GEOG10140 Mapping a Sustainable World

Academic Year 2021/2022

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.

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Curricular information is subject to change

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 3 (27th Sep)
Lecture 1 Introduction to the module: map reading, understanding maps, geography at our fingertips, mapping what we see, do, and cannot see.
Lecture 2 GPS apps on mobile phones – demonstration

Week 4 (4th Oct)
Lecture 3 The evolution of mapping
Lecture 4 Map projections and transformations: Geographic coordinate systems versus projected coordinate systems, 3D versus 2D, latitude/longitude, converting from decimal degrees to decimal minutes seconds and vice versa.

Week 5 (11th Oct)
Lecture 5 Advancements in technology for mapping: remote sensing, drones, sensors, GPS and citizen science, etc.
Lecture 6 Data management and interpretation: survey answer types (multiple choice, open ended, etc.), how to analyse qualitative responses, turning qualitative into quantitative, ethics, etc.

Week 6 (18th Oct)
Lecture 7 Sampling methods and interpretation: representativeness, group size, gender, age cohorts, random/targeted, etc. Factoring sample group parameters when interpreting answers.
Lecture 8 Survey123 – signing in and demonstration and fieldwork preparation (Bring laptops if possible).

Week 7 (25th Oct)
No Lecture CARLOW FIELD TRIP (Wednesday 27th October)

Week 8 (1st Nov)
Lecture 9 Data types: quantitative versus qualitative – nominal, ordinal, etc.
Lecture 10 Basic stats: mean, max/min, standard deviation, etc.

Week 9 (8th Nov)
Lecture 11 ArcGIS Online – demonstration and application (bring laptop if possible)
Lecture 12 Ecological footprint - demonstration. Using mobile app calculate personal footprint and changing a committed parameter, calculate it again. Class discussion on results.

Week 10 (16th Nov)
Lecture 13 Cartographic choices: practicalities of map-making and data quality checks
Lecture 14 Other ways of looking at data: visual analysis versus tables and graphs, histograms, etc. Examples of available data and work through of data analysis and interpretation.

Week 11 (22nd Nov)
Lecture 15 A bit more on stats: central tendency, weighted, means, etc.
Lecture 16 Introduction to SDGs

Week 12 (29th Nov)
Lecture 17 SDG issues in the context of the field trip case study
Lecture 18 Ethical considerations: geoslavery, privacy, big brother, data protection, etc.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

20

Tutorial

8

Field Trip/External Visits

8

Autonomous Student Learning

70

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 (possibly virtual) 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 Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Project: Final autonomous research project including maps, data analysis and written discussion of results. Week 11 n/a Graded No

45

Fieldwork: Participation in fieldwork data collection (Carlow). Week 7 n/a Pass/Fail Grade Scale No

10

Presentation: Present your group’s findings from the fieldwork day in Carlow. Week 7 n/a Graded No

10

Assignment: Tutorial preparation & participation Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

35


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
Assoc Professor Gerald Mills Lecturer / Co-Lecturer