GEG-30033 - Module Specification
School of Geography, Geology and the Environment
Faculty of Natural Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

This international field course gives you the opportunity to put your learning into practice in an international setting. Our current location is Geneva and the French Alps where you can explore diverse geographical phenomena in a renowned mountainous region. Through hands-on fieldwork, you can investigate topics such as climate adaptation and mitigation, geotourism, glacial processes, alpine ecosystems, identity, sense of place and cultural landscapes. Field activities may include qualitative data collection such as ethnographic observations and photography, and/or, quantitative techniques such as water sampling and environmental analysis. You will also be encouraged to engage in mapping and field sketching methods. You will have the opportunity to practice your field activities and data collection methods on campus to help you design and implement your own individual research project in Geneva and the Alps. This immersive experience enhances your understanding of geographical concepts and methodologies while fostering problem-solving skills in a new environment.

1. To further develop the fieldwork skills of Geography students by extending the repertoire of skills and expertise that have previously been gained by students at level 5.
2. To expose students to a wider range of methods and techniques of relevance to conducting geographical research and in the context of a different physical, socio-economic, cultural and political environment.
3. To highlight the importance of the `positionality¿ of the researcher, and the need for flexibility and adaptability to secure research goals.
4. To explore, collate and present the results of a defined research topic in the field, and to receive appropriate feedback from peers and academic staff.

Intended Learning Outcomes

identify and apply a range of appropriate research strategies, methods and techniques of relevance to a range of geographical phenomena: 1,2,3
integrate information from primary (e.g. fieldwork) and secondary (e.g. literature) data sources to develop new insights into a number of key geographical themes: 1,3
work independently and as part of a group to conduct geographical research in an unfamiliar environment, including collection and analysis of data: 1,3
reflect on the importance of the `positionality¿ of the researcher, and conduct research in such a way that acknowledges differences in perspective based on socio-cultural characteristics: 1,3
read and synthesize existing knowledge on a topic of relevance to the field site and students' disciplinary backgrounds: 1,2,3

Study hours

Semester 1
12 hours lectures / workshops / groupwork / presentation
12 hours practical work on campus or within the local or regional area (field work, lab work)
26 hours preparation and reading for field classes
45 hours working on portfolio of field experience
24 hours reading and researching ideas for independent research proposal
Semester 2
12 hours lectures / workshops / groupwork
64 hours (8 days * 8 hours) residential field work
68 independent study preparing final research proposal
30 hours on data analysis and preparing final presentation assessment
7 hours completing field diary whilst on the fieldtrip

School Rules

An additional fee is payable for this module to cover the costs of travel and accommodation.
Student numbers on this module are necessarily capped for logistic reasons. In the event that
the module is oversubscribed, selection criteria will be based on the overall average marks
attained to date. A minimum 10 students are required for the module to run.

Description of Module Assessment