ENV BIOL 3004 - Freshwater Ecology III
North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2015
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code ENV BIOL 3004 Course Freshwater Ecology III Coordinating Unit School of Biological Sciences Term Semester 1 Level Undergraduate Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact Up to 6 hours per week, plus field camp Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y Incompatible WRM 7024 Assumed Knowledge 3 units of Level II Environmental Biology courses Assessment Essay, exam, field report Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Professor Justin Brookes
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
1 Improve understanding on structures and functioning of freshwater systems under changing environmental and climate conditions 2 Improve understanding of habitat requirements of aquatic communities and water quality to implement informed management and restoration of freshwater systems 3 Acquire skills on monitoring, assessment and modelling of water quality, aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem integrity 4 Acquire skills on conceptualising, documenting and reporting research questions, data and findings taking international research in this field into account 5 Develop skills in working in a team environment University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Knowledge and understanding of the content and techniques of a chosen discipline at advanced levels that are internationally recognised. 1-4 The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner. 3,4 An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems. 3,4 Skills of a high order in interpersonal understanding, teamwork and communication. 4,5 A proficiency in the appropriate use of contemporary technologies. 3,4 A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life. 2,4 A commitment to the highest standards of professional endeavour and the ability to take a leadership role in the community. 2,4 An awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues within a global context and their importance in the exercise of professional skills and responsibilities. 4 -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
This course will be delivered by the following means:- Lectures: 2 x 1-hour lecture per week
- Practicals: 4 x 4-hour practicals
- Field Trip: 4-day field trip in the mid-semester break
Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
A student enrolled in a 3 unit course, such as this, should expect to spend, on average 12 hours per week on the studies required. This includes both the formal contact time required to the course (e.g., lectures and practicals), as well as non-contact time (e.g., reading and revision)Learning Activities Summary
Lectures Week 1 Introduction , Physical properties of freshwater Week 2 Nutrient and biological properties of freshwater Week 3 Aquatic primary productivity and lake metabolism Week 4 The phytoplankton; Alternate stable states Week 5 Aquatic macrophytes; Plants response to water level manipulation Week 6 Dryland Rivers; Impacts of predators Mid Semester break Week 7 Dispersal; Disturbance and recovery Week 8 Introduced species; Recruitment fish and river flows Week 9 Human disturbance in river systems; restoration ecology in rivers Week 10 Biological properties of freshwater; Aquatic food webs and trophic cascading Week 11 River continuum concept, flood pulsing Week 12 Eutrophication and cyanobacteria; forecasting algal blooms Practicals Instrumentation, physico-chemical attributes and calculations Light, oxygen and primary productivity Zooplankton/fish identification Student presentations Specific Course Requirements
This course has a 4-day field trip in the mid-semester break -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
Assessment Task Task Type Percentage of total assessment for grading purposes Hurdle Yes/No Date for assessment Learning Outcome Assessed/Achieved Essay Formative Summative 20%
No Week 4 1,2,4 Field trip report Formative Summative 30% No Week 9 1-5 Exam Summative 50% No Exam Week 1-4 Assessment Detail
Essay (20% of total course grades) Students choose an essay from approximately 20 topics on issues in aquatic ecology. The essay develops skills in researching key literature to then structure and develop a scientific argument. The essay should be no longer than 3,500 words . The essay will be marked and feedback given before end of week 6.
Field Trip Report (30% of total course grades) The practical sessions on the field camp will be undertaken in small groups. Each member will undertake all tasks and contribute results back to the group. The field practicals are designed to equip students with skills in field instrumentation, sampling, team work, scientific methodology and working in remote locations. The field trip report will be in written up in groups of 2 and members of the group will receive the same mark. The aim is to provide experimental learning opportunities to students in a group setting which is common in the science and environmental management employment sectors. The field trip report is a synthesis of practical assignments undertaken on a field camp to the River Murray. Upon return from the camp, students work in their team to analyse data and prepare a short presentation which is presented to the class. The feedback received at the presentations is intended to refine hypotheses, aid in building a cohesive story and facilitate the cross-pollination of ideas with other teams Report will be marked and returned before end of Semester The field trip report should be no longer than 4,000 words and should conform to the paper style of the Journal Limnology and Oceanography.
Exam (total of 50%) The exam is 3 hours long and examines student knowledge on material presented in 24 lecturesSubmission
If an extension is not applied for, or not granted then a penalty for late submission will apply. A penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment for each calendar day that the assignment is late (i.e. weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% of the available marks will be applied. This means that an assignment that is 5 days late or more without an approved extension can only receive a maximum of 50% of the marks available for that assignment.Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through .
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Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
- Library Services for Students
- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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Fraud Awareness
Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.
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