Postgraduate Course: Analysing the Environment (PGGE11198)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | This course provides a Master's level introduction to the research approaches and methods that underpin modern social and environmental sciences, with an emphasis on collecting and analysing data. Through a mixture of practicals, group work, lectures and discussion we will explore why and how we do science. The course provides a core set of skills that will be useful to many other courses dealing with empirical science, and in particular is recommended for anyone proposing to conduct a dissertation that involves data collection or analysis. As well as developing skills in qualitative and quantitative data analysis, the associated field course provides an opportunity to build up your group work skills and capacity for professional self-reflection.
The course is actually formed from two 10 credit course (Analysing the Environment and Analysing the Environment Study Tour): in most cases you will have to take both, but for students outwith the MSc Ecosystem Services it may be possible to only take the first course.
In semester one a weekly series of seminars, lectures and practicals introduces the key concepts and methods. This course is assessed through a test and report. The following Easter, a programme-specific fieldtrip provides the opportunity to put the skills you have learned into practice. As part of the field trip you will conduct a group research project, which you will have to present and reflect on.
The course is aimed at those with an undergraduate in either social or natural science. It is introductory in the sense that it assumes no prior experience of either, but quickly moves to Master's level, so prior study in this field is essential.
|
| Course description |
Week 1. Intro to doing environmental sciences: what and why?
week 2. How do we do science: 2 perspectives
week 3. a. Developing and answering your research question. b. Excel and R training
week 4. Describing and visualising data.
week 5. Basic statistical tests, general linear models.
week 6. Beyond general linear models
week 7. Planning your research
week 8. Putting your plan into action
week 9. Fieldwork - no class
week 10. Analysis of your data
Week 11. Wrap up
This course provides an insight and experience of skills sets identified as currently desirable to both the student cohort and employment sector concerned with the wider environment and its study
|
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Students MUST be studying on the following programmes to be accepted onto the course: MSc in Ecosystem Services, MSc in Environmental Protection & Management, MSc in Food Security, MSc in Soils & Sustainability.
Students on other programmes may be accepted but MUST request this via the course secretary. |
| Additional Costs | Additional Programme Costs |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2015/16, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: 50 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 18,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 5,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 5,
Fieldwork Hours 2,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
66 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
A1: Short answer test. Set Fri W6 (due Monday W8) (40%)
A2: Research report and self-reflection (due Monday W12)(60%) |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- An understanding and appreciation that science is not value neutral, and that it is conducted for a variety of reasons and with different beliefs about reality
- Knowledge and experience of how to plan for, collect, record and organise qualitative and quantitative data
- The ability to select and then undertake the appropriate type of analysis for a given data set
- The ability to report your results and analysis in a professional manner appropriate for your audience
|
Reading List
These resources provide an overview of the course and are important references that you may need to consult. There will be one piece of required reading each week.
Quantitative statistics:
- Gardener, M (2011) Statistics for Ecologists Using R and Excel: Data Collection, Exploration, Analysis and Presentation, Pelagic Publishing. UK. [ebook and hard copy from the university library]
https://www.dawsonera.com/abstract/9781907807275
Qualitative approaches:
- Flowerdew R. & Martin D. (eds) (1997) Methods in human geography. Pearson Prentice Hall. [e-book, library]
- Clifford N. J. & Valentine G. (eds) (2005) Key Methods in Geography. Sage [hard copy, library]
- Silverman D. (2011) Interpreting Qualitative Data. 4th edition. Sage [hard copy, library] |
Additional Information
| Course URL |
http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/homes/cryan/eco_services/ |
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
1. Organisational skills to plan, execute and report on scientific investigation
2. Use of appropriate computer software (R or Excel) to organise and analyse data
3. Practical experience of collecting data including the use of interviews
4. Interpersonal skills - participating in team activities toward the completion of assignments and goals.
|
| Study Abroad |
Yes, for some programmes |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
each 2 hr session is a mixture of lectures and discussion or lab practicals |
| Keywords | Data capture,handling,analysis and reporting,dissertation delivery,field skills,statistics.,Epistemo |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Casey Ryan
Tel: (0131 6)50 7722
Email: casey.ryan@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Alice Heatley
Tel: (0131 6)50 4866
Email: alice.heatley@ed.ac.uk |
|
© Copyright 2015 The University of Edinburgh - 2 September 2015 4:35 am
|
University Homepage