AD1KSE: Key Skills for Environmental Management and Sustainability

Module code: AD1KSE

Module provider: School of Agriculture, Policy and Development

Credits: 20

Level: 4

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1 / 2

Module convenor: Dr Laura Girling , email: laura.girling@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 3 April 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module is designed for students on the BSc Environmental Management and Sustainability programme. Gain fundamental knowledge of the different research approaches used in the scientific and socio-economic disciplines encompassed by the subject. Explore approaches being employed in related research topics in the School of Agriculture, Policy & Development and develop skills in research through group work on a particular research area. 

You will develop your study skills, including literature-based research, digital literacy, data manipulation and analysis, scientific writing and presentation, along with transferable skills relevant to employment in the environmental management and sustainability field such as teamwork, project planning, time management, risk assessment and ethics.

In addition to academic study and research skills, you will learn about professional roles in your discipline area and the essential skills required for successful employment post-graduation. This will equip you for your Part 2 professional practice module and help you with building workplace skills through a variety of options that you can tailor to meet your own career goals, including finding a yearlong placement, a part-time job or internship and completing your micro-placement over the summer at the end of Part 1.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Critically analyse, summarise and present information from a range of sources and correctly acknowledge sources 
2. Execute a collaborative research project. Formulate a relevant research question and related hypotheses and design, and confidently present research findings.
3. Apply ethical considerations, data protection procedures and relevant health and safety issues in planning research 
4. Apply career training to secure practical workplace experience and action plan towards career goals and aspirations
5. Manage, evaluate and reflect upon various learning style and personal approaches to study to promote personal development.

Module content

The course will start with sessions in Semester 1 covering key skills, time management, academic writing, evaluating scientific sources, referencing and academic integrity. Later in the semester sessions will focus on the research approaches, data and sampling, research ethics, health and safety and project planning. 

Students will then work in small groups, supervised by a member of the school staff, to implement a research project based on a topic of their choosing. Semester 1 will focus on literature research, and the design of testable hypotheses. Semester 2 will focus on method design, data gathering, manipulation, analysis and presentation. The groups will present their research to peers on the course.

Students will receive a ‘workshop block’ of career training and professional development, and towards the end of the semester, building on their experience of the research process, students will reflect upon their understanding of their personal styles of study, research and role within a team context. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The early part of the course will comprise a series of seminars focussing on study and research skills. In Semester 2 the approach will switch to a mixture of supervised small group work with peers on the course and their personal tutors, researching the background to a research topic, devising a research plan, gathering and analysing data, formulating findings and presenting their work. This will be supported by seminars and workshops. Towards the end of the module you will receive professional practice training in a ‘workshop block’ of careers teaching to provide an essential overview of career planning, tools and skills. Some of these will be undertaken at a School level, and others, within your own programme cohort. The final seminars will cover reflection on personal learning style, evaluation of role within teams and relevance to development of appropriate professional skills.  

Study hours

At least 44 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative assessment is any task or activity that creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Various formative assessment opportunities will be available to practice the use of key skills developed. Blackboard tools will be utilised to test knowledge and understanding and ensure project checkpoints are being met with feedback where required. Formative feedback on the group projects is also available from personal tutors.  Self-reflection activity on how to use individualised feedback to inform feedforward

A career learning portfolio to include a CV, cover letter and LinkedIn profile.

Reassessment

Additional costs