Unit Outline

This introductory unit develops your knowledge of how people depend on nature, and how increasingly the conservation of nature depends on people. We will explore these relationships through a values lens: how nature is important for its own sake, how natural resources are important to people, and how nature is important for people's wellbeing. Workshops will provide you with skills to map social and ecological landscapes, argue for the conservation and use of nature, and present your evaluations and arguments to others. Some workshops will be conducted in the field in and around Hobart and Launceston, with virtual field trips and workshops for distance students. This unit will be useful in a wide variety of occupations and professions in government, environmental NGOs, and industry - as well as your personal understanding of nature.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1	solve conservation and sustainability challenges using geographical knowledge of ecological and social systems
2	identify and analyse different value positions that shape human relationships with nature
3	apply geographical skills to collect ecological and social data, and use this to create basic maps and graphs
4	communicate critical thinking through literature‐based research, visual presentation of geographic data, teamwork and practices of academic integrity

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Anti-requisite (mutual excl)	JFA109 AND KGA122 AND KGA152 AND KGA162 XPD123

Alterations as a result of student feedback

Student feedback obtained via eVALUate surveys and other means contributes to the development of this unit. Changes in 2023 that address student feedback include revising pre-recorded lectures and workshop activities, and revised design and marking for assessment tasks. We deeply appreciate students taking the time to share their thoughts on this unit with us - it supports us to continuously improve the unit.

Teaching arrangements


ATTENDANCE MODE	TEACHING TYPE	LEARNING ACTIVITY	CONTACT HOURS	FREQUENCY
On Campus	Lecture (On Campus)	Pre-recorded (asynchronous) lectures in MyLO	1	Weekly
	Seminar	Live (virtual or in person) lecture or discussion	1	Weekly
	Workshop	In-person workshops for students to engage with content, skills and each other	3	Weekly
	Fieldwork	During workshop time, there will be two field trips to local parks.	3	Once only (2 times)
	Independent Learning	Outside of scheduled activities, students will be expected to read materials via MyLO and working on assessment tasks, including working with group members	6	Weekly
Online	Independent Learning	Outside of scheduled activities, students will be expected to read materials via MyLO and working on assessment tasks, including working with group members	6	Weekly
	Workshop (Online)	Online, synchronous workshops for students to engage with content, skills and each other	3	Weekly
	Online Class	Synchronous, online lecture or discussion	1	Weekly
	Lecture (Online)	Pre-recorded (asynchronous) lectures in MyLO	1	Weekly

Attendance/Engagement Expectations

If your unit is offered On campus, it is expected that you will attend all on-campus and onsite learning activities. This is to support your own learning and the development of a learning community within the unit. If you are unable to attend regularly, please discuss the situation with your course coordinator and/or our UConnect support team.

If your unit is offered Online, it is expected you will engage in all those activities as indicated in the Unit Outline, including any self-directed learning.

If you miss a learning activity for a legitimate reason (e.g., illness, carer responsibilities) teaching staff will attempt to provide alternative activities (e.g., make up readings) where it is possible.

For online students, it is also expected that you will attend all synchronous learning activities (live seminars, and workshops).

For group assessment tasks, it is expected that students will coordinate with group members outside of scheduled class time.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
ASSESSMENT TASK 1:	Fortnightly Quizzes	Refer to Assessment Description	30 %	LO1, LO2
ASSESSMENT TASK 2:	Workshop portfolio	Refer to Assessment Description	15 %	LO1, LO3, LO4
ASSESSMENT TASK 3:	Vegetation condition assessment	Refer to Assessment Description	20 %	LO1, LO3, LO4
ASSESSMENT TASK 4:	Conservation management proposal	Refer to Assessment Description	35 %	LO1, LO2, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Fortnightly Quizzes

TASK DESCRIPTION:

Weekly online quizzes to consolidate understanding of lectures, includes multiple choice, true/false and missing word questions.

TASK LENGTH:

Half an hour per quiz

DUE DATE:

Refer to Assessment Description

WEIGHT:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME


1	Answer questions using geographical knowledge of ecological and social systems	LO1, LO2
2	Answer questions about human relationships with nature	LO1, LO2

Assessment Task 2: Workshop portfolio

TASK DESCRIPTION:

This assessment is a portfolio of three workshop tasks: a species list, spatial map and data visualisation. There is time in workshops dedicated to these tasks, though tasks may need to be completed outside of workshops. The tasks are submitted individually as three separate parts throughout the semester.

TASK LENGTH:

Can be completed within workshops

DUE DATE:

Refer to Assessment Description

WEIGHT:

15 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME


1	Demonstrate geographical skills to describe ecological and social systems	LO1, LO3, LO4
2	Present relevant and accurate geographical information	LO1, LO3, LO4
3	Communicate geographical thinking to a professional standard	LO1, LO3, LO4

Assessment Task 3: Vegetation condition assessment

TASK DESCRIPTION:

In groups, you will conduct a Vegetation Condition Assessment in the field (or virtually), a standard and widely used tool for conducting biodiversity assessments in Tasmania (with similar tools used in other states). In your group, you will then combine this information with a desktop assessment of vegetation at the same location, and analyse and discuss similarities and differences between the different approaches.

TASK LENGTH:

Approximately 1000 words

DUE DATE:

Refer to Assessment Description

WEIGHT:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME


1	Use geographical skills to organise and interpret biodiversity and values contexts of your chosen location	LO1, LO3, LO4
2	Effectively communicate evidence-based geographical thinking	LO1, LO3, LO4
3	Effectively and respectfully contribute to group activities	LO4

Assessment Task 4: Conservation management proposal

TASK DESCRIPTION:

The purpose of this task is to present an information sheet that argues for the conservation of biodiversity, using scientific evidence, in a multiple use context. You will choose a topic:
• managing for biodiversity in fisheries
• managing for biodiversity in production forests
• managing for biodiversity in agricultural settings
• managing for biodiversity in wilderness tourism
• managing for biodiversity in urban development
This project should build on your portfolio skills and be inspired by the workshop activities and lectures, and include maps and data visualisations.
Individually, you will produce a short document that summarises the evidence about biodiversity and threats in the context of that land use, and argue the benefits of conserving biodiversity for managers in that setting.

TASK LENGTH:

1750 words

DUE DATE:

Refer to Assessment Description

WEIGHT:

35 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME


1	Organise and interpret relevant components of a biodiversity context	LO1, LO2, LO4
2	Organise and interpret relevant components of a values context	LO1, LO2, LO4
3	Identify and analyse relevant information to make suitable recommendations for actions to improve biodiversity outcomes	LO1, LO2, LO4
4	Effectively communicate evidence-based geographical thinking	LO1, LO2, LO4
5	Apply geographical skills of mapping and data visualisation to effectively present geographic information	LO1, LO2, LO4

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late Penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.

Required resources

Required Reading Materials

The textbook is: Dahlman, C.T. and Renwick, W.H. 2015. Introduction to Geography: People, Places & Environment, 6th edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River NJ which is available online through the library. This textbook will not cover all lectures.
Other readings available through the library electronic system or downloadable through MyLO will be listed in the lecture material in MyLO.