Subject - Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering

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

2008:

BIO1OF - Organisation and Function of Cells and Organisms (2008)

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
Next year the changes that were put in place for the first time this year (mid-semester examination, and communication workshops) will be further adjusted and embedded in the unit. Because the content of this course is essentially set by Bundoora staff it is unlikely that the amount of material covered in Biology 1OF lectures will be reduced in 2009. However, some lecture will be reviewed in order to make them more appealing. It is anticipated that a battery of test questions will be made available early in the semester to students on the Albury-Wodonga campus via WebCT. Such questions were trialled on the Bundoora campus this year and should be available for use here in 2009.

BIO1GEN - Genetics, Human Biology and Evolution (2008)

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:
This subject continues to be popular and well regarded by students. No fundamental changes will be made.

CHE1BAS and CHE1GEN - Basic Chemistry and General Principles of Chemistry (2008)

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
Students in Basic Chemistry have limited background in chemistry before commencing this course. The students are first introduced to foundation ideas and knowledge in chemistry then continue with work in the general chemistry class. The pace and depth of the course is challenging but students are offered extra assistance throughout the semester with additional tutorials and a special introductory course prior to the start of semester. This additional assistance will continue in 2009.

CHE1GEN
This unit intends to reinforce the foundations of prior chemical knowledge and understanding and start extending this base into a range of extension studies. In semester 1, 2008, students achieved a high level overall with an average result of 68%. 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 (2008)

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:
No changes have been made to the revised course run as PRO in 2007. The content and delivery of the course was well received by the majority of students who expressed gratifying interest in the content. Several have expressed an enthusiasm to make it their major study next year. The overall result for the semester produced an average of 54%. Excluding the seven students who failed outright, the average was 61%. The aims and content of the course seem to be satisfactory in addressing the requirements of a first year Geology course as well as meeting the needs of students. There is a problem associated with engaging a number of students who have less regard for their progress in the subject and may have chosen it lightly, than they might for subjects more central to their interests.

PHY1LSA Physics for Life Sciences (2008)

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:
The students appreciate the role the unit has in explaining natural phenomenon and current issues such as Climate Change. The difficulty some students have with the practical classes was unavoidable as there are several (round robin) practicals with different resources being used at the same time. This was addressed by improving the students understanding of the practicals in lectures. Both staff members were very helpful to the student in practicals however, there is no pre-prac testing to make students review the material before the practical. There is no pre-requisite for mathematics for the unit, but this was addressed by introducing more basic mathematics into the physics course and will be included for 2009. In order to address the lack of one textbook for the unit several new books have been purchased by the library and are available to the students. The unit trialled a new link through LMS/WebCT with a library resource page. The lectures and handouts do provide all the material required by the unit. Suggested improvements for the unit include a rewrite of the practical manual this would require work by both staff.

ECO1ISB - Introductory Statistics for Business (2008)

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:
This year we aimed particularly to reduce the assessment load and to provide more regular feedback on assessment pieces. From the comments received on the best aspects of the unit, students appreciated that the workload was manageable. Students were also pleased by the attention they received from teaching staff and with the organisation of the unit.

STA2BIO - Biostatistics (2008)

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:
A number of changes were implemented this year: 1) some topics with a more theoretical flavour were replaced with topics deemed to be more relevant to other units in the course and Honours and postgraduate research, specifically I introduced the software package PRIMER in lectures and labs (where PRIMER stands for Plymouth Routines in Multivariate Ecological Research); 2) the content and assessment load were reduced; and 3) feedback on assessment pieces was made more regular and detailed. Students were pleased with the quality of teaching and the help they received. They were impressed by the quality of the lecture material; the connection between lectures, tutorials and computer labs; and the fact that all resources are available through LMS. Despite a significant reduction in the workload this year, significant changes to the content, and offering the unit online through LMS, the workload is still identified as a concern by a minority of students and there has been no apparent change in the mean score for overall satisfaction with the unit. I suppose the Law of Diminishing Returns applies. On the other hand, my general feeling was that students coped well with the material and the workload and generally enjoyed the unit more.

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:
All of the suggested improvements from last year can be carried over for next year, with a special emphasis on identifying students who are struggling academically and offering greater support.

