GG27720 - HUMAN GEOGRAPHY FIELDWORK

Module Identifier	GG27720
Module Title	HUMAN GEOGRAPHY FIELDWORK
Academic Year	2001/2002
Co-ordinator	Dr Michael Woods
Semester	Semester 2
Pre-Requisite	Intending Geography Single Honours and Geography Major students only
Course delivery	Lecture	Up to 10 sessions Preparatory and retrospective lectures (these may include lectures, practicals and language support).
	Practicals / Field Days	Maximum 10 days
Assessment	Combined	Assessment 100% coursework: Assessment methods are variable according to venue and numbers on the course. Normally, assessed elements will include : individual end-of-day reflective essays; individual end-of-course extended essays; field note books; and group research projects and presentations. The latter, amounting to up to 50% of the assessment, may involve some peer-assessment.
	Resit assessment	Students who fail to attend the field course without good reason will not be permitted a resit. Students who attend the field course but fail the assessment will be given the opportunity to resubmit assessments by a date to be agreed with the module co-ordinator for a maximum mark of 35%. Students whose reasons for failing to attend the field course are condoned will be permitted to submit a project for assessment of a type and by a date to be agreed with the module co-ordinator, for a maximum mark of 100%.

Module outline

In detail, the focus and subject matter of the course will vary according to the field course venue, the staff involved and the length of time available in the field - normally between 7 and 10 days. In all cases, however, there is an overriding concern to develop and enhance participants' geographical skills. By exercising these in an unfamiliar setting, students will be widening their appreciation of how and why people use places in the ways that they do.

Preparatory discussions and practical classes in Aberystwyth will identify issues to be explored in the field, and contextualise them. Thus the amount of time used in the field for data collection and preliminary analysis is maximised. More formal analysis and presentations will take place on return to Aberystwyth.

Module Aims

To introduce and explore a series of geographical themes in the study area, and equip students with the means to resolve the issues raised.

Module objectives / Learning outcomes

On completion of this module, students should be able to :-

critically discuss the significance of geographical variation and context with respect to a range of social, economic, political and cultural processes.

identify research problems and design appropriate research strategies including the selection of appropriate methods for data collection and analysis.

demonstrate competence in a range of data collection techniques, which may include observation, interviewing, ethnography, questionnaire surveys, archival inquiry and/or textual analysis.

work effectively in a team context.

apply concepts and ideas from reading and lecture notes to the discussion and analysis of empirical data.

communicate research findings through both written reports and oral presentation.

Further Notes

N.B.: to permit firm bookings to be made, no registration change will normally be allowed after the first six weeks of Semester 1.

Reading Lists

Books
Reading will vary according to venue, but broader overviews can be found in Part 3 of:.
Rogers, A., Viles, H. and Goudie, A. (eds). (1992) The Student's Companion to Geography. Blackwell