SD2100 Sustainable Scotland

Academic year

2024 to 2025 Semester 2

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

20

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 8

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Planned timetable

Mon and Tue 5pm practical - 2 hrs each week - various times

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr J C van der Lijn

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr David McCollum; Dr Mike Kesby; Dr Katherine Keenan; Dr Urska Demsar; and Dr Tobias Bolch

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

"Sustainable Scotland" draws on Scotland’s unique landscapes, patterns of urbanisation, and the geography of population to examine interrelated issues of land use and social inequalities to the broader questions of sustainability here in Scotland. This theme is used to frame foundational teaching in core research methods relevant to students in both Geography and Sustainable Development. Using a mix of lectures and computer laboratories, students completing this module will have a broad understanding of the role of research in addressing issues of sustainability as well experience in Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems, Spatial Statistics, Survey Design, as well as Qualitative Methods. Each of these methods provides a prerequisite for individual specialist methods teaching modules at the honours level.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS GG2013 OR PASS SD2005

Anti-requisites

YOU CANNOT TAKE THIS MODULE IF YOU PASS GG2011 OR TAKE GG2011 OR PASS GG2012 OR TAKE GG2012 OR PASS SD2001 OR TAKE SD2001 OR PASS SD2002 OR TAKE SD2002

Co-requisites

YOU MUST ALSO TAKE GG2014 OR TAKE SD2006

Assessment pattern

100% Coursework.

Re-assessment

100% Coursework.

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

2x 1hr lecture (x 10 weeks); 1x 2hr computer lab (x 10 weeks)

Scheduled learning hours

45

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

154

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Understand broader issues of methodology and appreciate research design principles
  • Critically evaluate understanding of different kinds of data relevant to research in Geography and Sustainable Development
  • Display familiarity with a range of research methods including Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems, Spatial Statistics, Survey Design
  • Display critical appreciation of questions of ethic, power and risk in research