WEM2EPA - Environmental Pollution Control A (2008)

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:
This seems to be a relatively well thought of subject, and its transition to having more of a biological/ecological focus was further enhanced in 2008 by the contribution of three lectures on aquatic micro-invertebrates by Dr Daryl Nielsen of the Murray Darling Freshwater Research Centre. Ongoing refinement of the practical components of the course, continued discrimination between sequential assignment tasks, and special emphasis on feedback from the assessment tasks, this being identified as an issue for the first time.

WEM3WMA - Waste Management and Treatment (2008)

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:
This course continues to run well and remains an important component of the EME degree, providing employment opportunities to our graduates in the waste management industry, and providing all of our students with a solid grounding in this important aspect of resource management. The course content will continue to evolve, taking into account new and emerging technologies, and emerging issues in waste water treatment. This year an additional quest lecturer was included in the course (Mark Verbaken – City of Wodonga) who handled the solid waste management component of the course, following up on the suggested improvements from the previous year. This approach appears to have worked well and takes advantage of the many resources available to the City of Wodonga in this subject area. Improvements for next year. Strengthen the coverage of some newer technologies in wastewater treatment, particularly the area of membrane-based processes (e.g. membrane bioreactors). Include more coverage of the emerging issue of endocrine disrupter chemicals (EDCs) in wastewater and the current research dealing with the removal of these products from wastewaters.

WEM3RMA Sustainable Resource Management (2008)

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:
Given the level of student discontent with the current marking structure and emphasis, serious consideration also needs to be given to mid-semester or other forms of assessment to relieve the pressure associated with the final exam.

Semester 2 2008

BIO1AD Animal Diversity, ecology and behaviour (2008)

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.

Improvements to lecture power point presentations as well as attempts to make the presentations more interesting continued this year. Although a few students appreciated this, most did not. Student responses to half of the questions were less positive this year, marks were generally poorer, and student attendance at lectures was less than in previous years. To some extent this reflects the nature of this particular cohort, but there are still improvements that can be made to the unit, outlined below. There was clear dissatisfaction this year with direction and support given to help individuals cope with the copious amounts of material included in the unit. However, if the majority of students do not bother to come to lecture and do not make use of unused practical time, then the major 'planning' difficulty appears to be lack of individual motivation rather than lack of direction or willingness from staff. We need to spend more time helping and encouraging students to develop their planning skills, to identify effective approaches to studying, and to motivate them to work harder. Ways of doing this were recently discussed in a meeting with first year biology coordinators from the Bundoora campus, and some new approaches will be trialled in 2009. In 2009 the quality of online resources for the unit will also be improved, with additional opportunities for revision and exam preparation in particular.

BIO1PS Plant Science (2008)

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.

This unit ran relatively smoothly in 2008, and student feedback was much as for 2007. An improved pass rate from that in 2007 was pleasing, as well as the score of 4.0 with respect to overall student satisfaction with the unit. Changes implemented in unit delivery followed a restructure at Bundoora in lecture order and emphasis, a restructuring and reordering of some of the pracs to better accord with the lectures, and the introduction of a ‘mid-semester’ exam in Week 6. All the changes worked well and should be maintained for 2009. The lecturing staff across all four first-year Biology units at Albury-Wodonga need to meet with those coordinating same at Bundoora, to ensure the move to consolidate delivery practices and content across the units is continued in a manner relevant to the needs at both campuses, such that students moving on to biological science degrees at Bundoora and the environmental management and ecology degree at Albury-Wodonga are equally advantaged. Last year’s comment that 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, is repeated.

STA1LS Statistics for Life Sciences (2008)

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.

"Students were generally satisfied with the subject. The pass rate was quite good at 79%, and the changes that were made to address the workload and feedback concerns raised by students last year were successful. Students were generally satisfied with the subject, and it would seem there are no aspects of the subject in need of improvement.

I am a little perplexed that the subject doesn’t rate more highly on items concerning the “analytical” and “problem solving” generic skills. Perhaps more time needs to be spent explaining what analysis and problem-solving mean – particularly the need for statistical thinking in the evaluation of empirical arguments (i.e., logic), and the need for statistical design principles for the identification of causes of problems and the development of solutions to problems - but when this was attempted last year the students commented that they just want the information necessary to pass the exam and they’ll worry about the big picture later. Nevertheless, it is quite apparent that students don’t understand these terms and, therefore, don’t realise they are being equipped with these skills. It is a delicate balancing act between giving them too much and too little information, but I will put some thought into how this can be improved.

