This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Postgraduate Handbook 2015-2016 (archived)
Module GEOG40415: RISK FRONTIERS
Department: Geography
GEOG40415: RISK FRONTIERS
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 4 | 15 | Available in 2015/2016 | Durham |
Pre-requisites
- None.
Corequisites
- UNDERSTANDING RISK, FUNDAMENTALS OF RISK RESEARCH DISSERTATION (BY RESEARCH OR VOCATIONAL)
Excluded Combinations
- None.
Aims
- The aim of this module is to expose students to current thinking in risk research through the Institute of Hazard and Risk Research programme of seminars, given by both Durham and external staff and to use this exposure as a means of training students in the generic skills of interpreting, criticising and synthesising emerging research. The risk industry has a new found appetite for using cutting edge ‘knowledge’ (witness notions of ‘evidence-based’ practice; the investment of the leading reinsurance brokers (e.g. Benfield-Aon; Willis; Axa) which in turn requires graduates who are skilled in critical interpretation and synthesis of new knowledge.
Content
- Students will attend the IHRR weekly seminar, each of which will have a subsequent workshop to work through readings and material related to the topic delivered. Students will complete: (1) a seminar diary; and (2) a detailed report on one seminar.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge
- Students will have an in-depth understanding of a range of contrasting topics in risk
- Students will have a very detailed understanding of one major topic in risk
Subject-specific Skills
- Students will be able to engage in constructive criticism of a set of very different risk topics
- Students will be able to synthesis the core messages emerging from contrasting risk topics
Key Skills
- Written communication, notably critical synthesis of core messages
- Deliberative and discursive skills in response to oral presentations
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- This module is based upon 16 seminars arranged by IHRR in Terms 1 and 2, which students will be required to attend. Each seminar will have a 1 hour workshop attached to them to allow students to practice their deliberative and discursive skills. Thus, each student has 32 hours of contact time and 118 hours of independent study. Students will be given formative feedback on their seminar diaries and an opportunity to undertake a practice report.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seminars | 16 | weekly | 1 hour | 16 | Yes |
| Workshops | 16 | weekly | 1 hour | 16 | |
| Self-directed learning | 118 | ||||
| Total | 150 |
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report on seminar | 100% | Report on seminar | 3000 words | 100% | Yes |
Formative Assessment
Peer assessment in workshops, feedback on seminar diary; a practice report and written feedback on the summative assignment. NB: formative work is a compulsory part of this module.
Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods
and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative
assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress
procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be
required to leave the University.