GEOG 750 : Environment and Landscape

Science

2025 Semester Two (1255) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Environmental change in New Zealand since European settlement, including exploitation of natural resources, the creation of different cultural landscapes, and recognition of places as natural and cultural heritage. Different approaches to investigating and understanding recent environmental change are addressed. The course is suitable for physical and social science students, and will enable them to place the modern environment within a historical context. The course may include short guided walks and a one day or two half-day fieldtrips.

Course Overview

This course is focused on aspects of environmental change in New Zealand, mainly since European settlement, and is framed around the core themes of environment and landscape. It is suitable for students in Geography, Environmental Management, Environmental Science or related subjects, and no prior experience in this topic area is assumed. The course is taught using a combination of discussion-based seminars, coursework based on an independent research project, and two short eld trips. On completion, students will have an appreciation of the historical context for modern environmental issues, and awareness of how New Zealand's landscape has been changed since human settlement.

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Describe and explain key drivers of environmental transformations in New Zealand and selected physical and social responses to these changes (Capability 1, 3 and 6)
  2. Articulate and demonstrate knowledge of key concepts and methods employed in examining and interpreting landscape change (Capability 3, 4 and 7)
  3. Recognise and understand the strengths and weaknesses of different evidence sources (Capability 4)
  4. Experience in developing and implementing an independent research project (Capability 1, 3, 4 and 6)
  5. Effectively communicate research in written, oral and visual formats (Capability 3, 6 and 7)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Coursework 100% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5
Coursework

Key Topics

Key themes in the course are:
  • Exploring landscape, environment, and heritage
  • Identifying environmental impacts of human settlement on forest, rivers and wetlands
  • Investigating legacies of recent environmental change, including dening spaces as natural and cultural heritage
  • Examining how we remember these aspects of our past

Special Requirements

The course will include two half-day fieldtrips on non-teaching days, and/or walks in the vicinity of the University campus. The timing of these will be confirmed at the start of the course.

Tuākana

As part of the University-wide Tuākana community, The School of Environment Tuākana Programme aims to provide a welcoming learning environment for, and enhance the success of, all of our Māori and Pacific students. We are led by the principles of tautoko (support) and whanaungatanga (connection), and hope you find a home here at the School. Students who have identified as Māori and/or Pacific will receive an invitation to our online portal introducing the Programme, the resources we have available, and how you can get involved.
Māori and Pacific students are encouraged to contact Sonia Fonua (s.fonua@auckland.ac.nz) or Kimoro Taiepa (kimoro.taiepa@auckland.ac.nz) for information about the Tuākana programme.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 24 hours of seminars, 48 hours of reading and reflecting on seminar content and 78 hours of work on assignments and in-course tasks.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Students are expected to attend and participate in weekly seminar sessions, and to attend the half-day field trips. 

The course seminars are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable. 

The short fieldtrips are usually scheduled for a weekend (normally around teaching week 3/4 and teaching week 9/10).


Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Specific learning resources will be provided through Canvas and a Talis reading list. 
Resources will include academic journal articles,  book chapters, some online video resources and podcasts.

Health & Safety

For the fieldtrips, students will be advised to dress appropriately to the conditions, such as suitable walking shoes, raincoat etc.

Student Feedback

During the course Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the staff responsible for the course and staff-student consultative committees.

At the end of the course students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback.

Your feedback helps to improve the course and its delivery for all students.

Course content, seminar activities and discussion topics, and assignments will be reviewed and updated prior to delivery in 2025.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.

You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

The delivery mode may change depending on COVID restrictions. Any changes will be communicated through Canvas.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.