Dr Denys Villa Gomez
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Civil Engineering School
Engineers, professionally and as members of society, encounter environmental issues either directly or by way of regulations and workplace practices. They are also at the forefront of designing and implementing many of the changes needed to manage impacts and lead to sustainable development. This course is an introduction to the more significant environmental issues and associated sustainability challenges with a focus on implications for engineers in practice. Topics include: climate change; ecosystems and nutrient cycles, biodiversity, air and water pollution, environmental monitoring, ethics in engineering and principles of sustainable waste management,. Through these topics students are introduced to the assessment of environmental data; and project-based investigation of issues is used to encourage deeper exploration of several topics.
Engineers are at the forefront of designing and implementing many of the changes needed to manage/reduce the human impact on the environment. Moreover, sustainability andﾠsustainable development has become one of the cornerstones of the engineering profession, whereas the ambition to become more sustainable has been firmly anchored in national and international regulations and guidelines. This course is an introduction to the more significant environmental issues and their management that are commonly encountered and how sustainable engineering practice can help alleviate these problems.
The topics covered herein include:
- The Environmental State of the World;
- Global climate change;
- Biosphere integrity;
- Ecosystems and nutrient cycles;
- Sustainability concepts;
- Ethics in Engineering;
- Air pollution;
- Water management;
- Solid waste management;
- Environmental monitoring.
Course requirements
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
CIVL2130
Course staff
Course coordinator
Lecturer
Dr Denys Villa Gomez
Professor William Clarke
Dr Julian Lamont
Professor Neil McIntyre
Dr Lorna Hernandez Santin
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Timetables are subject to change during the beginning of semester. For up to date timetable information please check your timetable online.
NOTE that some lectures are held live in the classroom, while others are pre-recorded videos available on LearnX.
Lecture schedule will be provided on Blackboard at the start of the semester.
Aims and outcomes
Students will gain an appreciation of the complexity of current environmental issues and the role engineers can play in order to manage these issues in a sustainable way.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Analyse the key drivers of contemporary environmental issues.
LO2.
Compare modern concepts of sustainability in engineering practice and contrast how engineers use these in shifting society towards and away from sustainable living.
LO3.
Critically evaluate various environmental monitoring data, synthesizing the information to draw conclusions about the state of an environmental system.
LO4.
Recommend solutions to environmental problems, developing strategies based on relevant standards and guidelines.
LO5.
Design different options for minimizing environmental impact, testing the options to determine the most effective one.
LO6.
Analyse ethical issues in engineering practice, developing arguments for and against different ethical positions.
LO7.
Collaboratively work with others to solve engineering problems in small groups, leading and contributing to engineering teams.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examination |
Saturday in-semester exam
|
20% |
In-semester Saturday 29/03/2025 - 12/04/2025
Outside Scheduled Class on a Saturday - Saturday 12th of April |
| Presentation |
Case study Ethics in engineering (Group)
|
15% |
28/04/2025 - 2/05/2025 |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Report
|
15% |
30/05/2025 4:00 pm |
| Examination |
Final exam
|
50% |
End of Semester Exam Period 7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Saturday in-semester exam
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
In-semester Saturday
29/03/2025 - 12/04/2025
Outside Scheduled Class on a Saturday - Saturday 12th of April
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L05
Task description
Paper-based exam held on Saturday of in-sem examination. This exam asses the lecture material and tutorial problems covered from week 1 to 7. The exam will be held on a Saturday in the in-semester exam block as per https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/exam-timetables-and-venues/important-exam-dates. A personal exam timetable will be emailed to your student email address with the date and time of your Saturday exam. A subsequent timetable with venue information will be emailed to you approximately 7 days before the exam period.
The use of electronic devices is not allowed (e.g. computer, phone).
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Will contain multiple choice questions including: theory and problems
Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Calculator options | (In person) Casio FX82 series only or UQ approved and labelled calculator |
| Open/closed book | Open Book examination |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Case study Ethics in engineering (Group)
- Team or group-based
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
28/04/2025 - 2/05/2025
- Other conditions
- Peer assessment factor.
