Students
GEOP3020 – Disasters and Resilient Communities
2021 – Session 2, Fully online/virtual
Session 2 Learning and Teaching Update
The decision has been made to conduct study online for the remainder of Session 2 for all units WITHOUT mandatory on-campus learning activities. Exams for Session 2 will also be online where possible to do so.
This is due to the extension of the lockdown orders and to provide certainty around arrangements for the remainder of Session 2. We hope to return to campus beyond Session 2 as soon as it is safe and appropriate to do so.
Some classes/teaching activities cannot be moved online and must be taught on campus. You should already know if you are in one of these classes/teaching activities and your unit convenor will provide you with more information via iLearn. If you want to confirm, see the list of units with mandatory on-campus classes/teaching activities.
Visit the MQ COVID-19 information page for more detail.
General Information
Download as PDF
| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Convenor and lecturer
Richard Carter-White
Contact via Email
25B Wally's Walk, Room 421
Thursday 9 - 10am
Lecturer
Fiona Miller
|
|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
|
| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
130cp
|
| Corequisites |
Corequisites
|
| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
| Unit description |
Unit description
Disasters and extreme events, such as storms, floods, disease or bushfires, cause significant social, economic and environmental upheaval that directly affects people and places around the world. Resilience refers to the capacity of communities to anticipate, prepare and adapt to the risk of disaster and respond and recover when events occur. In the context of rapid climate change and ecological degradation, it is becoming increasingly urgent that communities plan for disaster and develop resilience strategies. This unit examines the social and biophysical origins of contemporary disasters, how disasters unfold at a range of sites and scales, how they are shaped by diverse geographies and vulnerabilities, the limits of community resilience, and how resilience can be improved. Contemporary cases from Australia and the Asia-Pacific region will be used to highlight key issues and policy debates. Overall, the unit will provide an understanding in both theory and practice about the ways in which communities respond to disaster and allow students to develop the skills and knowledge needed to pursue more resilient futures. |
Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- ULO1: Identify and discuss the causes and consequences of contemporary disasters
- ULO2: Engage with and critique the concepts of vulnerability and resilience in theory and practice
- ULO3: Evaluate projects and policies that seek to create more resilient futures
- ULO4: Synthesise data from the social and environmental sciences to assess disaster risks and develop strategies to improve local community resilience
- ULO5: Communicate to diverse audiences using appropriately selected written, oral and visual means
General Assessment Information
Late Submission Penalty
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – 10 marks out of 100 credit will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted seven days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline.
To successfully pass GEOP3020 students must complete all assessment tasks. Failure to complete any single assessment task may result in failure of the unit. The final grade is based on the total mark accumulated from all assessment tasks.
All students must keep a clean electronic copy of all assignments (preferably as a PDF) submitted for assessment.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logbook | 20% | No | Ongoing; submit 23:59 20/08/2021; 23:59 15/10/2021 |
| Essay | 30% | No | 23:59 10/09/2021 |
| Resilience strategy report and presentation | 50% | No | Pres. 13:00 21/10/2021 or 28/10/2021 Report 23:59 29/10/2021 |
Logbook
Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Ongoing; submit 23:59 20/08/2021; 23:59 15/10/2021
Weighting: 20%
A logbook with written reflections about the connections between disasters and resilience, drawing on media reports of Australian and Asia-Pacific case studies
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Identify and discuss the causes and consequences of contemporary disasters
- Engage with and critique the concepts of vulnerability and resilience in theory and practice
- Communicate to diverse audiences using appropriately selected written, oral and visual means
Essay
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 23:59 10/09/2021
Weighting: 30%
1500 word essay drawing connections between disasters and resilient communities
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Identify and discuss the causes and consequences of contemporary disasters
- Engage with and critique the concepts of vulnerability and resilience in theory and practice
- Evaluate projects and policies that seek to create more resilient futures
Resilience strategy report and presentation
Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 50 hours
Due: Pres. 13:00 21/10/2021 or 28/10/2021 Report 23:59 29/10/2021
Weighting: 50%
2000 word report and short presentation developing a resilience strategy for a case study area
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Identify and discuss the causes and consequences of contemporary disasters
- Engage with and critique the concepts of vulnerability and resilience in theory and practice
- Evaluate projects and policies that seek to create more resilient futures
- Synthesise data from the social and environmental sciences to assess disaster risks and develop strategies to improve local community resilience
- Communicate to diverse audiences using appropriately selected written, oral and visual means
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Delivery and Resources
Lectures
Lectures will be recorded and accessible via:
https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/tools-and-resources/ilearn/ilearn-quick-guides-for- students/lecture-recordings
Tutorials
GEOP3020 has a full schedule of online and on-campus tutorials that enhance your general and discipline-specific skills and knowledge. It is important that you attend all tutorials for GEOP3020. Please register for your tutorial via eStudent, and attend the same tutorial each week.
Recommended Texts and/or Materials
Weekly readings will be assigned during the session and may be accessed via iLearn.
Additionally, the following texts will be useful throughout the semester:
Bankoff, G., Frerks, F. & Hilhorst, D. (Eds.) (2004) Mapping Vulnerability: Disasters, Development and People. Earthscan: London.
Krüger, F., Bankoff, G., Cannon, T., Orlowski, B. & Schipper, E. L. F. (2015) Cultures and Disasters: Understanding Cultural Framings in Disaster Risk Reduction. Routledge: London and New York.
Lukasiewicz, A. & Baldwin, C. (2020) Natural Hazards and Disaster Justice. Springer Nature Singapore: Singapore.
Wisner, B., Blaikie, P., Cannon, T. & Davis, I. (2004) At Risk: Natural Hazards, People's Vulnerability and Disasters (2nd Edition). Routledge: London.
Wisner, B., Gaillard, J. C. & Kelman, I. (2012) Handbook of Hazards and Disaster Risk Reduction. Routledge: London.
Unit webpage
The webpage for this unit can be found at iLearn, the Macquarie University online learning system at https://ilearn.mq.edu.au. iLearn has both a discussion board and an internal email system. The webpage will provide you with access to lectures through the University's echo360 lecture recording facility, as well as to follow-up discussion, links, readings and forum discussions. Access to the website is essential to complete GEOP3020.
Unit Schedule
GEOP3020 consists of the following modules:
- Introduction
- Guiding concepts
- Assessing vulnerability
- Disaster mitigation
- Disaster recovery
- Resilience strategies
- Review and conclusion
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Grade Appeal Policy
- Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
Results
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
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Student Services and Support
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
Student Enquiries
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Unit information based on version 2021.02 of the Handbook