Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Linda Beaumont
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Credit points |
Credit points
4
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MConsBiol or GradDipConsBiol or GradCertConsBiol or MEnv or MEnvPlan or GradDipEnv or MMarScMgt or MSusDev or GradDipSusDev or MSc or MPlan or MSocEntre
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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 focuses on the impacts of climate change, both those already observed and projections for the twenty-first century, on components of the Earth System including the physical environment, the marine and terrestrial biosphere, biodiversity, ecosystems goods and services, and human health and well-being.
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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:
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Weekly Quiz | 21% | No | weekly |
Discussion & participation | 15% | No | varied |
Impacts/Adaptation website | 24% | No | 3 October 2017 Wk 8 |
Adaptation Plan | 40% | No | 12 November 2017 |
Due: weekly
Weighting: 21%
Each week, from weeks 2 to 13, there will be an online multiple choice quiz. You will be required to complete at least seven of these (you can do more, in which case the seven highest scores will count towards the final grade). Each quiz will be worth 3% of your total grade. The quizzes will be based on the lecture, tutorial material and recommended readings for the lectures preceding the quiz. Quizzes will take < 1 hour each to complete and are designed to help you keep up with lecture material, identify where you need help or clarification and ensure that you develop a solid knowledge of the concepts introduced throughout this unit. Quizzes will ‘open’ on Tuesday mornings and remain open for a fortnight. No extensions will be given. Note that as questions will be randomly selected from an available pool, it is likely that students will receive different questions to one another.
Due: varied
Weighting: 15%
The ability to identify scientifically sound information on climate change and to communicate this to others is a prerequisite for advocacy, action and environmental literacy. Most weeks will have a one-hour class discussion, centred around the topic of that week. In week 2, students will be required to select two or more topics for which they would like to lead the discussion. The student(s) leading the discussion for a given week will be required to give a short (10 minute) informal talk about the topic, and facilitate a deeper discussion that all students are required to prepare for and participate in. More detailed information on this assessment and participation in general will be provided in week 1, and student-led discussions will begin in week 3.
Due: 3 October 2017 Wk 8
Weighting: 24%
As part of this unit, we will develop a website that can be used by members of the public to explore climate change impacts and adaptation in Australia. Each year, subsequent classes will add to the website. This activity will require that you identify a system that has already been impacted by climate change (either positively or negatively). You will then develop a summary, infographic and a more detailed 1000-word report for the system, outlining the impacts to date, future potential impacts and options to facilitate adaptation. You are strongly encouraged to make use of CC-0 images and graphs in the report, to aid with communication to a lay audience. All work must be backed by scientific evidence, with the report appropriately referenced. The report will also need to be uploaded through turnitin. Examples of potential systems to explore include, but are not limited to: loss of Gondwanan rainforest in Tasmania; Mangrove dieback in the Northern Territory; extreme temperature-driven mortality of wildlife; impacts of climate change on wine grapes; shifts to the timing of bird migration; shifts in bushfire frequency; increases in heat-related morbidity and mortality of humans; climate impacts on the NSW dairy industry).
Due: 12 November 2017
Weighting: 40%
Adaptation assessments are useful tools to identify actions that can be undertaken now or in the near future to anticipate the impacts of climate change and reduce vulnerability. For this assessment, you will select an area of interest (different to that which formed the basis of the impacts and adaptation website assessment) and follow one of several formats to develop an Adaptation Plan. You may select, for example, a major National Park or UNESCO World Heritage Area, a suburb or town, an industry in a given area (horticulture in the Hunter Valley; fisheries along the south-east coast), a health-related issue (rural Indigenous health; asthma), and so on. All topics must be selected in consultation with the unit convenor. The assessment will be approximately 3000 words in length.
Each week, the unit consists of a combination of lectures, tutorials and class discussion. All classes will be held Monday 9am – 12pm, in E4B 208.
ALL STUDENTS MUST ATTEND ALL CLASSES.
There is no text book that has been assigned to this unit, however essential readings will be given for each week.
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html
Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html
Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Results shown in iLearn, 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.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
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.
Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.
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Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.
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