Course Title: Shaping Environmental Futures

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Shaping Environmental Futures

Credit Points: 12

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
ENVI1168	City Campus	Undergraduate	330H Social Science & Planning	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2006

Course Coordinator: Sarah Bekessy

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 1858

Course Coordinator Email:sarah.bekessy@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 15.3.6

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

Course Description

Shaping Environmental Futures examines the knowledge, policies and tools needed to develop an environmentally sustainable future. This interdisciplinary course provides students with (1) basic knowledge of a range of topics including socio-environmental analysis; environmental ethics and philosophy; environmental history; risk assessment; environmental economics; agriculture and biotechnology, and urban planning (2) basic knowledge of the structure of environmental management, policy and decision-making systems in Australia and internationally (3) an appreciation of the technical, political and legal issues associated with developing better environmental policy and management (4) an awareness of some of the ways to encourage behaviour change for environmental outcomes and (5) research and critical analysis skills.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Lectures and tutorials will provide students with:

1. An awareness of the knowledge, policies and tools need to develop an environmentally sustainable future;

2. Basic knowledge of a range of topics including socio-environmental analysis; environmental ethics and philosophy; environmental history; risk assessment; environmental economics; agriculture and biotechnology, and urban planning;

3. An appreciation of the technical, political and legal issues associated with developing better environmental policy and management;

4. An opportunity to apply knowledge in problem-based learning exercises;

5. Research and critical analysis skills, including the ability to critically read and revise writing, incorporating the development of lines of argument supported by appropriate references, and

6. Skills in leading and facilitating discussion groups.

Overview of Learning Activities

You will be able to engage in a variety of lectures and smaller classes.

Overview of Learning Resources

You will be able to use a reading pack.

Overview of Assessment

You will be able to prepare assessment tasks with a total word length or equivalent of 4,000 words.