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School of Geographical and Earth Sciences
The University of Glasgow
Geography 2 (60 Credits)
Course Handbook
2018-2019
You can also keep up-to-date with the latest news from the School of Geographical & Earth Sciences by following us on Twitter @UofGGES.
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Geography 2 Staff Welcome to Geography 2 from all of us! We’re looking forward to meeting you over the next academic year. In this handbook, you’ll find information on the course, timetables, and assessment. It’s likely that information will shift throughout the year—so be sure to frequently check Moodle and your email for any announcements.
Course Convener: Dr. Ian Shaw [email protected] (East Quad, 403) Ian is responsible for any personal / pastoral issues or anything not covered by the staff contacts below. Course Co-convener: Dr. Lazaros Karaliotas, [email protected] (East Quad 507) Lazaros is responsible for exams and essays in Level 2.
Dr. Martin Hurst [email protected] (East Quad, 404)
Ø Martin is running the Cardiff Fieldtrip - contact him for any fieldtrip questions. Anne Dunlop [email protected] (East Quad, 307)
Ø Anne oversees teaching administration, scheduling, and good causes. The following staff oversee the practical labs:
Ø Dr. Martin Hurst, GIS/Stats in Semester 1, sediments labs in Semester 2. [email protected]
Ø Dr. Ian Shaw, qualitative labs in Semester 2. Lecturing Staff Thorsten Balke TB [email protected] Kate Botterill KB Emma Cardwell EW [email protected] Deborah Dixon DD [email protected] David Featherstone DF [email protected] Martin Hurst MH [email protected] Lazaros Karaliotas LK [email protected] Emma Laurie EL [email protected] Hannah Mathers HM [email protected] Larissa Naylor LN [email protected] Simon Naylor SN [email protected] Hester Parr HP [email protected] Ian Shaw IS [email protected] Rhian Thomas RT [email protected] Susan Waldron SW [email protected] Emailing is a great way of getting hold of us—but sometimes it’s best just to drop by our office, especially if your request is urgent. We will typically email you back during normal working hours. When emailing, include your full name, an appropriate subject header, and specific details about your query (such as the time and date of your class etc).
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(1) Level 2 Lectures Geography2 is comprised of three components: (1) Lectures, (2) Practicals (labs), and (3) Tutorials. The following lecture timetable will shift throughout the year—so please regularly check Moodle and your email for updated lecture scheduling.
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(2) Level 2 Labs The lab program is designed to teach you a range of important research skills. You are required to attend compulsory labs every week. Labs are timetabled from Monday to Thursday between 2:00-5:00pm, and Friday 1-4pm. The sediments labs will use the full 3 hours allotted, whereas the Data Analysis and Qualitative Methods labs will be 2-hour sessions. You will have been assigned a practical slot during registration that will provide further information on the location.
Week Beginning Lab Convener Lab Title 24 September 2018 Martin Hurst Data Analysis and GIS 1 October Martin Hurst Data Analysis and GIS 8 October Martin Hurst Data Analysis and GIS 15 October Martin Hurst Data Analysis and GIS 22 October Martin Hurst Data Analysis and GIS 29 October Martin Hurst Data Analysis and GIS 5 October Martin Hurst Data Analysis and GIS 12 November Martin Hurst Data Analysis and GIS 19 November Martin Hurst Data/ GIS (Assessment Due one week
after your final lab) Christmas Break
14 Jan 2019 Ian Shaw Qualitative Research Methods 21 Jan Ian Shaw Qualitative Research Methods 28 Jan Ian Shaw Qualitative Research Methods 4 Feb Ian Shaw Qualitative Research Methods 11 Feb Martin Hurst Sediment Labs 18 Feb Martin Hurst Sediment Labs 25 Feb Martin Hurst Sediment Labs 4 March Martin Hurst Sediment Labs 11 March Martin Hurst Sediment Labs (Assessment due one
week after your final lab)
(3) Level 2 Tutorials There are 10 compulsory tutorials that last one hour and take place every other week. There is a mixture of human, physical, and environmental. Your attendance will be monitored. Provisional program:
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Level 2 Assessment (overseen by Lazaros Karaliotas) Your assessment is a combination of coursework (40%) and exams (60%). The weighting of each is shown in the table below. If you intend to take geography at honours level, you must also achieve a minimum of a pass on the work associated with the residential field class in Cardiff 2019.
