Unit information: Extended Review Essay in 2014/15

Unit name	Extended Review Essay
Unit code	GEOG30003
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Professor. Anesio
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	All 1st and 2nd year units for each stream and a year abroad
Co-requisites	All 3rd year units for each stream
School/department	School of Geographical Sciences
Faculty	Faculty of Science

Description including Unit Aims

The extended review essay provides an opportunity for students to critique, contextualise and take forwards a key debate which underpins either their dissertation subject area or some other geographical issue generated from their year abroad. It will allow them to expand their analytical and academic skills in situating their research in wider contexts: in particular in relation to the genealogy of concepts, the application of contemporary research, and the impact of science in society.

A member of staff will be assigned to each individual student to support their learning and completion of this unit. The student will be required to generate substantive agendas for these meetings.

Aims: To train students to reflect upon their own research approaches, cross-national research communities and their impact on their future research career.

Intended Learning Outcomes

On completion of this Unit students should be able to:

• Reflect upon their own research approaches, cross-national research communities and their impact on their future research career
• Produce report and defend written and oral arguments with confidence in one-to-one scenarios.

The following transferable skills are developed in this Unit:

• self-assessment and assessment of work of others
• critical thinking
• library and data-base searches
• bibliographic referencing and the academic presentational conventions and standards
• negotiating skills
• specification of research problem
• undertaking of original research
• effective essay writing
• report writing
• time management
• awareness of acquisition of personal/transferable skills.

Teaching Information

Introductory lecture

Advisory meetings

Assessment Information

Review Essay 100%

Reading and References

1. Flowerdew, R. and Martin, D. (1997) Methods in Human Geography (Longman);

2. Kneale, P. (1999) Study skills for Geography students: a Practical guide (Arnold);

3. Clifford, N J & Valentine, G. (2003) Key Methods in Geography, (Sage)