Collard Roy (2009) The Physical Geography of Landscape. Collins Educational
Edwards and King (1999) Geoscience Understanding Geological Processes. Hodder and Stoughton
Gillett J and M (2003) Physical Environments. Hodder and Stoughton
Butler J (1988) Geography Skills. Hutchinson
Lenon and Cleves (Jun 2001) Fieldwork Techniques in Geography. Collins Educational
Frampton S, Chaffey J and McNaught A, Natural Hazards, Causes, Consequences and Management. Hodder and Stoughton
Carr M. New Patterns: Processes and change in Human Geography. Nelson.
Jackson, A. R. W and J.M. Jackson (2000) Environmental Science: The natural environment and human impact (2nd edn). Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.

An EXAM length 1.5 HOURS weighted at 60%. A FIELD WORK weighted at 24%. And a Study skills portfolio (16%)

End of module examination (to test skills developed in outcomes 1 to 4, 60% of available marks) Duration 1.5 hours

Fieldwork report totalling 1500 words (or equivalent) (to assess outcomes 3, 4 and 5, 24% of available marks)

A study skills portfolio (to assess learning outcome 5, 16% of available marks) (please see additional assessment information)

Additional Assessment Information:
Students will be required to complete 2 pieces of summative assessment, namely coursework and an end of module examination. These will be used to assess both mastery of the subject of each module and the attainment of study skills. Both elements will be used to assess the former of these (these elements will, respectively, be given weightings of 40 % and 60%), whilst study skills will be wholly assessed via the coursework element. In each case, the nature of the coursework will be chosen to develop one or more facets of study skills, such as report writing, essay writing, oral presentation, problem solving, use of IT, teamwork and information retrieval. A tutor will be assigned to monitor and coordinate study skills provision across the modules, thereby ensuring that each student has the opportunity to attain and be assessed in each of the study skills learning outcomes. By the end of each teaching block, each students overall performance across all 7 of the study skills outcomes will have been assessed. For each student the mark attained will then form 40% of the coursework mark for each module. By this means, the study skills element of each module is given a weighting of 16% of the available marks (i.e. 0.4 x 40).

Students will be provided with formative assessment and feedback via:
Continuous informal feedback in class and mid-module tests

Study Skills

An ability to:
1. Think critically and examine practical problems from the scientific perspective. SS1, SS2, K&U, L, An, PS, Ap.
2. Collect, interpret and report results in a variety of media. SS1, SS2, K&U, L, E, An, PS, C, Ap.
3. Work individually and as a team member in the solving of problems. SS1, L, E, An, PS, Ap.
4. Show a basic working ability with a range of PC and IT based software. SS1, C.
5. Display a basic understanding of the fundamental basis of scientific endeavour. SS1, SS2, K&U, L, An, PS, Ap.
6. Undertake self-appraisal of learning achievements and understand the need for and value of a reflective approach to intellectual and personal development and thereby have begun to develop a sense of awareness and a degree of responsibility for their own learning. SS1, L, R.
7. Display familiarity and competence in the use of basic 'study skills'. SS1, C.

Note that these study skills learning outcomes are common to all of the modules of the Science Foundation Year. Also, note that the letter codes following the individual learning outcomes refer to the learning outcomes for the Science Foundation Year as a whole. For details, see Table 1 of the Science Foundation Year Programme Specification.

Meet the admissions requirements of the Science Foundation Year

Standard lecture room and appropriate laboratory facilities, access to library and to computers

Subject Specific
Nine of the 57 hours of contact time will be dedicated to the delivery of study skills (see below). The remaining 48 hours of contact time will be devoted to Earth Science and will made up of a mixture of lectures, tutorials, practical work and field visits. There will be 4 hours of class contact time per week. Formative learning will be aided by assignments and class tests. Summative learning will be assessed by an end of module test, coursework assessment and classwork assignments. There are 81 h set aside for independent study of Earth Science (plus 12 hours for Study Skills - see below). During this time you will be expected to work on material such as problems, written reports/assignments and general background material.


Study Skills
When the Science Foundation Year is viewed as a whole, there are 72 hours of class contact and 96 hours of independent study (guided reading, tutorial tasks etc.) that are dedicated to study skills. All modules will have an equal share of this time. The 72 hours of class contact will be spread evenly throughout the teaching year and will be split between tutorials (48 hours) and IT workshops (24 hours). The tutorial programme will be designed to emphasise and develop independent study, whilst delivering the study skills indicative content outlined above. The dedicated IT workshops are to familiarise the students with the use of the common computer packages, indicated above, within a scientific context. . The overall ethos will be one of encouraging active learning and developing a sense of responsibility for learning.

Subject Specific
This module will include key concepts of global environmental change over a range of timescales, in different ways and to varying degrees.
Change as a result of natural processes and due to human activities largely to do with resource exploitation and settlement.
Specific events and places will be used to illustrate the interaction of processes in geology, geomorphology and the biosphere.
The implications for the growth of economies will be considered and the consequences for global environmental change will be addressed.