Course coordinator
Professor Karen McNamara
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- The Environment School
This course provides an introduction to a broad range of research approaches relevant to environmental managers and planners. Topics covered include: types of research and value of research, the research process and theory of research, ethics in research, quantitative research, qualitative research, empowering research approaches, environmental research, research for engagement and monitoring and evaluation, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, presenting data, communicating research, reflections on 'the field' and the future of research.
The purpose of the course is to introduce students to a broad range of research methods for environmental management and planning, and explore the value and applicability of these various methods. Students will learn how to plan, design and conduct research using quantitative, qualitative, participatory, Indigenous, environmental, and monitoring and evaluation methods. Students will learn software tools for undertaking quantitative and qualitative data analysis (e.g. SPSS and NVivo). Practical considerations for research ethics, presenting data, communicating research and being in 'the field'ﾠwill also be explored.
Course requirements
Assumed background
No prerequisites are necessary other than a mature outlook and a willingness to engage with a variety of research approaches.
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
PLAN3001, PLAN7113
Jointly taught details
This course is jointly-taught with:
- PLAN7113
Learning activities, such as workshops, and assessments
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Professor Karen McNamara
Tutor
Mrs Jess Kilroy
Miss Lillian Norris
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
This course follows a blended learning model. Core content is provided via the UQ Extend platform (all lectures/videos, readings, knowledge checks) for Weeks 1-10 (Week 11 classes fall on a Public Holiday and Weeks 12-13 are the group presentations). Please stay up to date with engaging in this content each week as the 2-hour workshops require you to have obtained the content and knowledge from these materials. The course Blackboard site will be used to make announcements (by the course coordinator), provide details of Assessments (including TurnItIn upload), and also be where information is provided on the 2-hour workshops each week. The 2-hour workshops run each week from Weeks 1-10 and they are compulsory.
Aims and outcomes
The overall aim of this course is to provide environmental management and planning students with practical skills for planning, designing and conducting research projects using a variety of methods and research data.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Identify the most appropriate research methods and practices to utilise for specific research contexts
LO2.
Design a variety of research methods to investigate environmental, social and/or planning issues
LO3.
Utilise one or more research methods to better understand environmental, social and/or planning issues
LO4.
Analyse quantitative and qualitative research data using appropriate software tools
LO5.
Reflect on a variety of research methods to appraise their applicability and utility, while considering your key learnings and challenges
LO6.
Employ oral, written and graphic communication skills to effectively articulate and apply your knowledge of research methods and data
LO7.
Practice the ethical conduct of research to ensure robust and safe research practices
LO8.
Work effectively in a team to solve complex environmental, social and/or planning issues through research
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution |
In-class Workshops
|
20% |
22 July 2024 - 4 October 2024 |
| Reflection |
Reflective Workbook
|
30% |
14:00, 23 August 2024 (Week 5) |
| Project |
Research Project
|
40% |
During the workshops in Weeks 12 and 13 |
| Participation/ Student contribution |
Peer Assessment (Group Project)
|
10% |
18:00, 25 October 2024 |
Assessment details
In-class Workshops
- In-person
- Online
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
22 July 2024 - 4 October 2024
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08
Task description
This course requires attendance and engagement in the weekly 2-hour workshops (10 in total). These will be held in Weeks 1-10. In Weeks 12 and 13, attendance is encouraged of students as the group projects will be presented (but no workshop marks will be allocated for this).
ASSESSMENT HURDLE: In order to obtain a pass grade for this course, students must complete and submit all assessment items.
Submission guidelines
Please submit your activities electronically at the end of the workshop each week on the course Blackboard site (more instructions will be provided in the Week 1 workshop).
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.
Reflective Workbook
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Reflection
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
14:00, 23 August 2024 (Week 5)
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L05, L06, L07
Task description
The aim of this assessment is to allow students to reflect on their learning journey in the course. The reflections are largely based on the UQ Extend online content, the workshops in Weeks 2-4 of the course, and early experiences of developing a group research project and method. Students are asked to complete a series of reflections in a workbook, based on Weeks 2-4 of the course. These reflections are based on what the students are learning and how they are applying various research methods. Students are asked to reflect on their key learnings and integrate these learnings with some literature in a clear and logical fashion. More details about this assessment, including Marking Criteria, is provided in the ‘Assessments’ Folder on the course Blackboard site.
ASSESSMENT HURDLE: In order to obtain a pass grade for this course, students must complete and submit all assessment items.
Submission guidelines
Please submit your workbook electronically through TurnItIn on the course Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
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.
Research Project
- Team or group-based
- In-person
- Online
- Mode
- Oral, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written
- Category
- Project
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
During the workshops in Weeks 12 and 13
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08
Task description
The aim of this assessment is to allow students to create and deliver a research project from start to finish. Throughout the semester, students will be working in small groups (from students in the same workshop cohort) on a research topic/issue. Groups are invited to choose a topic that they are interested in. The group will:
1. Identify and provide an overview of the research topic,
2. Design an overarching research question and a series of aims,
3. Provide a brief overview of relevant literature,
4. Design and justify a method for data collection and analysis including key limitations,
5. Distil the key results/findings,
6. Provide a discussion of the findings in relation to the literature in this area, and
7. Offer recommendations and future research directions.
Each group will need to provide a professional presentation that covers these above areas in the group presentation. The presentation should captivate the audience. The accompanying research brief should summarise the overall research project (points 1-7 above) and should be creative and engaging. Groups will have 15 minutes to present their research project, followed by 5 minutes of questions from the audience. This will be accompanied by a 2-page research brief summarising your overall project. More details about this assessment, including Marking Criteria, is provided in the ‘Assessments’ Folder on the course Blackboard site.
