GEOG 5003 - Environmental Impact Assessment

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2017

This course introduces the methodology of environmental impact assessment (EIA) as a vital tool for sound environmental management and decision-making. The course provides an overview of the concepts, methods, issues and various forms and stages of the EIA process.It examines the development of EIA overseas and in Australia. It mainly draws on case studies of EIA in South Australia but also focuses on the EIA process in other countries, including developing countries. Different levels and systems of EIA are examined to highlight the diversity of approach and impact of the EIA process.

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Course Details

Course Code	GEOG 5003
Course	Environmental Impact Assessment
Coordinating Unit	Geography, Environment and Population
Term	Semester 2
Level	Postgraduate Coursework
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	6
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Incompatible	GEST 5003
Restrictions	Available to ProCertEnvPolicy&Mgt, GradCertEnvPolicy&Mgt, GradDipEnvPolicy&Mgt, MEnvPolicy&Mgtm, MEnvPolicy&Mgt(App), MPlanning, MPlan(UrbDes), MSustain & MSustain(Adv) MA students only
Assessment	Case study report (35%), seminar presentation (20%); seminar participation and summaries (15%); take home exam (30%)

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Yan Tan

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

1	Explain the major principles of environmental impact assessment in Australia
2	Understand the different steps within environmental impact assessment
3	Discuss the implications of current jurisdictional and institutional arrangements in relation to environmental impact assessment
4	Communicate both orally and in written form the key aspects of environmental impact assessment
5	Understand how to liaise with and the importance of stakeholders in the EIA process
6	Be able to access different case studies/examples of EIA in practice

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1, 2, 3, 5
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	3, 4, 5
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	3, 4,
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	1, 2, 6
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	1, 4, 5, 6
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	3, 5,6

Learning Resources

Required Resources

The core text for this course is:

Harvey, N and Clarke, B 2012 Environmental Impact Assessment, Oxford Press.

Recommended Resources

Other suggested readings:

Elliot, M. and Thomas, I. 2009. Environmental Impact Assessment in Australia, The Federation Press

Wood, C. 2003. Environmental Impact Assessment: A Comparative Review, Pearson Hall press.

The journal called Environmental Impact Assessment Review is an excellent resource.

Online Learning

There will be online activities, which will be required and which will be aligned with learning/revision for the exam
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

This course is delivered via mixed methods which include face to face information sessions, workshops, online activities and if possible a field trip. Authentic and constructive alignment of assessment is used so as to give students a tatse of what they might do if they really were undertaking EIA. The course is designed to facilitate inter-disciplinary and active learning, and uses problem based solving techniques using current real life examples to ensure students also develop practical skills to support the theory of the practice of EIA.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

Workload summary

2 X 1 hour lectures per week:                      48 hours per semester
1 x 1 hours seminar per week:                   12 hours per semester
6 hours reading per week:                          72 hours per semester
2 hours research a week:                            48 hours per semester
2 hours assignment preparation a week:      48 hours a semester
10 hours exam preparation:                        16 hours per semester

Total: 244 hours

Learning Activities Summary

Week 1: Introduction to course, definitions and history (no tutes)

Week 2:EIA process - generic

Week 3:EIA process – Australia

Week 4:EIA process - states and territories

Week 5:EIA Techniques

Week 5: EIA Techniques/Possible field trip

Week 6:Involving stakeholders

Week 7:Evaluating EIA

Week 8:Other types of assessment and SEA

Week 9:Case studies in practice

Week 10:Case studies in practice

Week 11: Revision for exam

Specific Course Requirements

There are no specific course requirements for this course

Small Group Discovery Experience

The seminars for this course will be constructed to enable a small group discovery experience.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

TASK                                                WEIGHTING                                         LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Attendance and participation:           10%                                                  1, 2, 3,5

2. Essay:                                            30%                                                  1, 2,

3. Seminar presentation:                     30%                                                  3, 4, 5

4. Take home exam:                           30%                                                  1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Assessment Related Requirements

Students must be prepared to do the pre-reading, attend relevant information sessions and complete online activities, all of which will support their learning and assessment.

Assessment Detail

Essay: Students are required to write an essay on the EIA process and the exact type of question may change depenidng on the time but a typical essay question would be:

Choose two case studies – one national/state based (Australian) and one international.
In your essay, undertake the following:

(i) Describe each case study and discuss the key issues that are raised
(ii) Describe/evaluate the extent to which the case studies apply generic EIA principles in practice
(iii) Compare the similarities and differences between the two case studies
(iv) Discuss whether or not you think the EIA was successful in each case and why you think this

Attendance and participation: 10%

Seminar report:

Students will be required to write a report which will be based on exercises given in class and lectures throughout the semester. Exercises will include case study , article review, quizzes. All exercises will be designed to support exam work.

Take home exam:

Based on lecture materials and tutorial activities students will be asked to complete a take home exam.

Submission

Submission will be advised on an ongoing basis and in class as times change with each semester and year.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

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Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator