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GEOG10140

Academic Year 2024/2025

Mapping a Sustainable World (GEOG10140)

Subject:
Geography
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Geography
Level:
1 (Introductory)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Jeremy Auerbach
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
Blended
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

As a core first year module, Mapping a Sustainable World aims to provide students with a foundation in geographical data, mapping, spatial analysis and writing skills. It will explore the organisation and manipulation of geospatial data, cognitive mapping and basic statistics, and will address locational considerations (e.g. coordinates and space), map projections, and map design. It will also introduce technological tools and methods available to map, analyse and disseminate geographical information. The module will be mainly tutorial-based but will include lectures and local fieldwork, providing an interactive and applied learning environment to explore technical and technological geospatial methods and approaches. In doing so, it will enhance students’ geospatial awareness and provide them with skills to examine relationships, interactions and interdependencies between human and physical components of the environment. It will provide skills applicable across the rest of the modules in the first and subsequent stages of the Geography curriculum and, in particular, prepare students for the core Geographic Information Systems module in stage 2.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

This module is as a core skills module and aims to deliver the following learning outcomes:

• increased awareness of geospatial research and its techniques, methods and tools;
• acquisition of mapping and map interpretation skills;
• understand fundamental techniques of data exploration, organisation and analysis;
• develop literature search, writing and referencing skills.

Indicative Module Content:

Week 2
Lecture 1 - Introduction to the module and SDGs: maps and sustainability
Lecture 2 - Reading, understanding maps, geography at our fingertips, mapping what we see, do, and cannot see

Week 3
Lecture 3 - Advancements in technology for mapping: remote sensing, drones, sensors, and GPS
Lecture 4 - GPS apps on mobile phones – demonstration

Week 4
Lecture 5 - Data types and measurement: quantitative versus qualitative – nominal, ordinal, etc.
Lecture 6 - Stats: mean, max/min, standard deviation, central tendency, weighted, etc.

Week 5
Lecture 7 - Introduction to hypothesis testing
Lecture 8 - Hypothesis testing for sustainability

Week 6
Lecture 9 - Sampling methods and interpretation: representativeness, group size, gender, age cohorts, random/targeted, etc. Factoring sample group parameters when interpreting answers.
Lecture 10 - Survey design and data management and interpretation: survey answer types (multiple choice, open ended, etc.), how to analyse qualitative responses, turning qualitative into quantitative, ethics, etc.

Week 7
Lecture 11 - Sustainability behaviours and infrastructure and their spatial distribution
Lecture 12 - Survey123 – signing in and demonstration and fieldwork preparation (Bring laptops if possible).

Week 8 [Fieldwork Week]
No Lecture - FIELD TRIP

Week 9
Lecture 13 - Field trip recap and data visualization: visual analysis versus tables and graphs, histograms, etc. Examples of available data and work through of data analysis and interpretation.
Lecture 14 - ArcGIS Online – demonstration and application (bring laptop if possible)

Week 10
Lecture 15 - Cartographic choices: practicalities of map-making and data quality checks
Lecture 16 - Mapping and statistical fallacies

Week 11
Lecture 17 - Ecological and social footprint of technology.
Lecture 18 - Using mobile app calculate personal footprint and changing a committed parameter, calculate it again. Class discussion on results.

Week 12
Lecture 19 - SDG issues in the context of the field trip case study
Lecture 20 - Ethical considerations: geoslavery, privacy, big brother, data protection, etc.

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Autonomous Student Learning

70

Lectures

20

Tutorial

8

Field Trip/External Visits

8

Total

106


Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Teaching and learning on this module will include:

- Lectures
- Active / task-based learning through peer and group work in tutorials and occasionally during lectures
- Inquiry and case-based learning through the one day fieldtrip and case study based assignments

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Tutorial preparation & participation Week 2, Week 3, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 9, Week 10, Week 12 Graded No
40
No
Individual Project: Final autonomous research project including maps, data analysis and written discussion of results. Week 11 Graded No
40
No
Practical Skills Assessment: Participation in fieldwork data collection (Dublin) and present your group’s findings from the fieldwork day in Dublin. Week 8 Graded No
20
No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

- Group feedback will be provided at the start of each tutorial on the performance of the class in the previous tutorial. - Timely individualised feedback will be provided via Brightspace on assignment / project submissions. - Students are welcome to meet with the module coordinator during office hours if more detailed feedback / further clarification is required.

Name Role
Professor Gerald Mills Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Tine Ningal Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Ankur Sati Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Pamela Barrett Tutor
Zikang Ji Tutor
ALEX Maingi Tutor
Klara Trane Tutor
Ruodi Yang Tutor

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs 14:00 - 14:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Tues 14:00 - 14:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 1 Week(s) - 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 Mon 10:00 - 10:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 2 Week(s) - 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 Mon 11:00 - 11:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 3 Week(s) - 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 Mon 14:00 - 14:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 4 Week(s) - 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 Mon 15:00 - 15:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 5 Week(s) - 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 Tues 15:00 - 15:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 6 Week(s) - 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 Tues 16:00 - 16:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 7 Week(s) - 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 Wed 10:00 - 10:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 8 Week(s) - 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 Wed 12:00 - 12:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 9 Week(s) - 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 Wed 16:00 - 16:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 10 Week(s) - 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 Thurs 11:00 - 11:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 11 Week(s) - 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 Thurs 12:00 - 12:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 12 Week(s) - 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 Fri 13:00 - 13:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 13 Week(s) - 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 Thurs 16:00 - 16:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 14 Week(s) - 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 Fri 11:00 - 11:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 15 Week(s) - 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 Tues 10:00 - 10:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 17 Week(s) - 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 Mon 09:00 - 09:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 20 Week(s) - 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 Tues 11:00 - 11:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 21 Week(s) - 2, 3, 5 Tues 12:00 - 12:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 21 Week(s) - 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 Tues 12:00 - 12:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 22 Week(s) - 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 Fri 09:00 - 09:50