Module GEOG1071: Human Geography

Department: Geography

GEOG1071: Human Geography

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
• 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)

Pre-requisites

Corequisites

Excluded Combinations

Aims

• To introduce students to the core concepts in human geography such as Space/Place, Scale, World, Home, Body, Landscape and Nature
• To introduce students to the various approaches human geographers use 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 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

• 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

• On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
• Critically judge and evaluate evidence
• Abstracting and synthesising information
• Developing a reasoned argument

• Self-directed learning, including basic research, and critically-engaged reading
• Written communication, including argumentation
• 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 towards building disciplinary knowledge and understanding.
• Lectures are complemented by:4 small group tutorials where key skills relevant to undergraduate study are developed.
• 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.
• A dedicated essay writing workshop will be organised to help develop writing skills.
• Two coursework essays (one formative, one summative) 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 communicate complex information.
• The end-of-year unseen examination paper is designed to assess students' acquisition of the learning outcomes

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment will take place in the form of a formative essay (max 4 x A4 sides). Further formative feedback and feedforward will be based on tutorials assignments, tutorial discussions and a writing workshop.