AP3A107-Agricultural technology: application, adoption, and ethics

Module Provider: School of Agriculture, Policy and Development
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:6
Terms in which taught: Spring term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2023/4

Module Convenor: Prof Paul Hadley
Email: p.hadley@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

Explore different agricultural technologies and their contribution to sustainability (productivity, environment, society), and consider how we can encourage their adoption on farm. Through lectures, seminars, field trips, and industry engagement, examine technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, robotics, drones, and gene editing. Discuss the ethics of new agricultural technologies, exploring different visions of future innovation, and various issues associated with the proposed ‘fourth agricultural revolution’, e.g. trust in food production, data ownership, security and privacy, animal welfare, the nature of farm employment, farmer physical and mental health.

Aims:

To provide an introduction to the role of different agricultural technologies in agriculture, their contribution to sustainability (productivity, environment, society), and consider how we can encourage their adoption on-farm. Individual technologies we will think about include AI, robotics, drones, gene editing, and many others. The module will also consider the ethics of new agricultural technologies, exploring different visions of future innovation, and various issues associated with the proposed ‘fourth agricultural revolution’ – trust in food production, data ownership, security, and privacy, animal welfare, the nature of farm employment, farmer physical and mental health etc.

Assessable learning outcomes:

1. Define how the fourth agricultural revolution differs from previous technology revolutions


2. Critically assess the role of technology in solving global sustainability challenges


3. Critically evaluate the adoption challenges associated with technology on-farm


4. Formulate strategies to encourage technology adoption on-farm


5. Describe the range of ethical considerations of the fourth agricultural revolution

Additional outcomes:

The module will involve industry groups involved in agricultural technology which will expose students to career opportunities and trans-disciplinary perspectives on the technology revolution in farming. 

Outline content:

The module will explore global sustainability challenges facing agriculture and critically evaluate the role of agricultural technology in solving them. We will learn lessons from previous technology revolutions and explore which new technologies can make a difference in agriculture, focusing on arable, livestock and horticultural sectors. These new technologies will include AI, robotics, drones, remote sensing, amongst others. The module will provide a practical introduction to these technologies, but also consider social science approaches to adoption and behaviour change on-farm and also the ethics of their use – e.g. data security, trust, animal welfare.

Global context:

Most themes are applicable globally

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

A mix of lectures, seminars, field trips, and industry engagement.

Contact hours:

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Lectures		20
Seminars		10
External visits		10
Guided independent study:
Wider reading (independent)		85
Advance preparation for classes		20
Preparation of practical report		15
Essay preparation		30
Reflection		10
Total hours by term	0		0
Total hours for module	200

Summative Assessment Methods:

Method	Percentage
Portfolio	65
Oral assessment and presentation	35

Summative assessment- Examinations:

N/A

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

PRESENTATION: based on a trip to the MERL. The presentation will invite the students to pick a piece of technology in the Museum (week 2 visit) and talk about its history, its application in farming, and its modern equivalent.

Portfolio of work: Students can pick a technology from the course and present a portfolio of work discussing its application in farming, as well as adoption and ethical challenges surrounding its use. To be handed in during the Summer Term.

Formative assessment methods:

Developing personas for agri-tech: in-class seminar imagining users of technology (helps with summative 2).

Diary entry describing impact on technology (any) on your life: introducing STS literature, helps with summative 2.

Penalties for late submission:

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of five working days;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than five working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/cqsd-old-site-documents/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf
You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Assessment requirements for a pass:

40%

Reassessment arrangements:

By coursework.

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):

1) Required text books:  None

2) Specialist equipment or materials:  None

3) Specialist clothing, footwear or headgear:  None

4) Printing and binding:  None

5) Computers and devices with a particular specification:  None

6) Travel, accommodation and subsistence:  None

Last updated: 21 February 2024