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  6. GG3052: Approaches To Earth And Environmental Science

GG3052: APPROACHES TO EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (2023-2024)

Last modified: 20 Oct 2023 15:46


Course Overview

This year-long core course is designed to give Joint Honours students an advanced introduction to the history, philosophy and methodology of the earth and environmental sciences.  The first part examines key conceptual debates and innovations.  Topics include: the discovery of 'deep time', the development of ideas about ice ages, the 'quantitative revolution' in physical geography post-1945, the importance of digital technologies and the influence of environmentalism.  The second part, designed to support students' own project work, addresses the implications for research: e.g., the possibilities and pitfalls of different qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 3
Session Full Year Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Nicholas P. Spedding

Qualification Prerequisites

  • Either Programme Level 3 or Programme Level 4

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Either BSc Archaeology-Geography (Studied) or BSc Geography-Geoscience (Studied)
  • Any Undergraduate Programme (Studied)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

This course is designed to introduce students to key debates, both past and present, on the nature and scope of the earth and environmental sciences. As such it provides essential background for study of physical geography/geosciences at an advanced level. Content will include key aspects of the history of the earth and environmental sciences (e.g., the discovery of "deep time", the development of ideas about ice ages, the impact of evolutionary theory, the quantitative revolution in physical geography post-1945, the importance of digital technologies, the influence of environmentalism). We relate these to important concepts used to structure explanation in the earth sciences (e.g., uniformitarianism, historical approaches vs. process studies, systems and models). The last third of the course addresses the implications for research (e.g., the possibilities and pitfalls of different qualitative and quantitative approaches).

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 31 August 2023 for 1st half-session courses and 22 December 2023 for 2nd half-session courses.

Summative Assessments

Coursework

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Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
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Oral Presentation: Individual

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 50
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Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
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Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Resit Assessments

Resit failed element in same format

Assessment Type Summative Weighting
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Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
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Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
FactualRememberILO’s for this course are available in the course guide.
 

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