CIVL2010: Semester 2, 2021

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Units CIVL2010 Semester 2 2021 [Normal day]

Unit outline_

CIVL2010: Environmental Engineering

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

This unit introduces students to the role of civil engineers and the historical development of the profession, and relates this to the Code of Ethics - Engineers Australia; impact of engineering on the human and natural environment; energy consumption, resourcing and renewal, dealing with variability in climate; definitions and practice of sustainability; environmental assessment tools and life-cycle analyses. As graduates, students may expect to find themselves in a position which touches upon a wide variety of Engineering fields (including legal, institutional, and environmental considerations). In both small and large firms they could be acting as agents and managers of technology-driven change which has social and environmental impact. Engineering decision-making and problem-solving are made more complex by technical, economic, environmental, social and ethical constraints. The goals of this unit are to introduce students to major problems of environmental deterioration and engage students in active reflection on the role of civil engineers in addressing these issues; to develop the students skills at quantifying the impact of engineering decisions within the broader economic, environmental and socio-cultural contexts; to develop communication skills through participation in group discussions, video production and written report writing. Lectures, group discussions, case problems and projects are all used in teaching and learning in this unit of study.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Civil Engineering
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	CIVL3010
Assumed knowledge ?	MATH1023 AND ENGG1801. Strong calculus knowledge from 1000 level MATH, as well as the ability to program in MATLAB. Basic understanding of structural mechanics (CIVL2201) is also an advantage.
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Benjy Marks, benjy.marks@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Abbas El-Zein, abbas.elzein@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Benjy Marks, benjy.marks@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Climate Investigation	10%	Week 04	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Sustainability Project	15%	Week 07	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Computing Assignment	25%	Week 10	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Major Project	40%	Week 13	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Tutorial participation Tutorial participation mark	10%	Weekly	13 x one hour tutorials
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 02	Climate	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 03	Climate	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 04	Sustainable systems	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 05	Sustainable systems	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 06	Sustainable systems	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 07	Pollution	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 08	Pollution	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 09	Pollution	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 10	Energy	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 11	Energy	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 12	Energy	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 13	Energy	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Weekly	Readings, pre-work, exercises	Independent study (5 hr)

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed on the Library eReserve link available on Canvas.

Sustainable Energy - without the hot air. David JC MacKay. https://www.withouthotair.com/ This book is free to download as a PDF.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. analyse the role civil engineers play in addressing global environmental problems such as climate change
LO2. interpret scholarly literature in the context of engineering practice
LO3. communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, on technical topics
LO4. apply the 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics to environmental problems
LO5. calculate the spread of airborne pollution
LO6. examine anthropogenic climate change including its causes, impacts and implications.
LO7. critically appraise environmental sustainability through the prism of system dynamics

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Alignment with Competency standards

Outcomes	Competency standards
	Engineers Australia Curriculum Performance Indicators - 3.4. An understanding of and commitment to ethical and professional responsibilities. 4.5. An ability to undertake problem solving, design and project work within a broad contextual framework accommodating social, cultural, ethical, legal, political, economic and environmental responsibilities as well as within the principles of sustainable development and health and safety imperatives.

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

The message below was sent out in response to USS feedback to students in 2020: I would like to thank you for the constructive feedback you all gave in the USS this year. I have tried to group the main feedback into four separate topics, which I will address individually. Firstly, many of you commented that the tutorials were too short, and it was difficult to complete all of the work during the tutorial time. For next year, I will move some of introductory parts of each tutorial into pre-work, so that it can be completed before the tutorial. This should reduce the strain on what should be completed in each tutorial, and also help to keep everyone on track. Secondly, the use of gather.town for the tutorials proved quite contentious. Several people commented on connection issues, and that this platform detracted from their learning experience. Next year we will investigate other alternatives and attempt to find a solution where we can promote small group interaction and also maintain reliable connectivity. Thirdly, a few people commented that the lecture watch parties were not successful in getting a sense of interaction. I wholly understand this and agree that the lecture component of the course was underwhelming. I am not sure what is the best alternative for this course, but will trial an alternative system next year that will promote interactivity and allow for current events to be integrated into the course content. Finally, several people commented specifically on the Quantifying the Environment assessment. Some found this assessment too hard in general. Others thought that it assessed more their coding skills than their understanding of environmental engineering. Many people commented that they had no prior programming experience, and that they were therefore incapable of doing well in this assessment. I would like to point out that ENGG1801 is assumed knowledge for CIVL2010, and that you are therefore assumed to have basic programming skills. ENGG1801 is an introductory course, but it is not the end of your programming journey. As you progress in your degree (and your career), the level of programming required of you will grow, as you acquire more skills and experience. Increased computational literacy is one of the biggest requests that we get from our industry advisory boards and employer surveys. It is for this reason that we are attempting to teach advanced programming skills. In CIVL2010 we had several tutorials, and significant lecture time, dedicated to the programming skills required for these assessments. We also had the drop in coding sessions, which I understand were a big success, with many of you commenting on the usefulness of these. I do not plan to significantly alter this assessment in future years, although if you have specific improvements that you can think of, please contact me and I would be very interested to hear your suggestions. Overall, I thought last semester went quite well, and I look forward to implementing the changes outlined above. For the first time in the history of CIVL2010 we had a student achieve 100% in the course and I would like to congratulate them on their outstanding achievement. I wish you all the best in the coming semester and look forward to seeing you around campus and online in the future. If you are ever looking for someone to talk to or for some advice in general, please drop by office in the civil engineering building, or reach out via email or zoom. Benjy

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

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