PLANT SC 7330WT - Food Production in a Future Climate
Waite Campus - Semester 2 - 2025
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code PLANT SC 7330WT Course Food Production in a Future Climate Coordinating Unit Agricultural Science Term Semester 2 Level Postgraduate Coursework Location/s Waite Campus Units 3 Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Beth Loveys
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:- Describe the natural and anthropogenic causes for climate variation and the impacts on key plant processes such as phenology, photosynthesis, respiration and growth.
- Understand the concepts and limitations in the global climate models that are used to predict future climate scenarios.
- Understand the implications of changing climate on plant production in a range of cropping systems.
- Apply knowledge about the response of plants to climate change to specific agricultural and horticultural species and predict the production outcomes or the locations best suited for production systems in future climate scenarios.
- Source and critically analyse relevant peer reviewed literature.
- Communicate aspects of climate change science to their peers in accessible language and provide critical peer review.
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) Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth
Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.
1-6 Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving
Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.
2-6 Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills
Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.
4,5,6 Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness
Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.
2,6 Attribute 7: Digital capabilities
Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.
2 Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.
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Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
The course will be delivered internally and will be offered on a single day.
Each day will consist of:
1. Lecture composed of 2 presentations of 1 hour each-the first two weeks of lectures will provide basic background
information. The lectures in the following ten weeks will be delivered by AFW academics and also 2-4 guest lecturers from our co-located partners.
2. Workshop of 2 hours- the focus of workshops will be extending concepts introduced in lectures
3. Practical session of 2 hours- practicals will be supported by interactive, online modules to prepare students for practical classes. Practicals will allow students to manipulate and observe plant responses to a variable climate.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
The lectures, workshops and practicals in this course aim to provide
students with an advanced understanding of the theory and evidence of
climate change and the broad impacts that climate change will have on
plant production systems. Examples specific to the Australian plant
production context will be of central importance but as climate change
is an issue that impacts globally international examples and experiences
will also be used. The lectures will provide students with core and
current knowledge delivered by experts in their respective fields.
Consistency of delivery will be provided by UofA academic staff but
experts from partner institutions will also contribute. Workshops are
designed to extend concepts introduced in lectures. Practical sessions
will allow students to manipulate plant systems experimentally and using
techniques and instruments commonly used by researchers in fields of
plant science students will measure the response of plants to
environmental variables. Practicals will give students’ first-hand,
applied experience of the scientific research process required to assess
the impacts of climate change on plant production systems. -
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 Weighting Hurdle
Yes or NoLearning Outcome Due Online Quizzes Formative and Summative 15% No 1,3,4 Week 2,4,10 Literature Review peer review and workshop participation Formative and Summative 20% No 1,4,5 Week 7/Week 13 Practical report Summative 20% No 3,4 Week 9 Online Correlation analysis Formative and Summative 15% No 1,2 Week 9 Annotated Bibliography Formative and Summative 10% No 1,4,5 Week 3,6,9,12 Final exam Summative 20% No 1-5 Exam Period Assessment Detail
Online quizzes (15%)
Three online MCQ and short answer quizzes covering the lecture and practical content will be delivered via MyUni in weeks 2, 4 and 10. These are completed after class and should take approximately 1 hr.
Literature review and workshop participation (20%)
The workshops will provide scaffolding of student’s ability and skill to find, interpret and critically evaluate and synthesis scientific literature. Students will select a topic on which to focus their literature review (2500 words), and they will be asked to keep a running list of the journal articles they have sourced for their review as a journal entry on MyUni. By week 4, staff will provide feedback to students about the appropriateness of the articles they have chosen. The review will be due in week 7 of semester and will be submitted as a Turnitin assignment. Marks and feedback will be available 2-3 weeks after submission. Post graduate students only will anonymously peer review each other’s literature reviews.
Practical report/presentation (20%)
A written report (1500 words) or poster (A0 size) (student choice) on the Module 4 practical session will be submitted as a Turnitin assignment in week 9 of semester. The related practical work will be completed between week 3-6 of semester.
Online Correlation Analysis (15%)
After a practical and 3 workshop sessions on understanding large data sets (CO2, temperature, crop yields etc) students will be guided through multiple correlation analysis using two software packages. Students will select a correlation of interest to them and prepare a popular press article (500 words) explaining what their chosen correlation means to a lay audience.
Annotated Bibliography (10%)
Students will collect papers, webpages, books and other literature relevant to their chosen topic for their literature review. Students will submit the bibliography(less than 200 words each) in weeks 3, 6, 9 and 12. The mark will be assigned in week 12.
Final exam (20%)
A two hour open book exam on all material covered in the course. The question style will be, short answer and data interpretation.Submission
No information currently available.
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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