ENVI5502: Semester 1, 2021

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Units ENVI5502 Semester 1 2021 [Normal day]

Unit outline_

ENVI5502: Environmental Research Project A

Semester 1, 2021 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

A valuable opportunity to apply some of the knowledge gained from earlier coursework, ENVI5502, ENVI5503 and ENVI5504 consist of a research project as arranged between you (the student) and an appropriate supervisor. The project topic may contain a field or laboratory component, or may be entirely literature-based, but it must include an integrated analysis of an identified environmental problem. Potential topics range from ecotourism to pollution detection and monitoring, erosion to solar power, environmental law to conservation biology. The topic must be able to be completed within the timeframe of 32 weeks (two semesters) of investigation, including the literature survey, sample and data collection, analysis of data and results, and write up of the report. This unit is not conducted by way of a number of contact hours per week for a semester. Instead, the student will work on the project full-time (aside from other study commitments) in a continuous manner. This unit of study is only available to students in the Master programs who have completed 24 credit points of study with a distinction average or better.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Geosciences Academic Operations
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	Distinction average or better in 24 credit points of Environmental Science/ Environmental Science and Law core units
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	ENVI5501
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Jeffrey Neilson, jeffrey.neilson@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Research Proposal Research proposal	100%	Week 12 Due date: 28 May 2021 at 23:00	Indicative word length is 4000 words.
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

During this first stage of the environmental science research project, students are required to prepare a research proposal in consultation with their supervisor. The research proposal should include, as a minimum, the following:

Background to the research problem,
A review of the academic literature relevant to the problem,
Identification of research question(s)
Proposed methodology
Timeframe for research and analysis.

Assessment criteria

High Distinction	85-100	The proposal is excellent quality with a review of the literature that is publishable. There are no factual, referencing or grammatical errors. The research question is innovative and original, and the proposed methodology has been carefully considered and highly likely to generate publishable research findings.
Distinction	75-84	The proposal has confidently explored the relevant literature. There are few factual, referencing or grammatical errors. The research question is logical and clear, and the proposed methodology is likely to generate relevant findings.
Credit	65-74	The proposal reviews most of the relevant literature. There may be a number of factual, referencing or grammatical errors, which detract slightly from the quality of the proposal. The research question is reasonable but needs further refinement. The proposed methodology has potential but needs further improvements to deliver high quality research findings.
Pass	50-64	The student has compiled a basic research proposal, but this contains numerous referencing or grammatical errors, a weak review of the literature, methodological inadequacies or a poorly formulated research question. The student will be asked to make a case for continuing to the full research project.
Fail	0-49	The student has fundamentally misunderstood the needs and expectations of scholarly research.

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	Learning outcomes
Ongoing	Independent study.	Independent study (104 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

There are no specific class attendance requirements. You should arrange a meeting schedule with your supervisor.

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

There are no prescribed readings. Your supervisor will direct you to appropriate readings depending on your topic.

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.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

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

LO1. apply advanced research principles and skills to interpret existing data and formulate and test research hypotheses to address novel environmental science problems.
LO2. justify, interpret and effectively communicate expert disciplinary knowledge and technical research findings to an environmental problem in a written, scholarly format.
LO3. investigate, critically evaluate and review the latest scientific knowledge regarding a particular environmental problem or area of current research.
LO4. work effectively and responsibly in an individual context under the supervision of an academic researcher.

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

Responding to student feedback

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

Greater clarity is provided regarding the proposal structure.

Additional information

Ethics Approval

Depending on the nature of your research, you may require ethics approval prior to proceeding to ENVI5503 and ENVI5504.

If the research involves human participants, you will require human ethics approval. This includes a broad range of activities such as:

Taking part in surveys, interviews or focus groups;
Undergoing psychological, physiological or medical testing or treatment;
Being observed by researchers;
Researchers having access to participants’ personal documents or other materials;
The collection and use of participants’ biological materials (body organs, tissues, fluids or exhaled breath);
Access to participants’ information as part of an existing published or unpublished source/database.

If you plan to hold or use animals at the University of Sydney then you must obtain animal ethics approval?

Your supervisor can provide you with more information about the ethics process. You should also consult the following: http://sydney.edu.au/research_support/ethics/index.shtml

Additional costs

You may incur additional research costs depending on supervisor resources.

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

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Disclaimer

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