Description Weighting Deadline
Semester 1 Essay 1,500-word essay, submitted on Moodle.
12.5% Before 10am, Monday 12 November 2018.
Semester 1 Lab Coursework
A report on data analysis and visualization
7.5% Report due at the end of the Semester 1 lab in November.
Semester 1 Exam Winter 2-hour exam. 2 questions answered.
30% Winter exam diet begins December 3, 2018. Exact dates TBC.
Semester 2 Essay 1,500-word essay,
submitted on Moodle.
12.5% Before 10am, Monday 25 February, 2019.
Semester 2 Lab Coursework
Assessment that is associated with the sediments lab
7.5% Taken during the last week of the sediments labs
Semester 2 Exam Spring 2-hour exam. 2 questions answered.
30% Spring exam diet begins April 22, 2019. Exact dates TBC.
Cardiff Field Class Notebook
A notebook of field observations from Cardiff
Completion required for Honours
Submitted at the end of Cardiff field class in March - April 2019
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Exams (60% of grade) There will be two exams, one in each semester. Examples are on Moodle and the end of this Handbook.
Ø In semester 1 exams, you answer two questions from a human AND a physical geography section.
Ø In semester 2, you also answer two questions. However, you must now select two questions from three separate sections: physical, human, and environmental.
Detailed information and support regarding the examination procedures can be found on the University webpage: http://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/students/academic/examsupport/ Essays (25% of grade) You must submit one essay each semester of 1,500 words (worth 12.5% each). Past essays are available on Moodle.
Ø Semester 1 questions are on human and physical geography topics. Ø Semester 2 questions are on physical, human, and environmental geography.
Late submissions incur penalties (2 points per day, and after five days a grade of H is awarded). Good Causes and extensions should follow University of Glasgow policy. For Good Causes, the School’s Learning and Teaching Committee will review each case (NOT the convener). Questions? Please ask Anne Dunlop. See also: https://www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_420013_en.pdf
Ø Your essay should be within 10% (plus or minus) of 1,500 words. This word limit does not include figures, tables, or references.
Ø Regularly save and back up your work, as computing issues will not be considered a suitable excuse for late submission
Ø Your essay should have a clear introduction and conclusion Ø Your submission should not contain your name, or any other identifying information, just
the essay title and your student ID. Ø You must tick the plagiarism declaration box when submitting your essay.
Grading Assessment in the School follows the University 22-point scale following the School Grade Related Criteria. See the back pages of this handout. Plagiarism Do not plagiarise. Follow the University of Glasgow’s plagiarism policy. http://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/senateoffice/studentcodes/students/studentconduct/ The University Student Learning Services also offers guidance. If you are in ANY doubt about plagiarism, then please speak to your tutor or contact the course (co)convenor. Illness and Absence Complete attendance at lectures, tutorials and labs is a requirement of Geography 2. The University has a Student Absence Policy and this must be followed if and when absences occur. Anne Dunlop oversees this process. Information on the University’s Illness and Absence policy here: http://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/senateoffice/policies/studentsupport/absencepolicy/ Details of how and when to submit an absence can be found here: http://www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_129313_en.pdf Disability Services We want to make sure our teaching is equally accessible to all our students. Although the course leaders will have made some general disability adjustments to this course, there are circumstances where individual students may require additional support (e.g. extra time for exams, technical
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support). If you have any special educational needs, illnesses, disabilities or other conditions that might affect your ability in Level 2, please register with the university’s disability services. Let us know if there’s anything else you need—as we may not always realise.
Wales Field Class 2019 (24th to 29th of March 2019)
Last year was our second visit to sunny Wales (based in Cardiff). Our students really enjoyed the visit, and there is something for everyone! The atmosphere is friendly, supportive, and while there’s lots of work involved – it’s a unique opportunity to socialize with your classmates and staff. Martin Hurst is running the Cardiff field class in 2019. The Wales field class will take place in March 2019. Our base is Cardiff YHA Youth Hostel, which is located just south of Cardiff’s vibrant city centre. The accommodation is great, clean, spacious, and serves all our meals. Have a look at the TripAdvisor website if you’re interested in learning more about the accommodation: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g186460-d7186963-Reviews-YHA_Cardiff_Central-Cardiff_South_Wales_Wales.html The trip a great opportunity to put some of your learning in geography into practice. You will work in groups of about 12, doing human, physical, and environmental projects. You get the opportunity to develop research skills which will be invaluable for your dissertation in the third year. We will do research across a range of field sites. Locations for physical geography include the Brecon Beacons and Nash Point on the South Wales Coast. Human geography projects have locations across the city. Please check out the Cardiff field trip kit list to ensure you bring the right clothing. Any questions to Martin Hurst. The approximate cost is £300 which needs to be paid full in the second semester. A deposit of £150 is required by the end of November in 2018. We’ve done our absolute best to keep costs down, and appreciate that this may be difficult for some. Please talk to Martin Hurst if you have any concerns. Initial registration (and deposit) needs to be completed by the end of November. PROGRESSION INTO HONOURS For those wanting to take geography at Honours level, completion of the Wales field class notebook is mandatory. A C3 in Level 2 geography, together with any other College requirements, is also required for progression into Honours geography.
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Course Aims and Objectives for Geography 2 AIMS a) GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS)
• To introduce the principles and methods of GIS and their use in Geography; • To give experience of using GIS for basic tasks.
b) GLOBALISATION AND LOCALISATION
• To explore the interactions between diverse global and local processes, with a focus on political, social, urban and cultural phenomenon and to be able to put these in historical perspective;
• To assess critically the theories and their supportive evidence underlying the global/local nexus;
• To critically assess the diverse processes and agents that shape global and local shifts and to understand the lived places and experiences through which such shifts are negotiated.
d) 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. e) ENVIRONMENTAL GEOGRAPHY
• To illustrate geographical approaches to environmental problem solving; • 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.
• To develop and practice environmental problem-solving skills via problem-based learning approaches.
f) 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.
g) 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. h) FIELD CLASS
• To practice techniques used in human and physical geography; • The evaluate critically fieldwork methods and the design of projects related to taught course
material; • To develop student communicative and interactive skills by working in groups in real world
situations. LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of the course students should be able to: Subject specific learning objectives a) GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS)
• to describe the basic principles of GIS and their application to Geography; • to use a GIS to enter data, manipulate data and produce maps.
b) GLOBALISATION AND LOCALISATION
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• to think spatially about political, social, urban and cultural processes and to locate them in relation to global and local shifts.
• to be able to apply and evaluate different theoretical approaches to global and local interactions.
• to introduce students to new and innovative skills and techniques, challenging them to engage with the historical archive, film, the Internet, different forms of creative and academic writings, participant observation and presentation.
c) 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.
e) 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.
f) LABORATORY PRACTICALS • evaluate the appropriateness of data sources for specific purposes • apply quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques appropriately
g) TUTORIALS
• contribute effectively to debate associated with geographic issues h) FIELD CLASS
• contribute effectively to the design of team-based projects • collect and evaluate primary data related to human and physical geographical problems • evaluate, analyse and present field data appropriately both orally and in writing
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 critically and making full use of library and electronic resources.
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Appendix: Grade Related Criteria and Previous Exams
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PAST ESSAYS AND EXAMS: Recent past papers and exams can be found on the Level 2 Moodle.
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