ASSESSMENT HURDLE: In order to obtain a pass grade for this course, students must complete and submit all assessment items.
Submission guidelines
The presentation slides and research brief need to be emailed to the Course Coordinator at 8am on the day of your group's presentation.
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.
Peer Assessment (Group Project)
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
18:00, 25 October 2024
- Other conditions
- Peer assessed.
- Learning outcomes
- L08
Task description
A peer assessment for the group project will be undertaken in Week 13 of the course. Please treat this assessment item with professionalism and the diligence that it deserves. Please separate any personality issues from your judgement when completing the evaluation of your group members. The purpose of the peer assessment is to allow for some level of differentiation in reward for group members who have constantly demonstrated excellent team and professional skills and attitudes. We will be discussing this throughout the course.
ASSESSMENT HURDLE: In order to obtain a pass grade for this course, students must complete and submit all assessment items.
Submission guidelines
Please submit your peer review electronically on the course Blackboard site (more instructions will be provided in Week 12 prior to the presentations).
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.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 0% |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 30% |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 45% |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 50% ASSESSMENT HURDLE: In order to obtain a pass grade for this course, students must complete and submit all four assessment items. |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 65% ASSESSMENT HURDLE: In order to obtain a pass grade for this course, students must complete and submit all four assessment items. |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 75% ASSESSMENT HURDLE: In order to obtain a pass grade for this course, students must complete and submit all four assessment items. |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 85% ASSESSMENT HURDLE: In order to obtain a pass grade for this course, students must complete and submit all four assessment items. |
Additional course grading information
ASSESSMENT HURDLE: In order to obtain a pass grade for this course, students must complete and submit all assessment items.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Courses graded 1-7
Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply.
Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.
If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.
Supplementary assessment can take any form (such as a written report, oral presentation, examination or other appropriate assessment) and may test specific learning outcomes tailored to the individual student, or all learning outcomes.
To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment.
Additional assessment information
Applications for Extensions
Information on applying for an extension can be found here - my.UQ Applying for an extension
Extension applications must be received by the assessment due date and time.
If you are unable to provide documentation to support your application by the due date and time you must still submit your application on time and attach a Word document outlining why you cannot provide the documentation and upload the documentation to the portal within 24 hours.
Please note: While your extension request is being considered, you should work towards completing and submitting your assessment as soon as possible.
If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 4 weeks in a semester, we advise you to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses. You might need to consider applying for removal of course. We strongly recommend you seek advice from the Faculty that administers your program.
Extensions with Student Access Plans (SAP)
For extensions up to 7 days, your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, extension requests longer than 7 days (for any one assessment item) will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g., a medical certificate. A maximum of two applications may be submitted for any one assessment item, unless exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated. All extension requests must be received by the assessment due date and time.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The assessment tasks in this course evaluate students’ abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Turnitin
By submitting work through Turnitin you are deemed to have accepted the following declaration “I certify that this assignment is my own work and has not been submitted, either previously or concurrently, in whole or in part, to this University or any other educational institution, for marking or assessment.”
All students must ensure they receive their Turnitin receipt on submission of any assessments. A valid Turnitin receipt will be the only evidence accepted if assessments are missing. Without evidence, the assessment will receive the standard late penalty, or after five days, will receive zero.
In the case of a Blackboard outage, please contact the Course Coordinator as soon as possible to confirm the outage with ITS.
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
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
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 |
|---|---|---|
General contact hours |
Week 1: Valuing Research and Course Overview UQ Extend: Valuing Research and Course Overview Workshop: Reflective Practice and Working in Teams Learning outcomes: L01, L08 |
|
General contact hours |
Week 2: Quantitative Research and Ethics UQ Extend: Quantitative Research and Ethics Workshop: Questionnaires Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
|
General contact hours |
Week 3: Qualitative Research UQ Extend: Qualitative Research Workshop: Interview and Focus Group Guides Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
|
General contact hours |
Week 4: Empowering Research Approaches UQ Extend: Empowering Research Approaches Workshop: Participatory Tools Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
|
General contact hours |
Week 5: Environmental Research UQ Extend: Environmental Research Workshop: Environmental Research Methods Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
|
General contact hours |
Week 6: Research for Engagement and Monitoring and Evaluation UQ Extend: Research for Engagement and Monitoring and Evaluation Workshop: Monitoring and Evaluation Tools Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
|
General contact hours |
Week 7: Presenting Data and Quantitative Analysis UQ Extend: Presenting Data and Quantitative Analysis Workshop: SPSS Part I Learning outcomes: L04, L06 |
|
General contact hours |
Week 8: Communicating Research and Qualitative Analysis UQ Extend: Communicating Research and Qualitative Analysis Workshop: SPSS Part II Learning outcomes: L04, L06 |
|
General contact hours |
Week 9: Reflections on the Field UQ Extend: Reflections on the Field Workshop: NVivo Part I Learning outcomes: L04, L07 |
|
General contact hours |
Week 10: Looking to the Future UQ Extend: Looking to the Future Workshop: NVivo Part II Learning outcomes: L01, L04, L07 |
|
General contact hours |
Public holiday (no classes this week) |
|
Workshop |
Week 12: Group Presentations Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08 |
|
Workshop |
Week 13: Group Presentations Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08 |
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.