching support through iLearn. Students require access to the internet and regular contact with the unit’s iLearn site, as well as the assignment submission program on ilearn, Turnitin. To complete assignments, students need access to Word processing programs and PowerPoint (or similar) for class presentations.
Timetable
See: https://timetables.mq.edu.au
Class schedule
The program is arranged around a series of classes/workshops/activities that cover key L&T activities and align with assessment tasks. In addition, students are expected to attend all Department of Environmental Sciences seminars (related to Assessment 4) and to be in regular contact with the unit convenor and other staff members most aligned to the research frontiers that they are exploring.
Week |
Date |
Activity |
Who |
Assessment |
1 |
1/3 |
Research in Environmental Sciences
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Emilie Ens |
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2 |
8/3 |
Research design and project management
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Mark Taylor |
First blog due (part of Assessment 4) |
3 |
15/3 |
Research strategies and stakeholders
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Emilie Ens |
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4 |
22/3 |
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5 |
29/3 |
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Assessment 1 due (30%) Fri 29/3 |
6 |
5/4 |
Field Site Visit – Balls Head Coal Loader |
Emilie Ens |
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7 |
12/4 |
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Mid-session break:15-26 April |
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8 |
3/5 |
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Assessment 2 due (20%) Fri 3/5 |
9 |
10/5 |
Panel: Research Frontiers and Scientific publishing (panel includes Tim Ralph, Mark Taylor, Kira Westaway, Paul Hesse) - open to all DES HDR students |
Tim Ralph and Mark Taylor |
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10 |
17/5 |
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11 |
24/5 |
Oral presentations |
Tim Ralph and Mark Taylor |
Assessment 3 (20%) |
12 |
31/5 |
Shaping your MRes |
Tim Ralph |
Assessment 4 (30%) |
13 |
7/6 |
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Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
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Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
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