STA1PSY Statistics for Psychology (2008)

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.

Students were very satisfied with the subject, and a few commented that they have overcome their fear of statistics. They were generally pleased with the assistance and feedback they received throughout the semester. The pass rate was good at 71%, and the changes that were made to address the workload and feedback concerns raised by students last year were successful. Students were very satisfied with the subject, and it would seem there are no aspects of the subject in need of improvement. I would, however, like to see students gain a greater appreciation of statistics for critical analysis and problem solving, but I will need to think about how I can do this without creating an additional workload for students.

CHE1APL Applications of Chemistry (2008)

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.

Strengths: students resonded 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 attainded 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. Areas for improvement - commenting to students on the standard of their practical reporting needs to be addressed. This will require that students are aware of the objective requirements of marking, the standards of communication and their responsibilities with regard to plagiarism. The content and format of lecture notes, especially in organic chemistry, needs to be improved so that the notes directly reflect lecture content and are easy for students to follow. Although students have not shown concern, a greater emphasis on the use of resources (both computer based and texts) would be an advantage to students, especially those with stronger abilities. In connection with the above point, tutorials could be further improved by incorporating web based exercises. This would entail the intriduction of WEBCT for the unit.

GEO1ERS Earth structure, resources and history of life (2008)

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.

The lectures and practical sessions were modified to allocate more time to essential aspects of the course. There was a larger proportion of less motivated and less able students in this group compared to previous years. Taking this into account, the pace of progress was slowed and more attention given to revision and exam preparation. Some practical work and one excursion were cancelled to accommodate the slower pace. Palaeontology practicals and lectures were modified slightly but the rest of the lectures completed in time. (Plate Tectonics was not repeated for this group in second semester.) Improvements for next year include - a complete review of palaeontology practicals and lectures is intended. This subject needs to be associated with better reference material and the focus be placed as much on the applications of the discipline as the history of life on earth. Consideration will be given to expanding the excursion venues, particularly to include palaeontology and mapping exercises. Yime allocation for this would be a headache. There is no scope to allocate more time to practical work. Consideration will be given to including other forms of assessment that the present reliance on examinations. Essay assignments could replace exam essays and oral presentations, aimed at item g on the questionnaire, could be included.

ECO1ISB Introductory Statistics for Business (2008)

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.

"The pass rate was quite good at 81%, and the changes that were made to address the workload and feedback concerns raised by students last year were successful. There were some concerns about the number of business-relate examples. It should be noted that common lectures are applied to the ECO1ISB, STA1PSY and STA1LS subjects, with a roughly equal balance of business, psychology, life science, and “neutral” examples; and there is an emphasis on business-related problems in ECO1ISB tutorials and assignments. I will endeavour, however, to include more business-related examples in lectures. The workload has been reduced, without compromising the integrity of the subject, and students were generally satisfied with the type and amount of assessment this year. The primary concerns of students this year related to the level of feedback on assessment pieces and the number of real-world business-related examples in lectures. These concerns will be addressed.
It must be noted that we had a new tutor this year who was coming to terms with the subject, and while he had loads of enthusiasm he was short on time to provide the necessary feedback. This shouldn’t be a problem next year.
I am a little perplexed that the subject doesn’t rate more highly on items concerning the “analytical” and “problem solving” generic skills. Perhaps more time needs to be spent explaining what analysis and problem-solving mean – particularly the need for statistical thinking in the evaluation of empirical arguments (i.e., logic), and the need for statistical design principles for the identification of causes of problems and the development of solutions to problems - but the last time this was attempted (in STA1PSY and STA1LS) the students commented that they just want the information necessary to pass the exam and they’ll worry about the big picture later. Nevertheless, it is quite apparent that students don’t understand these terms and, therefore, don’t realise they are being equipped with these skills. It is a delicate balancing act between giving them too much and too little information, but I will put some thought into how this can be improved.

PHY1LSB Physics for Life Sciences B (2008)

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.

