GEOLOGY 4030A - Advanced Geophysics (Hons) Pt 1
North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2015
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code GEOLOGY 4030A Course Advanced Geophysics (Hons) Pt 1 Coordinating Unit School of Physical Sciences Term Semester 1 Level Undergraduate Location/s North Terrace Campus Contact Mixed Mode - flexible and/or intensive Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N Corequisites GEOLOGY 4040A/B Incompatible GEOLOGY 4000A/B, GEOLOGY 4010A/B, GEOLOGY 4020A/B Restrictions Available only to students admitted to the relevant Honours program Assessment Seminars, New Zealand fieldtrip, MTEC coursework and thesis support tasks Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Rosalind King
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
A successful student in this course should be able to:
1 Develop and manage a Geophysics research project from hypothesis building to result interpretation; 2 Develop their own fieldwork program; 3 Conduct laboratory analyses using state-of-the-art instrumentation; 4 Undertake computer analyses and modelling with industry-standard software; 5 Communicate with industry and government scientists; 6 Attend and present results at conferences, workshops and meetings, and; 7 Write a scientific publication that can be developed into a refereed publication. 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. 1,2,3,4 The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner. 1,2,3,4,6,7 An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems. 1-7 Skills of a high order in interpersonal understanding, teamwork and communication. 5,6,7 A proficiency in the appropriate use of contemporary technologies. 2,3,4 A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life. 1-7 A commitment to the highest standards of professional endeavour and the ability to take a leadership role in the community. 5,6,7 An awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues within a global context and their importance in the exercise of professional skills and responsibilities. 5,6,7 -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
The Geophysics Honours course consists of:
• 12 day field trip to New Zealand
• Two Minerals Tertiary Education Council (MTEC) short courses, which may include a field trip
• Geophysics shortcourses
• Scientific seminars
• Research seminar
• Thesis support tasks (including weekly lectures and research tasks)Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
A student enrolled in this course should expect to spend, on average, 20 hours per week on the studies required. This includes both the formal contact time required to the course (e.g., lectures, seminars, meetings and fieldtrips), as well as non-contact time (e.g., reading, research and revision).Learning Activities Summary
New Zealand Field Trip Presentation
All honours students will have the opportunity to attend an excursion to New Zealand. The field trip will include aspects of Plate Tectonics, Neo-Tectonics, active volcanism and spectacular geothermal activity and fluvio-glacial and neotectonic geomorphology. The trip is held in February/March.
MTEC courses 1& 2
Students have the opportunity to choose 2 of the 9 courses in the Minerals Tertiary Education Council (MTEC) Minerals Geoscience Honours Program (MGH). The program is run in collaboration with eight other Australian Universities (ANU, Curtin, James Cook, Melbourne, Monash, Newcastle, UTas, UWA) at various locations. As part of its support for the Minerals Geoscience Honours Program, MTEC has provided financial assistance to offset the cost of students participating in courses outside their hometown.
Geophysics Shortcourses
Each student enrolled in this course is expected to attend two shortcourses designed to cover detailed geophysical techniques, data analysis and interpretation.
• Shortcourse I - Data Processing: This course will cover basic data processing techniques utilised in geophysics including convolution, deconvolution, aliasing, Fourier transforms, filtering, and statistical analysis of signals.
• Shortcourse II - Numerical Methods: Numerical Methods: This course will cover common numerical techniques utilised in geophysics including finite difference, finite element, integral equations, and inversion theory.
Scientific seminars
Each student is also expected to attend weekly TRaX and Sprigg seminars.
Research Seminars
Each student will be expected to present the main results and findings of their thesis in a ‘research seminar’ attended by their examiners, supervisors and fellow students. Other academic and research staff and industry personnel will be invited to attend the seminars.
Thesis Support Tasks (Oral Exam and Research Seminar)
Each student is expected to attend the compulstory regular thesis support sessions whcih aim to outline the required parts of a thesis and guide students toward the best outputs. Each thesis support session will focus on a different part of the thesis (e.g. hypothesis, methods, discussion) and provide a framework for this section, its construction and completion. A peer review system is an important component of this. -
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 Due Weighting Learning Outcome New Zealand Field Trip Formative & Summative Feb-March
20% 2,5,6 Oral Exam Formative & Summative June 15% 1,3,4,6,7 Written summaries of scientific seminars Formative & Summative March-Oct 10% 1,5 MTEC 1 & 2 Formative & Summative Feb-June 20% 2,3,4 Geophysics Short Course 1 & 2 Formative & Summative Feb- June 20% 2,3,4 Research Seminar Summative November 15% 1,5,6,7 Assessment Detail
New Zealand Field Trip Presentation 20%
Prior to the trip a research topic will be given that will cover some of the geology seen in New Zealand. Students will present seminars before and during the trip itself. Three in-field tasks and field notebooks will be assessed during the trip. A final oral exam will held on return from the field.
MTEC courses 1 & 2 (20%,)
Each MTEC course is assessed differently and may include a final exam, project, workshop or field assessment task/s.
Geophyscis Shortcourses 1 & 2 (20%,)
Each course is assessed by a take home exam, an oral exam and final presentation.
Written summaries of scientific seminars (10%)
A written summary of the problem the presenter is addressing, the methods they have used and any conclusions that they make is to be completed for each seminar attended. Notes should be taken during the presentation. Students are expected to complete notes for at least 10 seminars.
Thesis Support Tasks are as follows:
1) Hypothesis and Aims
2) Background and Literature Review
3) Introduction
4) Methods
5) Presenting your results
6) Results vs Discussion
7) Presentation Skills
Oral Exam (Support Tasks 1-3) (15%)
Thesis Support Tasks 1-3 will be presented and examined at an oral exam held in June. The student will be asked to comment on a series of questions related to tasks 1-3. The student’s supervisor/s and examiners, and the honours coordinator will conduct the oral exam.
Research Seminars (15%)
Thesis support tasks 4-7 will be examined during the final research seminar. Each seminar will be 15 minutes long with 5 minutes of questions. These seminars will be held in early November. It is compulsory that all students attend all seminars.
Submission
All items for assessment must be submitted by the stated deadlines. There will be a penalty for late submission: the submitted work will be marked 'without prejudice' and 10% of the obtained mark will be deducted for each working day (or part of a day) that an assessment task is late, up to a maximum penalty of 50% of the mark attained.Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
NOG (No Grade Associated) Grade Description CN Continuing 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
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
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- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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