KE4013 - Geographical Ideas and Practice

In this module, you will learn through an introductory lecture, field visit and tutorials. You will also have access to a range of learning resources, including electronic reading lists, made available via the module eLP site.

The introductory lecture will set the scene for the module delivery, assessment and its integration with your wider study programme. As part of the induction process, you will participate in a half-day ‘orientation’ field visit where you will meet with your guidance tutor and be introduced to some local geographical and environmental issues. You will also work with your tutor group (around 10 students in total from your degree programme) on an introductory project linked to a 2-day field trip. During weekly tutorials, you will interact with your tutor group and your designated guidance tutor who will also teach primarily within your subject area. Discussions will explore key aspects of the process of transition from further to higher education including academic expectations, and ideas around criticality. You will be expected to read, watch, listen and critically engage with materials in preparation for the weekly tutorials. Formative feedback will be provided, along with how best to feed this forward into future assessments in this and other modules. You will also have an opportunity at least once per semester to meet individually with your guidance tutor to reflect on your academic progress, performance and future plans. Your guidance tutor will also be your first line of support should you experience any personal difficulties, which may impact on your studies.

As part of the induction process in the Department, you will be assigned to a dedicated guidance tutor who will offer academic and pastoral support throughout your programme of study. Your tutor will teach primarily within your subject area and so will be familiar with the issues and challenges that you may face. Your tutor will lead the group and individual tutorial sessions, guiding you through the subject content, overseeing the assessment and feedback process and monitoring and supporting your performance and progress. They will support your transition from a largely teacher-centred, passive approach to learning in a further education context, to a more active and reflective student-centred approach to learning in a higher education context.

Your class materials will be further supported by on-line resources available via the module eLP site, including an interactive reading list, and aligned with your weekly tutorial programme. You will also have access to University-wide resources available via the University website’s ‘study’ link and the ‘Skills +’ section of the University Library link. Your guidance tutors have an open door policy during normal working hours and are responsive to communication via e-mail to support your learning.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
• MLO 1: Discuss and apply key academic issues of relevance to your subject discipline in order to address complex problems, recognising that these may transcend the boundaries of individual modules.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
• MLO 2: Develop and apply a range of skills and practices that enable you to cope effectively with the demands of academic study at HE level.
• MLO 3: Communicate effectively to academic audiences, recognising the need to justify your own opinions and to challenge your own thinking and the thinking of others.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
• MLO 4: Develop and apply principles of reflective practice to monitor your academic performance and progress and use these in relation to personal development planning, self-improvement and in support of your future employability and long term career prospects.
• MLO 5: Value curiosity, collaboration and analysis as keystones in the creation of new knowledge and practice and establish good working relationships with staff and fellow students.

The summative assessments on this module are: two essays and one tutorial participation and engagement assessment. These assessments address different aspects of all five MLOs.

The essays are unequally weighted (35% of the module marks for the first essay, and 50% for the second). The increase in marks weighting reinforces the aim of using formative feedback to feed forward into future assignments. It also means that you gain greater credit as your experience grows.

In addition to the summative essays, you will be expected to prepare for the weekly tutorials by reading/listening/watching the materials and preparing responses to the questions set. This component is worth 15% of the module mark and will be assessed as a pass or fail based on your participation in a minimum of 9 tutorials and your engagement with readings. Verbal feedback on tasks completed throughout the year is supplied immediately, or soon after, the tutorial in which the work is undertaken.

Written feedback is provided on the submitted essays normally within 20 working days of submission.

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In this module, you will develop the key intellectual skills and personal attributes required for effective study. This will be largely achieved through engagement with your dedicated guidance tutor who will provide academic and pastoral support throughout your programme of study. Your tutor will lead group and individual tutorial sessions, guiding you through the subject content, overseeing the assessment and feedback process and monitoring and supporting your performance and progress.

Teaching and learning activities are tailored towards your own degree programme, linking to substantive core modules, thus providing an appropriate subject context for your studies. The module will be delivered through an introductory lecture, a series of induction activities, a field visit and tutorials. You will also have access to a range of learning resources, including electronic reading lists, made available via the module eLP site. The module will be assessed by two essays (85%) and through active participation in tutorials and engagement with the readings (15%).