Gwybodaeth Modiwlau
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 15 x 1 hour lectures in food and water security; 15 x 1 hour lectures in quantitative data management and handling |
| Seminars / Tutorials | 15 x 1 hour student-led seminars in food and water security |
| Other | 4 x 2 hour workshops in qualitative data management and handling |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Essay (2500 words): Theorising security and politics | 20% |
| Semester Assessment | Case study report (2500 words): Geographical perspectives | 20% |
| Semester Assessment | Case study report (2500 words): Scientific perspectives | 20% |
| Semester Assessment | Data handling exercises | 10% |
| Semester Assessment | Data handling assessment (open book) | 10% |
| Semester Assessment | Dissertation plan (3000 words) | 20% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Resubmission of failed coursework | 100% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate awareness of the political frameworks which affect food and water security.
2. Demonstrate awareness of the social and cultural frameworks which affect food and water security
3. Demonstrate awareness of the environmental and political forces which affect water security.
4. Demonstrate awareness of the political frameworks which affect food and water security
5. Demonstrate awareness of the agricultural, environmental and technological contexts which affect food production and water security
6. Integrate political, geographical and environmental paradigms.
7. Demonstrate an understanding of the basis for selecting appropriate statistical approaches to data analysis
8. Assimilate and evaluate data for subsequent interpretation and analysis.
9. Devise testable hypotheses, define focused aims and objectives.
10. Demonstrate proficiency in applying statistical and research methodologies.
11. Conduct research searches using library, information technology and database sources.
12. Collect, store, analyse and interpret data.
13. Utilise appropriate bioinformatics resources for gathering and analysing information.
Brief description
The module delivers sequentially contributions from International Politics, IGES and IBERS, in the form of lectures followed by related, student-led seminars. These will be deliberately non-technical in order to cater for students with widely different experiences of natural and social sciences. The module also provides training in data handling and information retrieval to underpin case studies and dissertation assessments. Students will prepare a written description of their proposed dissertation in the wider context of food and water security issues.
Content
Politics interests, conflicts, risks
Security: threats, referents, processes
Ethics: foundations, arguments, consequences
The development architecture
Famines
Aid as a technology of power
IGES
Globalization and food
Food and climate change
Cultural geographies of food
Global water resources
Water security and climate change
IBERS
Food Security
Food Production Systems
Climate change and food production
Environmental impacts of food production systems
Role of technology in promotion of food security and water use efficiency
Sustainability
IBERS/IGES (Data management & handling)
Lectures will cover:
Descriptive statistics - samples & populations
Inferential statistics - hypothesis testing & the setting of confidence intervals
General principles of the design of experiments and surveys
The analysis of variance: one-way, two-way and two factor
Regression, including multiple regression
An introduction to multivariate methods
Analysis of variance and regression will be instructed via Excel
Qualitative data analysis
Workshops cover the following topics:
Information access and bioinformatics
Intellectual property and licensing issues
Data acquisition and archiving
Multivariate methods
Use of PCA/DFA/PLS analysis and introduction to other multivariate methods
International Politics/IGES/IBERS
Written assessment to prepare for the dissertation
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | Students will handle, analyse and interpret numerical data using statistical methods. |
| Communication | Oral communication will be encouraged during the student-led seminars. Written communication will be assessed through the dissertation plan. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | Students will be expected to undertake a significant amount of self-directed study in the preparation of the student-led seminars and dissertation plan. |
| Information Technology | Students will use information technology in the preparation and presentation of their coursework. They will access information and data online. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Students will engage critically with contemporary and topical issues of food and water security, which are directly relevant to a range of career paths. |
| Problem solving | Students will synthesise and evaluate information from case studies, and analyse qualitative data. |
| Research skills | Students will research independently in preparing for the student-led seminars and dissertation plan. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Understanding of the natural scientific and social scientific principles and practice of food and water security. |
| Team work | Student-led seminars will involve group-based discussions and activities. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 7