Unit Guide

General Information

Unit convenor and teaching staff	Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor, Lecturer Dr Alexandra Carthey alexandra.carthey@mq.edu.au Contact via Email Associate Professor Katherine Dafforn katherine.dafforn@mq.edu.au Contact via Email Lecturer Lauren Tynan lauren.tynan@mq.edu.au Contact via Email
Credit points	Credit points 10
Prerequisites	Prerequisites
Corequisites	Corequisites
Co-badged status	Co-badged status
Unit description	Unit description This unit explores human interactions with the environment through the lens of sustainability and connectivity; concepts that are central to environmental management in our ever-changing world. It will help students to understand their environment from social and scientific viewpoints and will demonstrate how an interdisciplinary approach to environmental management is integral to human and ecosystem health. Current, real-world examples from terrestrial and marine ecosystems, social systems, atmospheric and climate systems, and their dynamic interplay encourage critical thinking about environmental management issues in Australia and globally. This unit is designed for students who care about the environment and the world's future and will lay firm foundations for a range of environmental and geographical studies.

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: Define the core concepts of environmental management, including society, environment, sustainability and connectivity.
ULO2: Describe examples of the ways that population, environment and resources interact to affect human societies and ecosystems, from local to global scales.
ULO3: Utilise maps, graphs and other forms of environmental and social data to analyse the key relationships in environmental and human systems.
ULO4: Critically review information relating to environmental management issues and communicate the results to a target audience.
ULO5: Demonstrate foundational learning skills including active engagement in the learning process.

General Assessment Information

Hurdle Assessments

Practice-based task

Development of knowledge and skills requires continual practice at authentic problems in a university setting. This unit has weekly classes and you must demonstrate your progress in developing and communicating knowledge and skills by submitting a minimum of 11 out of 12 weekly blogs based on the weekly readings, related summary and worksheet for each weekly class. This is a hurdle assessment meaning that failure to meet this requirement may result in a fail grade for the unit. Submitting fewer than 11 weekly blogs will require approval of Special Consideration (see below).

Assessment criteria

Assessment at Macquarie is standards-based, as outlined in the Assessment Policy. This means that your work in ENVS1018 will be assessed against clear criteria, and these criteria will be made available to you via iLearn before the assessment tasks are due.

Submission of Assessment Tasks

All assessment tasks in ENVS1018 must be submitted online through iLearn and Turnitin. Links for the submission of each assessment task will be available on iLearn. Your assignments will be marked and your grades will be returned to you in the online Gradebook, along with feedback noted on the assignment itself. Please do not submit email or hard copies of your assignments.

Penalties for late submission of assessment tasks

Late Assessment Submission Penalty

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark of the task) will be applied for each day a written report or presentation assessment is not submitted, up until the 7^th day (including weekends). After the 7^th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. The submission time for all uploaded assessments is 11:55 pm. A 1-hour grace period will be provided to students who experience a technical concern. For any late submission of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, please apply for Special Consideration.

Assessments where Late Submissions will be accepted

Assessments 2, 3, 4 – YES, Standard Late Penalty applies

Extensions for Assessments

To obtain an extension for an assessment task, you need to follow the formal process as outlined in the Special Consideration policy. You can submit your case for special consideration via ask.mq.edu.au and you must provide appropriate supporting documentation (e.g. medical certificate).

Return of Marked Assessments

Due to the large number of students in ENVS1018, we aim to return your assignments with feedback within three weeks of the date that you submit your assignment, and before your next assignment is due. We will advise you through iLearn when your marked assignments are available for viewing.

Special Consideration

The Special Consideration Policy aims to support students who have been impacted by short-term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable and significantly disruptive, and which may affect their performance in assessment.

Written Assessments: If you experience circumstances or events that affect your ability to complete the written assessments in this unit on time, please inform the convenor and submit a Special Consideration request through ask.mq.edu.au.

Weekly practice-based tasks: To pass the unit you need to demonstrate ongoing development of skills and application of knowledge in 11 out of 12 of the weekly practical classes. If you miss a weekly practical class due to a serious, unavoidable and significant disruption, contact your convenor ASAP as you may be able to attend another class that week. If it is not possible to attend another class, you should still contact your convenor for access to class material to review in your own time.

Note that a Special Consideration should only be applied for if you miss more than one of the weekly practical classes.

Assessment Tasks

Name	Weighting	Hurdle	Due
Online quiz	15%	No	22 Aug (Quiz 1a); 3 Oct (Quiz 1b); 31 Oct (Quiz 1c)
Data analysis	30%	No	11.55pm 1st September
Podcast	25%	No	11.55pm 6 October
Practice-Based Task	0%	Yes	Each week, as per Class Schedule
Poster	30%	No	11.55pm 3rd November

Online quiz

Assessment Type ¹: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task ²: 8 hours
Due: 22 Aug (Quiz 1a); 3 Oct (Quiz 1b); 31 Oct (Quiz 1c)
Weighting: 15%

Online quizzes covering key concepts