The environmental web
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| 6 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| End-of-course assessment | No residential school |
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Summary
This interdisciplinary course examines contemporary issues such as biodiversity and climate change in order to develop your environmental literacy, and enable you to take part in informed debate and action. It draws on a wide variety of disciplines to investigate environmental changes, their consequences, and implications for action. You will explore environmental materials on the web used to publish data, implement policy, debate issues, and promulgate views – learning how to navigate, analyse and evaluate such information. Some knowledge of the environment is assumed – for example, from our course Environment (U216).
Course content
The course draws on insights from sciences, technology, social sciences and humanities to make sense of contemporary environmental changes, with particular emphasis on the:
- interdependencies of environments and human activities
- role of natural processes and human activities in causing and responding to environmental changes
- relevance and consequences of these environmental changes for human societies, and for other living forms
- existing and possible responses of contemporary societies to environmental changes
- difficulties faced in understanding environments, and in taking appropriate environmental actions in conditions of appreciable uncertainty.
The course approaches current environmental issues by using the World Wide Web in three complementary ways:
- for communication with and among students
- as a source of teaching resources on selected environmental topics
- as a metaphor for the web-like interrelationships that link environmental issues and different approaches to them.
The course is organised into four blocks and the end-of-course assessment (ECA). Each of the blocks are supported by web-based activities and take up an important environmental issue. The block titles are: Block 1 Environmental changes: global challenges, Block 2 Biodiversity and ecosystems, Block 3 Climate change: from science to sustainability, Block 4 Sustainability and water management.
At the end of the course you will complete the ECA, which is divided into three parts. For Part A you will research a chosen environmental topic using the resources of the web, and then present your findings through web pages that you will design, using the U316 Web Wizard template. Part B is a project review reflecting on your own progress, and Part C will be a report on a topic that will be posted on the course website near the end of the course.
The web lends itself especially well to a course dealing with current environmental issues because it is used by business, intergovernmental, governmental and non-governmental organisations, and by individuals, to publish environmental data, to transmit and implement environmental policy, to debate issues and to promulgate particular views. The course aims to show you how to navigate through the huge amount of environmental material available on the web. You will learn how to: acquire information and data from a variety of sources; analyse, integrate and summarise that information and data; use the information/data acquired to test hypotheses; determine where uncertainties lie; and evaluate different approaches to environmental issues and the reliability of online resources.
You will use the internet as a means of communication, collaborating with others in planning and carrying out tasks and debating environmental issues with other students in online discussions moderated by your tutor. A few of these online discussions will be assessed. Your skills will be developed gradually so that, by the end of the course, you will be fully equipped to complete the ECA, in which you will plan, research, and write about an environmental topic in a form suitable for presentation on the web.
Much of the teaching and assessment for this course is online. You will need a personal computer with internet access, plus some experience of using the internet. The course requires about 18 hours of study time per week and it is necessary to complete certain parts of the course, such as online discussions and other collaborative activities, in particular weeks of the year.
Entry
The course should appeal to students from many backgrounds and will be of particular interest to you if you enjoy interdisciplinary study. It is suitable for you if you are interested in the environment, and/or following a degree in environmental studies or (the planned) environmental science.
This is a Level 3 course. Level 3 courses build on study skills and subject knowledge acquired from studies at Levels 1 and 2. They are intended only for students who have recent experience of higher education in a related subject, preferably with The Open University. You will be expected to work more independently than on a Level 2 course. You will need a knowledge of environmental issues such as you would get from our course Environment (U216), the discontinued course U206 or other Level 2 science, technology or social science environmental courses. You must know how to use a personal computer, including word-processing and spreadsheet applications, and be able to work online, using email and a web browser to surf the internet. You will need to use spreadsheets, produce tables, graphs and diagrams and insert them into word-processed documents, and handle various kinds of electronic files, including graphics. We provide some guidance for beginners about working with spreadsheets and creating diagrams but otherwise it is assumed that you have the necessary computing skills. It is essential that you establish whether or not your background and experience give you a sound basis on which to tackle the course, since students who are appropriately prepared have the best chance of completing their studies successfully. The Science Faculty has produced a booklet Are You Ready For U316? to help you to decide whether you already have the recommended background knowledge or experience to start the course or whether you need a little extra preparation. This can be viewed or printed as a PDF from the Are you ready for science? website.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Preparatory work
If you do not already have the necessary internet skills, we advise you to study sections 3 and 4 of the Safari materials, provided by the OU Library, before you begin your study of U316. You may also find useful the short course Beyond Google: working with information online (TU120). This provides an opportunity to improve both your confidence and skills in internet searching.
Qualifications
U316 is a compulsory course in our
- BA (Honours) Business Studies (B04) (with Environment)
- BA/BSc (Honours) Environmental Studies (B19)
U316 is an optional course in our
- Diploma in Geosciences (E02)
- Diploma in Life Sciences (E05)
- BSc (Honours) Geosciences (B25)
- BSc (Honours) Life Sciences (B28)
- BSc (Honours) Natural Sciences (B16)
- BSc (Honours) Environmental Science (B52)
- Diploma in Natural Sciences (D47)
- BA/BSc (Honours) Social Sciences (B06)
- BSc (Honours) Technology (B20)
- BA/BSc (Honours) Design and Innovation (B61)
- Advanced Diploma in Environmental Decision Making (C18)
It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it is equally appropriate to a BA or BSc. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
If you have seriously impaired sight or manual dexterity you may find using the web and the DVD-ROM challenging. For visually impaired students a number of activities such as the preparation of diagrams, collection of field data and use of climate modelling tools may require the assistance of a sighted helper. You can contact the Course Manager for more information.
Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Large print versions of the course material can be provided on request. Written transcripts are available for the audio-visual material. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklet Meeting Your Needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Course materials
What's included
Course books, other printed materials, DVD-ROM, course website, web-based materials, online forums.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave. Some of your course software will be provided on disk.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new Windows computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual. Please note that you cannot use an Apple Mac or Linux computer unless it is running windows Boot Camp or similar.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will help you with the course material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. You will take part in tutorial discussions through the internet, and at a day school, at the start of week 6 (in March) of the course, that you are strongly advised to attend. The location of the day schools will depend on the distribution of students taking the course.
Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with the Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You must use the online eTMA system to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs).
The end-of-course assessment (ECA) takes the place of an examination. You must obtain a pass mark on both the TMAs and the ECA to pass the course. You will be given more detailed information when you begin the course.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in February 2011. We expect to offer this or a similar course, at the same time once a year.
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
About this page
An undergraduate course in Environment, Development and International Studies, Engineering and Technology and Science.
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Student Reviews
This course is an excellent introduction to the subject of the environment as a whole, but will take over a ...
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This course is a real rollercoaster. The highs of climate change modelling, charting biodiversity and designing websites were balanced by ...
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