KE4015 - Environmental Challenges - Global to Local

You will learn though a mixture of lectures, seminars, fieldwork and laboratory sessions. Your timetabled activities will be supplemented by substantive online learning tools made available via the module’s electronic learning platform (eLP) to broaden and deepen your understanding.

Lectures will be used to introduce key concepts and principles, with an emphasis on real world case studies; helping you to understand the causes of current global, regional and local issues (e.g. microplastic and heavy metal pollution, global warming, urban and rural development) and how they may be addressed and managed in the future. Seminars will provide you with a fuller appreciation of select topics with group discussions around interactive reading lists.

You will develop new field and laboratory based practical skills through fieldwork, sample collection and analysis.

Initially, you will receive a series of lectures to give you the fundamental framework and knowledge needed to understand environmental chemistry and human impact on our planet. During the lectures and seminars you will be able (and encouraged to) discuss and ask questions. Fieldwork and associated practicals will allow you to work in small groups with a range of teaching staff whilst you conduct your own environmental research, exploring a natural environment and how its influenced by human impacts. In the field and in the lab you will interact closely with teaching staff who will provide formative support and feedback on activities leading up to the assessment tasks,
Staff will support you whilst you put to practice your theoretical knowledge by teaching you new field techniques and skills.

Class materials will be supplemented by a series of online resources on the module eLP site. This includes electronic reading lists and a series of guided lectures that can be followed in your own time.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
• MLO 1: Discuss the key chemical and physical principles associated with global and regional scale processes.

• MLO 2: Explain how humans influence natural environmental systems.

• MLO 3: Conduct environmental research and present the findings clearly.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
• MLO 4: Demonstrate key field and laboratory based analytical skills.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
• MLO 5: Work effectively as part of a team during fieldwork and laboratory work towards presenting final report.

Theoretical knowledge will be tested in a short-answer open-book 24h test, which will contribute 50% of the overall module assessment. (MLOs 1,2). The test will be held in the middle of the semester

Field- and laboratory skills and soft skills will be assessed in a written final report. In small groups, you will collect, measure and analyse a range of abiotic (physical and chemical) and biotic (invertebrates) parameters. Formative feedback will be provided to each group during the data gathering and analysis process, and prior to report delivery. Using collective data from all groups, and your individual observations you will also produce reports worth 50% toward the overall module assessment (MLOs 3, 4 and 5).

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In this module you will learn about the natural environment and how humans are affecting it. The module covers a broad range of topics, focusing on the chemical basis upon which we can understand our global and local surroundings, and identify how they are undergoing change.. Your will gain a deeper understanding of critical issues related to global environmental change and Earth System Science concepts though a series of lectures, seminars and online resources. Covered topics include anthropogenic impacts like e.g.: microplastic pollution and global warming, and the mitigation measures. The class teaching will be complemented by hands-on field enquiry and laboratory practical, allowing you to develop analytical skills, and train you in interpreting diverse measurement types (e.g. chemical and ecological data).
As a core Level 4 module, you will meet a series of research active staff and learn key skills necessary to equip you for the rest of your degree programme.

In addition to learning key concepts that will be needed throughout your degree, you will also gain a deeper appreciation of current issues that face the world today and approaches that can be used to help mitigate its impact (climate- and environment literacy).
On completion of the module, you will have learnt fundamental skills that will open up new employment opportunities.