Unit Outline

Practical, public policy-orientated lectures and tutorials in this unit explore the practical issues of resource management using international, Australian and Tasmanian case studies. There will be specific focus on the sustainable yield of fisheries and the management of forests for multiple uses. Students will also study non-renewable resources such as mining. Students will learn how to apply economic concepts to analyse the causes of resource degradation and to evaluate alternative policy options to resolve resource management problems. By the end of the unit, students will have engaged in discussion and analysis of the complex trade-offs involved in crafting policy responses to resource management issues.

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.	Examine environmental and natural resource issues and policies using the economic way of thinking.
2.	Apply economic concepts and techniques to analyse environmental and natural resource issues and critically evaluate policy responses.
3.	Analyse environmental and resource problems as failures of the economic system to properly coordinate people's incentives and actions.
4.	Communicate economics in oral and written format.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Anti-requisite (mutual excl)	BEA308

Alterations as a result of student feedback

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:	Short Answer Questions	Week 6	20 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	Presentation	Week 11	10 %	LO4
Assessment Task 3:	Research Paper	Week 12	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 4:	Take home Examination	Exam Period	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Short Answer Questions

Task Description:

This assessment will comprise of multi-part questions based on the content covered in Weeks 1 to 5.

Task Length:

12 hours

Due Date:

Week 6

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Define and explain a range of key concepts in environmental and natural resource economics.	LO1
2	Apply economic thinking to help understand and interpret environmental and natural resource issues and policies.	LO1
3	Use graphs and mathematical tools to evaluate specific environmental and natural resource issues and policies.	LO2
4	Apply welfare analysis to explain how an economic system may fail.	LO3
5	Assess and compare merits and alternative of environmental and resource policies to remedy market failures.	LO3

Assessment Task 2: Presentation

Task Description:

This assessment will ask you to produce a 10-minute video that summarises the content of your project. The assessment is designed to develop your communication skills to present economic arguments clearly to an audience. Detailed guidelines and instructions will be posted on MyLo.

Task Length:

You will be required to create a 10-minute video about your project.

Due Date:

Week 11

Weight:

10 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Develop and justify in an oral form an argument to an audience.	LO4

Assessment Task 3: Research Paper

Task Description:

This assignment is designed to develop your ability to apply the skills of sound economic reasoning to natural resource issues and policy evaluations. It will also develop your ability to present economic arguments and analyses clearly and convincingly in written form. Detailed guidelines and instructions will be provided on MyLo.

Task Length:

Maximum 2,500 words

Due Date:

Week 12

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Define and explain a range of key concepts in environmental and natural resource economics.	LO1
2	Apply economic thinking to help understand and interpret environmental and natural resource issues and policies.	LO1
3	Use graphs and mathematical tools to evaluate specific environmental and natural resource issues and policies.	LO2
4	Apply welfare analysis to explain how an economic system may fail.	LO3
5	Assess and compare merits and alternative of environmental and resource policies to remedy market failures.	LO3
6	Produce clear economic interpretation, analysis and policy advice in written form and supported by diagrams or mathematics.	LO4
7	Report on and defend the presented argument in a written form.	LO4

Assessment Task 4: Take home Examination

Task Description:

The take home exam will comprise of multi-part questions. The exam will cover all the content covered during the semester.

Task Length:

24 hours

Due Date:

Exam Period

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Define and explain a range of key concepts in environmental and natural resource economics.	LO1
2	Apply economic thinking to help understand and interpret environmental and natural resource issues and policies.	LO1
3	Use graphs and mathematical tools to evaluate specific environmental and natural resource issues and policies.	LO2
4	Apply welfare analysis to explain how an economic system may fail.	LO3
5	Assess and compare merits and alternative of environmental and resource policies to remedy market failures.	LO3
6	Produce clear economic interpretation, analysis and policy advice in written form and supported by diagrams or mathematics.	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.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

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.