Course Catalogue

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Level 2 Geography course providing an understanding of key principles and current issues in human, physical and environmental geographies.

Lecture - Monday to Thursday  - 10.00 am; weekly laboratory at 2 pm - 5 pm; approximately 10 fortnightly tutorials.

Grade D in Geography 1.

CA consists of 2 class essays (12.5% each); practical work (15% in total), exam at end of semester 1 (30%) and semester 2 (30%).

Reassessment for practical classes is not available.

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

(1) Globalisation and Localisation

To evaluate the geographical implications, expressed in economic, political and cultural terms, arising from globalisation, and its local impacts;

To assess critically the theories and their supportive evidence underlying the global/local nexus;

To critically assess the processes and agents linked to global and local shifts.

(2) Process and Form in Physical Geography

To examine the operation and effects of major processes in physical geography by interrelating process and form and demonstrating how landforms and processes change over time;

To introduce applied aspects of physical geography with reference to relevant case studies.

(3) Environmental Geography

To illustrate the environmental approach, thereby complementing the regional approach taken in Level 1 Geography;

To critically assess global environmental issues, demonstrating the linkages between physical and human geography on the ground and the problems they pose for policy makers.

(4) Laboratory Practicals

To collect and evaluate sources of primary and secondary data;

To acquire quantitative and qualitative techniques appropriate for analysing data widely used by human and physical geographers.

(5) Tutorials 

To acquire the ability (with the aid of background reading) to contribute effectively to discussions on geographical issues using the requisite oral and presentation skills.

(6) Reading and Writing skills - the ability to be precise and, through oral and written  presentation, develop skills of critical evaluation;

(7) Bibliographic skills - students will be expected to read widely and to make full use of library resources. (Training on the proper use of GUL, including computer searches, is included with the Level 2 programme)

At the end of the course students should be able to:

Subject specific learning objectives

(1) GLOBALISATION AND LOCALISATION

■ critically assess the processes underlying global and local shifts within the world economy.

■ appreciate and be critically aware of the linkages between economic shifts, geopolitical contexts and outcomes and cultural processes.

■ apply the analytical, conceptual and theoretical frameworks underpinning global and local shifts.

■ have developed a critical awareness of the essential spatiality of contemporary economic, political and cultural processes.

(2) PROCESS AND FORM IN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

■ explain critically the major mechanisms of climate changes over various timescales and to assess the impacts of such changes on geomorphic processes and landscape development.

■ assess process/form relationships in geomorphology.

■ possess an introductory knowledge of the applications of physical geography to real world problems.

(3) ENVIRONMENTAL GEOGRAPHY

■ assess critically alternative viewpoints on major environmental issues.

■ analyse both critically and discursively the physical and human aspects of ongoing environmental problems, with emphasis on the differentiation of raw data and interpretation.

(4) LABORATORY PRACTICALS

■ evaluate the appropriateness of data sources for specific purposes

■ apply quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques appropriately

(5) TUTORIALS

■ contribute effectively to debate associated with geographic issues

Transferable skill-learning objectives

■ further develop their ability to summarize arguments in a balanced way and, through oral and written presentations, to critically evaluate them.

■ further develop their bibliographical skills through reading widely and making full use of library and electronic resources.

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