AD1GLS: Global Sustainability: Challenges and Prospects

Module code: AD1GLS

Module provider: School of Agriculture, Policy and Development

Credits: 20

Level: Level 1 (Certificate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Nick Bardsley, email: n.o.bardsley@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Dr Gillian Rose, email: g.rose@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s): This module is only available to students in the School of Agriculture, Policy & Development. (Open)

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded: IN TAKING THIS MODULE YOU CANNOT TAKE AD1SPA AND TAKE AD2SPA (Compulsory)

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 17 June 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The world faces multiple ecological crisis, including climate change, biodiversity loss and soil erosion. This module examines such challenges, their drivers, their relationship to other social and economic issues, and potential responses.  

Its aims are: 

• To introduce students to key ecological and eco-social challenges of our time, their causes, proposals to address them and associated debate across several disciplines.  
• To enable students to trace the connections between these issues and content of other modules. 
• To advance the University’s citizenship agenda. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Outline the main features of contemporary environmental challenges and analyse them in terms of socio-economic drivers and consequences
2. Summarise contrasting viewpoints on causes of sustainability problems and responses
3. Bring to bear insights from a range of topics and disciplines on specific issues
4. Concisely articulate and justify their own perspective on key eco-social issues

Module content

The semester will consist of lectures covering key aspects of the sustainability predicament. This will include topics such as the meaning of sustainability / sustainable development, limits to growth debates, energy supply, climate change, waste, corporate social responsibility, environmental justice, and agricultural sustainability. In addition to this there will be instructor-led student-centred workshops conducted within degree cohort areas.  

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The lectures will incorporate student-centred and problem-based exercises. The case studies will consist of student-centred workshops, with structured input from academic staff.  These will take place over 6 weeks, giving students experience of researching a particular topic in depth. 

Study hours

At least 16 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

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

Assessments with numerical marks

• 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 three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/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.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs