Subject - Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering

Click on the unit title below to read how we have responded to your questionnaire responses.

2007:

2007

BIO1AD Animal Diversity, ecology and behaviour (2007)

This is an introductory unit for students wishing to pursue advanced studies in biology units in subsequent years. It may also serve as a one-semester terminal unit. It consists of an introduction to animal diversity, ecology and behaviour. The unit provides an introduction to the biology of animals, including the origin of animals and an evolutionary approach to the study of the protozoa, sponges, cnidarians, and flatworms, as well as the two major lines of coelomate animals, the annelid-arthropod-mollusc line and the echinoderm-chordate line, including a treatment of the origin of our own phylum, the Chordata and of the vertebrate classes; and concepts in animal ecology, such as the ecosystem, community, food web, energy flow, predation, parasitism and competition. The study of animal behaviour covers instinctive behaviour, learning and memory, social behaviour and the development of behaviour in an individual.

There was some success in clarifying the aims and expectations of the unit and in convincing the students that Mark (the teaching fellow) and I are approachable and helpful. Improvements of the power point presentations in lectures continued. The unit co-ordinator needs to continue to boost 'enthusiasm' levels in his lectures, and must look for ways of convincing students of the values of the prescribed reading and making full use of the allocated practical times.
Although students complain about lack of feedback on their assessments, they appear to seldom take notice of the extensive feedback that is already provided, and come poorly prepared to exam revision sessions. They will be further encouraged to take these comments to heart and prepare better for revision. We will also continue to emphasize the importance of approaching the teaching and academic skills unit staff when there are problems.
Although the amount of material included in the unit is a major issues with many students, the content is still minimal to achieve the aims of the unit. Students need more encouragement for developing appropriate study skills.

BIO1PS Plant Science (2007)

In this unit students are introduced to the biology of plants, their role in natural landscapes and their use by human societies, with particular emphasis on the distribution and adaptation of vegetation, especially desert vegetation, grasslands and tropical rainforests; the origin and adaptation of the unique Australian flora; the structure and functioning of plants in the Australian environment and in agriculture; and the diversity, evolution and ecological importance of bacteria, fungi, algae and land plants. Two case studies are used to introduce students to plant biotechnology. Students are introduced to the diversity of plants through visits to the wildlife reserves of the university and the Botanic Gardens and the observation and experimental study of plants in practical classes.

We need to follow the lead as it were, altering the unit and first year Biology in general as it changes at Bundoora, endorsing the move towards electronic delivery in a staged fashion, and exploring presentation techniques which may ease the lecturing load per individual staff member, in a way acceptable to and preferably being endorsed by the students – we need to avoid putting in place any alternate form of delivery which makes the students uneasy, unless it is done ‘across the board’ in an equitable manner.

STA1LS Statistics for Life Sciences (2007)

In this unit students are introduced to the basic statistical methods that are very useful for students in biological sciences, medical sciences, agricultural sciences, nutrition, and health sciences. For example, this unit will cover essential skills for students to analyse data from experiments and write reports. It is specifically designed for students who do not have a strong background in mathematics, and further, it does not assume any previous training in statistics or probability. The unit covers descriptive statistics, estimation, hypothesis testing, test for proportions and means, analysis of variance, regression analysis, and analysis of cross-classified data. The use of the statistical computing package Minitab is an integral part of this unit. Successful completion with a minimum of C grade qualifies students for most of the second-year level units in statistics, including STA12SS, STA21MAS, and STA22BS.

A number of additional improvements were made this year including 1) making the unit available on WebCT (including lectures, tutorials/labs, assignments and assignment material, selected answers to tutorial questions, and discussions and online surveys), 2) employing Lectopia, and 3) making significant changes to the “Friday” lecture to explain the relevance of statistics in the broader context of problem solving – this was specifically done in the context of sustainability in the Murray Darling Basin and it involved examples of how statistical design and analysis are used to answer questions and solve problems and guest lecturers that discussed the problems in the context of the environment, economics, and sociology.

STA1PSY Statistics for Psychology (2007)

This unit is designed to introduce students undertaking the major stream of psychology to a range of statistical methods used in contemporary psychological research. Topics include: descriptive statistics, data entry and manipulation; exploratory data analysis, basic probability models and sampling, estimation and confidence intervals, hypothesis testing and its relation to confidence intervals; the power of a test and its relation to sample size; effect sizes and an introduction to meta-analysis; analysis of single and two group designs; correlation and simple linear regression; analysis of categorical data; non-parametric statistical methods; multiple regression and related methods. The statistical computing package SPSS is an integral part of this unit with weekly tutorials held in a computing laboratory.

Unfortunately, the improvements made to the unit had very little effect on the responses and comments by students; in fact the mean response to the overall satisfaction question was the lowest it has ever been (3.2). For a small number of students, the workload and the level of feedback seem to be the main concerns.
These concerns will be addressed by reducing the amount of work to be handed in each week and providing weekly feedback on work submitted – this is in contrast to the previous strategy of asking for all tutorial questions and labs to be submitted each week and providing feedback intermittently throughout the semester.

CHE1APL Applications of Chemistry (2007)

Subjects studied include chemistry of solutions, equilibrium, entropy and free energy, acid-base equilibria, electrochemistry and chemical kinetics. The unit also examines chemicals in our environment, such as soaps, detergents, cleaning agents, water treatment to remove hardness and bacteria, pesticides and their analysis using chromatography. Chemistry of life: acid derivatives; food chemistry, amino acids and proteins, carbohydrates and synthetic polymers are also covered, along with metals in our environment, coordination compounds and the analysis of the metallic elements using spectroscopy.

Students with marks less than C grades in General Chemistry, semester 1, will need directed assistance in Applied Chemistry. Students could be offered extra tutorials during exam preparation. Practical work requires more background preparation. The link between theory and practical sessions and the method can be addressed during lectures. Strengths: Students responded positively in the following ways; Extra time offered to less able students was accepted and proved useful. Using lecture time to relate practical work to theory and explain methods assisted in the smoother completion of practical sessions. Maintaining communications with students and standards of lecturing was appreciated. Workshops and practical sessions again proved popular. Greater appreciation of tutorials this semester reflected extra work in this area. The workload was deemed manageable by students indicating reorganisation of lectures and tutorials has attained a balance for students. Students are satisfied that the generic skills included in the survey are being addressed. The performance of this cohort of students was most satisfactory compared to previous years.

GEO1ERS Earth structure, resources and history of life (2007)

The first part of this unit covers the large-scale processes that deform the Earth's crust and cause earthquakes (plate tectonics), the faulting and folding that result, and the resources of the Earth (ore deposits, fossil fuels and groundwater) including their occurrence and formation. The following section describes the concept of geological time and the history of life on Earth, from microbes to humans, and the factors that have affected the evolution of plants and animals, including climate change and catastrophes like meteorite impacts. The practicals focus on the interpretation of geological maps and the study of fossils.

This small cohort of students generally achieved high standards in the restructured course. As can be expected, there were teething problems but the overall content of practical and theory has proved popular and appropriate for students enrolled at this campus. The responses of students to the survey were very positive. The ratings on each question were either “agree” or “strongly agree” apart from a small number who were concerned with the manageability of the workload.

ECO1ISB Introductory Statistics for Business (2007)

In this unit students consider how to communicate and interpret commercial and economic information in terms of statistical measures. The probability approach is introduced, with applications to inferential statistics and hypothesis testing using sampling distributions in the realms of economics and commerce. Simple linear regression and testing for various hypotheses in business, economics and finance is also covered.

A number of additional improvements were made this year including 1) making the unit available on WebCT (including lectures, tutorials/labs, assignments and assignment material, selected answers to tutorial questions, and discussions and online surveys), 2) employing Lectopia, and 3) adding material to the assignments on quality control and improvement. I was unable to find any good data sets relating to the hospitality and tourism industry that could be used in tutorials or assignments, instead I added material on quality control and improvement – from comments I received during the semester this seems to have gone well. There seem to be some issues concerning workload and feedback which will be addressed by requiring that one or two tutorial questions to be submitted each week and providing weekly feedback on work submitted – this differs from the present strategy of requiring that the entire tutorial and lab sheet to be submitted each week and providing feedback intermittently throughout the semester.

PHY1LSB Physics for Life Sciences B (2007)

This unit is a natural sequel to PHY1LSA, but may be taken independently. Fundamental concepts and techniques in the broad range of topics appropriate for a proper study of the physical environment are introduced. Application of these ideas to systems of biological interest is emphasised. Topics include mechanics, properties of matter, heat and thermodynamics, electric circuits and introductory electronics, atomic physics and radioactivity, fluids and flow, atmospheric physics, light and sound and soil physics. On completion, students should have a basic understanding of measurement techniques as well as familiarity with the fundamental principles in the above topics. No previous study of physics is assumed and mathematical methods are limited to basic algebra.

The unit title had been changed from last year. I modified the topics and examples to reflect this with the inclusion of more biological examples after a discussion with the Physics department (Bundoora). I introduced WebCT to the students and made extensive use of WebCT as a learning/teaching tool. WebCT did not replace any face-to-face teaching. Lecture, tutorial and practical material was also provided as a hard copy to allow for a change to the WebCT format. Tutorials provided a chance for deep learning using group work, debates and answers to written exercises. I encouraged the use of both WebCT and the online QAU, unfortunately many of the students were unable to access the online survey as the system was not working. Only five students were able to complete the survey, the lowest score was 4.0 with the highest 4.8 and many questions rating 4.6 (from a total of five). For 2008 there will be continued lecture and tutorial refinement and improvement of the practical manual.

WEM2EGE Ecological genetics and evolutionary ecology (2007)

The aim of this unit is to provide an understanding of ecology, ecological genetics and evolutionary ecology by consideration of the following topics: the maintenance and distribution of genetic variation, the measurement of inbreeding, the impact of natural selection, the evolutionary history of species' distributions, co-evolutionary processes, speciation and extinction.

Student satisfaction was exceptionally high (4.9 on a 5 point scale). Search for inspiring and relevant texts and interactive projects with Trust for Nature will continue to provide engagement with students.

WEM2EPB Water and air quality (2007)

The aim of this unit is to provide an understanding of the chemical and physical aspects of pollution control in aquatic and atmospheric environments. Subjects covered will include; the hydrology of inland streams and lakes, water quality parameters, analytical methods, chemical speciation (complexation, precipitation and adsorption), redox processes, natural organic matter (NOM), biogeochemistry, as well as the physical and chemical aspects of atmospheric processes. Other topics covered are the impacts and management of point and diffuse source pollution, eutrophication, river and ocean discharges, stormwater management, air pollution, and water treatment engineering.

Students continue to enjoy the practical aspects of the unit, but are less interested in theory, especially the aquatic chemical aspects that have been introduced over the past few years. The aquatic chemistry topics covered in this unit are those that would be encountered in any course of this nature; charge balance, chemical speciation, metal ion complexation and precipitation, redox chemistry and surface chemistry. In addition the course has several lectures on microbial mediated processes (biogeochemistry). Such topics would normally be considered essential for anybody working in a water related field (water & wastewater engineering, catchment management, aquatic ecology, etc.). It is clear that this material is not particularly popular, which (I suspect) reflects the more biological orientation of the EME cohort, and their limited background in chemistry. Given the current exposure to chemistry in first year, persisting with the chemical focus in WEM2EPB is probably not realistic, or requires a radically different form of delivery. Some specific issues encountered in 2007 were the disrupted timetabling due to staff absence (2 occasions) and conflicting field trips of other units (2 occasions). This caused some delay in setting assignments, as noted in some of the student comments. The class size of 23, although a good result for DEME, was unwieldy with respect to practical classes – this should have been recognised earlier so that the class could have been separated into two groups. The poster assessment was not as successful as in previous years for various reasons. The computation (charge balancing) component of this assessment proved to be more challenging for the group than in previous years, and the imposed student groupings were dysfunctional in a number of cases. Prior to the inclusion of a more chemical focus, WEM2EPB had a much greater emphasis on wastewater treatment. Wastewater treatment is comprehensively treated in the 3rd year unit, WEM3WMA, and works particularly well based on student feedback and industry employment. There seems little merit in reintroducing an expanded wastewater component into the WEM2EPB unit. If the current chemical focus of this unit is to be scaled back, there is scope to include other material.

WEM2EPB, and the associated WEM2EPA unit, are essentially focused towards aquatic processes in natural systems. There would appear to be a strong case for re-examining the content of these two units to ensure that they are truly complimentary, and provide a sufficiently solid background in aquatic science. This would seem to be especially important given the focus of the Albury-Wodonga site on aquatic science.

The current arrangements for practical classes are unsuitable for the larger groups now encountered in the EME course. It will be necessary to divide the class into two practical groups in 2008, and given sustained higher numbers, into the future.

WEM2OEB Origin and evolution of Australian biota (2007)

This unit introduces the student to the Australian environment and its biota. The continent's history as part of Gondwana; its geological structure, climate, soils and biogeography are studied to explain the development and distribution of Australian biota and ecosystems. Several framework areas will be reviewed, including geology and biogeography, major features of the Australian landscape, their origin and history, the climatological determinants and distribution of weather patterns, soil science and origins, properties of soils, hydrological variables within aquatic systems and catchment theory. This framework is used to examine selected plant and animal groups that contribute significantly to the past or present biota of Australia and to review the distribution and evolution of biological communities, fire and human impacts.

WEM2OEB has been run in similar fashion at the Wodonga campus over the past 10 years. In 2007, as in 2005 and 2006, most of the lectures given by the primary lecturer were supported by Powerpoint presentations and the 3 lectures given by other contributing lecturers were similarly supported. Students rated the subject very well overall (mean score of 4.6 out of possible 5) and that students felt that they had increased their problem solving (4.2), written communication (4.3), and oral communication skills (4.5) in this unit. Field trips, (sometimes specifically the ‘Healesville trip’) the preparation of the essay/talk and/or the practicals were considered the best aspects of the unit. Suggested improvements included; more time on field trips (especially at Healesville), lecture content was slightly excessive, and earlier feedback. These improvements will be addressed by reviewing lecture content and more rapid feedback on essays.

WEM3RMB Conservation biology and environmental law (2007)

This unit aims to provide an understanding of natural resource management within an ecological context, by consideration of the following topics. Conservation biology identification and restoration of threatened ecosystems, management of invading or pest species, design of ecosystem reserves, single species and whole community conservation, managing community change and succession, environmental policy and legislation, the structure of environmental law in Australia and the management of renewable and non- renewable resources.

Again, I am very pleased with the students’ comments on WEM3RMB Conservation Biology and Environmental Law. I too, was disappointed with our reception this past year by staff at Dubbo Zoo, but rules are rules, especially when staff/student safety are concerns. In consultation with my head of department, who also attended the zoo trip, we have decided to stay in accommodation away from Dubbo Zoo (the caravan park next door). Although we won’t be able to have a guided after-hours walk in the evening, we will still be able to go ‘behind the scenes’ (i.e. vet block, feeding, quarantine, etc. areas) during the day and spend extended periods of time with the students at the end of the day talking about their futures and career options, a vital part of this excursion.

Other improvements for 2008 will include the use of WebCT, all lectures onto the faculty corporate slide design for PowerPoint, and, as usual, the ongoing updating of teaching materials from the web to stay at the forefront of ‘politically hot’ conservation and environmental law topics (eg. Gunns’s pulp mill, Southern Ocean fisheries and whaling, biosphere reserves, etc.).

WEM3WMB Environmental assessment (2007)

The aims of this unit are to provide an understanding of the principles and practices of environmental impact assessment, toxicology, risk assessment and environmental audits. Topics considered include concepts and principles of toxicology, risk analysis, hazard analysis, Geographical Information System (GIS), environmental audits and impact assessment including policy, legislation and administration at national, state and local level, and case studies of environmental audits and impact assessment studies. A ten week industrial workplacement is a compulsory component of this unit.

The questions used in 2008 differed from those in 2007 and comparison is therefore difficult. However, again high satisfaction from students with all except two questions rated above 4.0. The two questions with means below 4 were understandable: 1) there is only one assignment which is the workplacement report due at the end of semester, and which limits the ability for commenting on the work and 2) the learning resources are provided by the lecturer as there is no text book that fully covers this unit and few of the students actually purchase the prescribed text. It is interesting to note that one student has a permanent job from her placement, and two others have continuing employment with their placement supervisors. As for previous years this is a very popular and relevant unit with the industrial work placement of 2 days per week for 10 weeks one of the most important components of the unit. Improvements for 2008 will include updating of lectures and other resources as required and made available on WEB CT.

BIO1OF - Organisation and Function of Cells and Organisms (2007)

Unit outline
This unit comprises a study of cells and their molecular organisation, including methods for studying cells, cell structure, structure and function of sub-cellular organelles and components, features of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, the activities of cells, including production of energy, cell cycle, the role of proteins in cells, the role of DNA and RNA in the synthesis of proteins, and gene control in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Also studied are the structure and function of various systems and their co-ordination in animals, from cells to multicellular organisms, basic concepts underlying animal design and the interaction of animals with their environment.

Feedback to students
The Quality Assurance Questionnaires for the subject in 2007 indicated that most students rated the unit subject well overall and considered the quality of teaching to be high most of the time. Many students indicated that the practicals provided a useful learning experience. The lecturer was considered to have performed well by most students; although a few reported that they sometimes found him too softly spoken. Most students indicated that the workload was generally manageable, but some indicated by their comments that they considered the content of the course excessive. On the other hand, a number of students commented that they found the abbreviated lecture notes very useful. Because the content of this course is essentially set by Bundoora staff and because a similar amount of material seems to be covered in other first-year biology courses around the country, the amount of material covered in BIO11OF (W) in 2008 is unlikely to be altered. In 2008, small changes will be made to some lectures in an effort to engage students more often.

BIO1GEN - Genetics, Human Biology and Evolution (2007)

Unit outline:
This is an introduction to general genetics and human biology suitable for students intending to pursue further studies in these areas or as a one-semester terminal subject. Included is the history and importance of genetics in understanding human nature and in improving quality of life. Topics include the nature and functioning of the genetic message, the mechanics of inheritance, developmental and quantitative genetics, genes in populations, conservation and ecological genetics, human behavioural genetics and the significance of human genetic variation, genetics in larger evolutionary patterns, the origin of life, speciation, macro-evolution and the origins of modern humans.

Feedback to students:
Genetics, Human Biology and Evolution contines to be a popular subject among first year students. The content is interesting and relevant to most student, focussing as it does on Human Biology. There is an emphasis on thinking and writing, designed to prepare you for the rest of your science degree. The practicals provide hands on expereince for students, including a major breeding experiment using fruit flies.

CHE1BAS and CHE1GEN - Basic Chemistry and General Principles of Chemistry (2007)

Unit outline
Students study the chemistry of atoms and molecules, atoms, molecules and ions, quantum theory and the electronic structure of the atom, periodic relationships among the elements, chemical bonding and molecular geometry. Also studied is the chemistry of carbon compounds, hydrocarbons, delocalised bonding and aromatics, alkyl halides, hydroxyl compounds, aldehydes and ketones and acids. In addition, gases and liquids, the properties of gases, thermochemistry, intermolecular forces, physical properties of solutions and acids and bases.The laboratory course is compulsory and an attendance requirement applies.

Feedback to students
CHE1BAS. Basic Chemistry: Students in Basic Chemistry have limited background in chemistry before commencing this course. These students are first introduced to foundation ideas and knowledge in chemistry then continue with work in general chemistry. In semester 1, 2007 the average result for Basic Chemistry students for the overall course was 55%. In the QA survey students indicated that the pace and depth of the course was challenging. They also appreciated the concern shown towards their efforts by DEME staff and the assistance afforded to them to keep up with the workload and to revise for examinations in extra tutorials and workshops.

CHE1GEN. General Chemistry: This unit intends to reinforce the foundations of chemical knowledge and understanding and start extending this base into a range of extension studies. In semester 1, 2007, students achieved a high level overall with an average result of 63%. Students indicated that they appreciated the support shown them by DEME staff and that they found both the theory and practical work kept them interested. Students were encouraged to see the relevance of chemistry within other fields of study and to seek to further explore the applications of chemistry in future studies.

GEO1PRO Processes that shape the earth (2007)

Unit outline:
In this unit students are introduced to the study of planet Earth, its origin and evolution, its composition and the processes that have shaped it. After describing the planets of the solar system, the structure of the Earth, metamorphism and the composition of the Earth's crust are covered, particularly the different types of minerals and rocks that are present. Then the surface processes of volcanism, erosion and deposition that shape the landscape are described, including the landforms and sediments produced in the various environments across the Earth's surface. The practical course focusses on mineral and rock identification.

Feedback to students:
Geology GEO1PRO: The subject provides a sound foundation in basic geology theory and practical experience. Students in semester 1, 2007, gave a positive response to the subject with regard to the new knowledge they gained and the practical application of the subject. The success rate of students in both practical and theory was very sound.

PHY1LSA Physics for Life Sciences (2007)

Unit outline:
The generation of sufficient energy to meet the massive demands of a modern technological society, without impacting adversely on the environment, is an important issue. While the problems of environmental pollution, resource depletion, greenhouse effect, ozone hole etc, are well known, they are not necessarily well understood. It is important that discussion of these issues be well informed. The physical principles central to the range of conventional and alternative energy technologies is discussed, and on completion, students should understand the advantages and disadvantages of the various technologies and some of the techniques used to monitor and analyse any hazardous effects. This is an introductory course with minimal mathematical content and no specific science background or previous experience of the above topics is assumed. The unit may be taken independently or in conjunction with PHY1LSB.

Feedback to students:
This unit introduces students to the energy demands of a modern technological society. Subjects discussed in this course included; environmental pollution, resource depletion, the greenhouse effect and the ozone hole. The aim of this unit was to provide students with the physical principles central to understanding energy use and demand and the range of conventional and alternative energy technologies.

This was an introductory course with minimal mathematical content and no specific science background or previous experience assumed. The unit may be taken independently or in conjunction with the second semester physics subject PHY1LSB. This was not a compulsory subject and does not follow on to second year physics.

The response of students was very positive. The lecture material was taught using PowerPoint slides, these are being refined to assist student learning. The students liked the way the subject related to and explained current environmental issues. All students that attended class gained pass marks.

ECO1ISB - Introductory Statistics for Business (2007)

Unit outline:
In this unit students consider how to communicate and interpret commercial and economic information in terms of statistical measures. The probability approach is introduced, with applications to inferential statistics and hypothesis testing using sampling distributions in the realms of economics and commerce. Simple linear regression and testing for various hypotheses in business, economics and finance is also covered.

Feedback to students:
The feedback recieved from students indicates that the unit successfully enhanced their problem-solving and written commincation skills. Students also rated the unit highly in terms of the clarity of aims, expectations, and assessment requirements, the manageability of the workload, and the level of support received. It was also our intention to enhance students' skills in numeracy and computer literacy, but these aspects are not measured with the standard questionnaire.

STA2BIO - Biostatistics (2007)

Unit outline:
In this unit students practice with the techniques commonly used in biostatistics chosen from: chi-squared tests, regression methods, one and two-way analysis of variance and bio-assay. Students are introduced to the important experiment design principles of randomisation and blocking. Extensive experience with a major statistical package is gained, with some of the data sets being provided by biological science staff.

Feedback to students:
The student rating of this unit was very good and the quality of teaching was rated high. The unit can be omproved by continuing to work at simplifying and condensing the delivery of lectures so that more time can be spent in class working through the weekly problem sheets.

Unit outline:
This unit provides an understanding of ecology through studies of population ecology, community ecology and applied ecology. The topics considered include population ecology, types of competition, dynamics of simple competition systems, competition models and real systems, types of predation, dynamics of simple predator-prey systems, predator-prey models and real systems, decomposers, parasitism and mutualism. Other topics include community ecology, transfer of energy and materials within communities, abiotic and biotic determinants of community structure, food web stability and complexity, applied ecology principles and dynamics of biological control, application of island biogeography and dynamics of agricultural and managed forest ecosystems.

Feedback to students:
Student satisfaction with this unit was reasonable, with over half rating the lectures from 5-6 on a 7 point scale. The mean value for overall quality of teaching was 3.7 on a 5 point scale. The most positive comments were associated with the field work components.

Suggested improvements included clarifying the relevance of particular lecture and practical material, continuing the changeover to power point presentations for lecture material, increasing the levels of advice and support for individuals and updating examples used in lectures.

WEM2EPA - Environmental Pollution Control A (2007)

Unit outline:
The aim of this unit is to provide an understanding of environmental pollution and its control, via examination of physical, chemical and biological processes within the atmospheric, terrestrial and aquatic environment.

The fundamental concepts of nutrient cycling (carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus) in the environment are discussed together with the sub-cycles of these macro-nutrients in the hydrosphere and the lithosphere. Water quality is discussed with particular reference to river health, and soil quality with special reference to agricultural production. Individual pollutants are discussed in terms of the consequential perturbation effects on the nutrient dynamics prevalent in the hydrosphere and lithosphere. The basis tenets of environmental pollution and control within the aquatic environment are explored via a review of the principal organisms affected, and their use in environmental assessment and monitoring. The subject overall emphasises sustainable environmental management.

Feedback to students:
Student satisfaction in 2007 was high, the overall student rating for the quality of the teaching averaging 4.7 on a scale of 1-5, and (likewise) the overall rating of the unit itself being 4.7 on a scale of 1-5. The comprehensive nature of the subject was highlighted as one of its most favoured aspects, together with the guest lectures and field excursions. The students also expressed an appreciation of the direct relevance of the subject matter to their chosen environmental management and ecology career.

WEM3WMA - Waste Management and Treatment (2007)

Unit outline:
The aim of this unit is to provide an understanding of the principles and practice of waste management and pollution control relating to wastewater and solid wastes, with an emphasis on the recovery of water, nutrients, resources and energy. Topics covered in wastewater management include; the characteristics of municipal and industrial wastewaters, unit processes in wastewater treatment plants, design and modelling of wastewater treatment systems, constructed wetlands, remote wastewater systems, and wastewater disposal /reuse. Solid waste management topics include; solid waste collection systems, recycling, composting, energy recovery (incineration), and the design and operation of sanitary landfills. Also covered are some aspects of environmental management systems, cleaner production methods and industrial ecology.

Feedback to students:
The Waste Management and Treatment course in 2007 had a total of 11 students, with a 91% pass rate. The group managed the challenging aspects of the course (particularly engineering design) very well, becoming familiar with the design and operation of wastewater treatment systems, both domestic and industrial. The field trips (of which there were many) were a very popular aspect of the course, exposing the students to real-world situations, and the application of the lecture material. Several students have chosen work placements within the wastewater industry, and are likely to pursue careers in this field.

WEM3RMA Sustainable Resource Management (2007)

Unit outline:
In this unit students are provided with an understanding of natural resource management within an ecological context. Three major areas are reviewed including the following topics; water resources descriptive and quantitative hydrology, availability and utilisation of Australia's water resources, planning and technology of water resource development projects, forest and agricultural resources, Australia's native and softwood forest resources and their management, factors influencing agricultural production and sustainable farm management practices.

Feedback to students:
Back from long service leave, the student satisfaction was again high with 100% of students rating the subject and its delivery between good and very good (7-6 in a 7 ranked scale). The fieldtrips were again rated as one of the best aspects of the unit as they provided practical experience in natural resource management. There was also positive feedback on the delivery and resources provided throughout the semester. There were no suggested improvements this year.

Content Approved by: Head of Department
Page maintained by: Administrative Officer
Last Updated: September 30, 2009

Science, Technology and Engineering

School of Life Sciences

Department of Environmental Management & Ecology

Quality Assurance Survey Feedback to students