- Learning outcomes
- L02, L04, L06, L07
Task description
This assessment challenges students to apply their understanding of engineering ethics to a real-world case study. Working in groups, students will analyse ethical dilemmas within an engineering project, demonstrating the critical importance of ethical decision-making in professional practice. Assessment criteria will be provided in the project brief.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Group peer assessment. Students will evaluate individual contributions of group members to the report through the group per assessment tool. The evaluation may be used for total marking moderation based on students' individual contributions to the group assignment.
Submission guidelines
Pre-recorded Video Presentation. You are required to record and submit a video presentation per group. Detailed instructions on how to record and upload your video to Blackboard will be provided well in advance of the submission deadline. Please check the course announcements regularly for these instructions.
Group Peer Assessment Evaluation. Each group member must also submit an individual peer assessment evaluation through Blackboard. This evaluation helps us understand individual contributions to the group project.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Report
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
30/05/2025 4:00 pm
- Other conditions
- Student specific.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
Small individual report analysing the energy and carbon intensity of a system, and comparing alternative scenarios.
The brief for this assignment, including requirements and marking rubric, will be posted on Blackboard and explained in class.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submission through Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Final exam
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 50%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L05
Task description
Final exam will cover all the topics taught except the Ethics module.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Will contain multiple choice questions including: theory and problems
Hurdle requirements
An exam mark of 40% or greater and a grade of 4 or greater overall is required to pass the course.Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Calculator options | (In person) Casio FX82 series only or UQ approved and labelled calculator |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - specified written materials permitted |
| Materials | One A4 sheet of handwritten notes , single sided, is permitted |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 19 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Fails to demonstrate an understanding of the core material including the fundamental principles of key environmental issues and their application to engineering practice. Poor and/or incomplete assessment work. |
| 2 (Fail) | 20 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Fails to demonstrate an understanding of the core material including the fundamental principles of key environmental issues and their application to engineering practice.ﾠ Poor and/or incomplete assessment work. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Fails to demonstrate an understanding ofﾠthe core material includingﾠthe fundamental principles of key environmental issues and their application to engineering practice.ﾠ Poor and/or incomplete assessment work. |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrated sound knowledge of the core material including an understanding of fundamental principles of key environmental issues and their application to engineering practice. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrated proficient knowledge of the core material including an understanding of fundamental principles of key environmental issues and their application to engineering practice. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrated advanced knowledge of the core material including an understanding of fundamental principles of key environmental issues and their application to engineering practice. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrated exceptional ﾠlevel innovation and insight in assessment work and exceptionalﾠwritten reports, with well argued support for choices made and interpretation. |
Additional course grading information
Moderation of marking ﾠis a policy requirement of The University ﾠ(refer to Assessment Procedure in the PPL). Therefore, marks (raw, scaled and/or aggregated), on an examination script, are only an aid to the Course Coordinator in determining the final mark for the examination assessment item, and for providing feedback to students on course achievement.ﾠ
Grade cutoffs and hurdles
Final marks will be rounded up to an integer value prior to applying hurdles or grade boundaries.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
BlackBoard:ﾠ A BlackBoard site is available for this course.ﾠﾠStudents should refer to the BlackBoard site frequently.ﾠ Course announcements, important information, course notes, projectﾠdetails and other information is posted on the BlackBoard site.
LearnX: This course is delivered combining online learning via the LearnX platform along with in person sessions. Some of the weekly 2 hr Lectures ﾠscheduled on Mondays are replaced ﾠby the LearnX modules, which contains short video recordings and ﾠquizzes.
Discussion board (Padlet).ﾠThe discussion board used in this course is Padlet, link to this virtual board appears on BlackBoard.ﾠPadlet isﾠan online toolﾠwhere students and staff can collaborate, reflect, and ask questions anonymously.ﾠ
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks |
Lecture |
Theory and examples Lectures providing concepts, theories and skills to understand environmental issues and associated sustainability challenges with a focus on implications for engineers in practice. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial sessions Problem-based learning in tutorial class including a combination of online quizzes and general assistance with the course assessments. Unless specified, all the tutorial material will be available on the LearnX platform before the tutorial session. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: