This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Undergraduate Handbook 2021-2022 (archived)
Module GEOG1071: HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
Department: Geography
GEOG1071: HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tied | 1 | 20 | Available in 2021/2022 | None. | Durham |
Tied To
- CFG0: Natural Sciences
- CFG1: Natural Sciences with Year Abroad
- CFG2: Natural Sciences with Placement
- F800: Geography
- F803: Geography with Year Abroad
- FGC0: Natural Sciences
- L702: Geography
- L704: Geography with Year Abroad
- LA01: Liberal Arts
- LA02: Liberal Arts (with Year Abroad)
- LA03: Liberal Arts (with Placement Year)
- LMV0: Combined Honours in Social Sciences
- LMV1: Combined Honours in Social Sciences (Human Sciences) (see Undergraduate Handbook 2018-2019 for details)
- LMV2: Combined Honours in Social Sciences (Human Sciences) (with Year Abroad) (see Undergraduate Handbook 2018-2019 for details)
- LMVA: Combined Honours in Social Sciences (with Year Abroad)
- LMVP: Combined Honours in Social Sciences (with Placement Year)
- X1F8: Education Studies - Geography
- X2F8: Education Studies - Geography (with Year Abroad)
- X3F8: Education Studies - Geography (with Placement Year)
- X4F8: Education Studies - Geography (with UK Placement) (see Undergraduate Handbook 2019-2020 for details)
Pre-requisites
- None
Corequisites
- None
Excluded Combinations
- None
Aims
- To introduce students to the core concepts in human geography, including, in particular, Space/Place, Data, Scale, World, Home, Body, Landscape and Nature
- To introduce students to the various approaches human geographers have used to understand and develop these concepts in response to specific societal challenges
- To use a variety of case studies to illustrate core concepts and approaches in human geography.
Content
- The module examines the above core concepts within human geography. Where appropriate, it showcases how research currently being undertaken by members of the Geography Department makes use of these concepts in order to understand and intervene in contemporary debates and societal challenges. To reflect the unique expertise of the teaching team, a combination of four of these concepts is introduced in any given year.
- The module is taught in distinctive lecture blocks each of which addresses one of the above mentioned core concepts.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge
- On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
- Demonstrate comprehension of a range of human geographical ideas, concepts and approaches.
- Understand how and why geographers have developed new approaches in response to contemporary challenges and epistemological problems.
- To recognise how differing ideas, concepts and approaches are reflected in research and in response to the diversity of places, meaning, human lifeworlds and the production of difference and inequality.
- To assess, judge and critically evaluate competing intellectual positions.
- Critically engage with key issues in human geography
Subject-specific Skills
- On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
- Critically judge and evaluate evidence
- Abstracting and synthesising information
- Developing a reasoned argument
Key Skills
- Self-directed learning
- Written communication
- Contextualising information
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- The lectures provide the context in which the core concepts and related research case studies are conveyed, contributing to building knowledge and understanding.
- Lectures are complemented by 9 asynchronous online 'activities' (e.g. discussion boards, quizzes etc.) and 4 small group tutorials where key skills relevant to undergraduate study are developed.
- Full reading lists provide students with the means to undertake independent study and learning.
- Non-examination assessment is marked and returned by tutors, who will provide individual feedback to support student development.
- Essays provide students with the opportunity to explore in greater detail selected themes drawn from the module.
- The four tutorials contribute to the module learning outcomes by providing students the opportunity to demonstrate their comprehension of module content, to evaluate evidence, synthesise information, and, in a self-directed manner, to communicate complex information through its contextualisation.
- The remainder of the summative assessment is based on an unseen examination paper designed to assess students' acquisition of the learning outcomes
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 38 | Two per week | 1 hour | 38 | |
| Tutorials | 4 | Four per year | 1 hour | 4 | |
| Activities | 9 | Varies | 1 hour | 9 | |
| Preparation and Reading | 149 | ||||
| Total | 200 |
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | 50% | Unseen 2 hour examination | 100% | ||
| Essay | 50% | Essay | Max 4 pages A4 | 100% |
Formative Assessment
One formative essay (max 4 x A4 sides). Further formative feedback and feedforward will be based on tutorial sessions and through the integrated asynchronous learning activities.
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.