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Overview

Course Prescription

Research and practice in Environmental Management. Students will explore alternative perspectives and methodologies applied in environmental management and develop a research proposal that includes a critical review of a contemporary practice.

Course Overview

ENVMGT 701 is a required course for those enrolled in the Environmental Management programs -  120 point Postgraduate Diploma in Science, 180 point Master of Environmental Management (MEnvMgt), and 120 or 240 point Master of Science. The course will prepare students for the research experience, with self-directed learning activities, workshops, group tutorials, and assignments that, collectively, will help them establish a research platform for a topic of personal interest. Learning opportunities will enable students to combine academic literature, policy-relevant sources, and a range of interpretive skills to determine an optimal research pathway for their needs. Although the acquisition of research skills is a primary focus, ENVMGT 701 will also emphasize critical self-reflection on the positionality, ethical and cultural dimensions of appropriate research, and the contribution that research can make to realizing community aspirations.

Key Topics

Before the commencement of formal classes, staff and students will attend an overnight discussion forum to ensure that they know each other sufficiently to discuss and generate potential research topics.
Thereafter, the class will be divided into small groups under the supervision of one member of the teaching team. The first hour of each two-hour session will operate as a workshop and will focus on an associated self-directed learning exercise, and the second will be a small group discussion to support the design and development of individuals' research platforms.
The self-directed learning activities include:

  • Bibliographic search (RefWorks, Scopus/Web of Science, Write-n-Cite); 
  • Accessing and working with public submissions on environmental controversies; 
  • Discourse analysis and media representation;
  • Understanding policy evolutions, with options to investigate the change in a local or central government policy for an environmental issue of significance to individual students;
  • Themes in common to a cluster of case law precedents; 
  • Archival research;
  • Working with ‘text’ in qualitative analysis.
The workshops and activities are not assessed directly, but they can be tailored to inform and provide source material for assessed assignments.

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 35mins of in-class reflection, 35mins of lecturing and 35mins of in-class group discussion per week, along with 3 hours of reading, 2 hours of self-directed skills acquisition, and 3 hours of work on assignments.

Locations and Semesters Offered

LocationSemester
City

Teaching and Learning

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities including workshops and tutorials to complete components of the course.
There are few lectures in the course, and most learning opportunities are based on self-directed learning or small group work, so there will be few opportunities to record classes.
The course may include live online events including group discussions and tutorials.
There are no tests or exams that require in-person attendance. Some exercises are dependent on Auckland-based resources and activities, but equivalents may be negotiated for overseas students.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including 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.

Additional Information on Learning Resources

All academic articles required for learning and assessment will be provided through Talis reading lists.

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.

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 course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework 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. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

  • Honesty - in all aspects of research work
  • Accountability - in the conduct of research
  • Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
  • Good stewardship – on behalf of others
  • Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
  • Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.


Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Additional Information on Assessment

This course is 100% internally assessed. 
Early in the semester, students will be required to declare whether they intend to terminate their studies in Environmental Management with a Postgraduate Diploma, 180-point MEnvMgt, a MSc by thesis, or a 240-point MSc. If an individual's choice includes future research, they will complete a proposal as their 50% assignment; if it does not, they will complete a research report for the 50% assignment.

Some elements of the literature and methodological reviews may be corrected, extended, and reused within the proposal or report. A form of plussage will apply to the 20% exercises to encourage evolution in research problems, skills, and strategies.

Special Requirements

Students should consider carefully the relationship between lectured content and out-of-class reflection exercises. Although the latter are not assessed, your capacity to use and apply the former will be greater if you use the reflection exercises as practice for whatever method is considered in a particular teaching week.

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO #OutcomeProgramme Capability Link
1
2
3
4
5
6

Assessments

Assessment TypeAssessment PercentageAssessment Classification

Assessment to CLO Mapping

Assessment Type123456

Student Feedback, Support and Charter

Student Feedback

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Additional Information on Student Feedback

The course ran for the first time in 2022. The emphasis on weekly experimentation with a new research method was appreciated so that till again be the emphasis for 2023.

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.

Tuākana

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

Additional Information on 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's students are encouraged to contact Sonia Fonua (s.fonua@auckland.ac.nz) for information about the Tuākana programme.

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.

Wellbeing

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed work 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. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

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.

Student Academic Complaints and Disputes

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.