Overall satisfaction of the unit was 4.5 unfortunately this unit will not be taught on this campus next year (2009). The student response to the form of assessment and access to learning resources was high, 4.9 and 4.8 this reflected the students acceptance and use of LMS/WebCT as an aid to tutorials and lectures and as a form of assessment. The students liked the practical work as an aid to learning. As the unit will not be taught on this campus next year there are no suggestions for improvement. (In response to the comment about books and tutorial being returned late this was a direct consequence of laboratory manuals and tutorials being handed in late due to the ‘special consideration’ process and a suggested improvement from the QAU to not publish answers to the tutorials until they have all been handed in.)

WEM2EGE Ecological genetics and evolutionary ecology (2008)

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.

The taxonomy text was the best bit of reading that I used this year, several students told me they enjoyed it and their understanding of taxonomy was much improved from other years. The Strathbogies project was somewhat less rigorous due to the nature of the assignments (brief overviews rather than in depth field guide) and while this meant less work for me it also seemed not to engage the students to the same degree as last year. Apparently, the more difficult the assignment, the more rewarding the learning outcomes. The unique aspect of this year was The China Study, which sent me on a three week tangent including feeding my students and including the last chapter in our tutorials. It had quite an impact (several went vegetarian for the Healesville trip) but also helped the level of debate. I still need to find some good required reading about the Genetics component of the subject. Next year the requirements for the Strathbogie assignment must be clearly articulated BEFORE we begin (this will be a first) and rigorous enough to capture their imagination. I would like to include some directed learning about how to write an essay question for the exam…as inspired by what I learned at the Teaching conference, especially Craig Nelson’s lectures and handouts.

WEM2EPB Water and air quality (2008)

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.

The emphasis on chemical aspects of water quality was reduced slightly in 2008, with a slightly expanded coverage of basic hydrology. This is a better mix and provides a more balanced foundation for future studies in aquatic science. The content will need to be developed in future years, but the structure appears right. The poster form of assessment from previous years was changed in 2008 to a spreadsheet calculation and assignment which worked better, but there is still room for improvement. The students need a great deal of assistance in performing spreadsheet data manipulation – this aspect needs improvement in 2009. The 2008 class was quite large (22 students) and the practical components were managed by dividing the group into two (2-hour blocks). This made the management of prac easier, but reduced the contact hours for the students – this needs to be revisited if class number remain higher than the historical average. The structure of the course is now ok, but there is a need for some enhancements to the course content. Given the difficulty the students have in data manipulation, a better use of the available contact time might be to have two lectures per week of content delivery, and the remaining (third) lecture handled as a tutorial. The practical and field work component is always the most popular aspect of the course and offers a way of engaging the students in the material. Managing the student numbers in the practical component remains a challenge with the current timetabling and will in the future require the practical to be conducted over two separate 4-hour slots, or additional teaching resources for the existing timeslot.

WEM2OEB Origin and evolution of Australian biota (2008)

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.

The only changes I might make in 2009 are (i) to require students to submit an outline of their essay early in the semester, (ii) indicate even more clearly which pieces of the lecture content are regarded as core to the unit and which are non-core, and (ii) extend the duration of the Healesville trip from one and a half to two days. The first of these changes would require the expenditure of more of my already very limited time. The third of them, which was suggested by students last year, has timetable and unit load implications which will need to be examined before implementation can be seriously considered. I would like to be able to prepare for teaching more of the materials that have been collected for use in the practicals, but it has proved to be difficult to find the time needed for this in the past, so that it is unlikely that much will be able to be achieved in this regard in 2009. The recent sale by the university of a building on the TAFE campus in which such materials have been stored over the past six years has introduced additional problems in maintaining and preparing these material. The suggestion by a student that live specimens be used in practicals is completely impracticable for various reasons. Similarly, it is difficult to see how to improve the one component of the Healesville trip (spotlighting) that in my view was less than satisfactory last year, because of views about spotlighting within the LTU Animal Ethics Committee.

WEM3RMB Conservation biology and environmental law (2008)

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. The greatest problem with the subject last academic year was our trip to Dubbo Zoo where our contact time was severely limited by staff/student safety concerns. In consultation with my head of department, who also attends the zoo trip, we stayed in accommodation away from Dubbo Zoo (the caravan park next door) this year. Fortunately, we were still able to have a guided after-hours walk in the evening, and went ‘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 initiated in 2008 included more intensive library training (EndNote, databases and LibXplore) and the greater use of the LMS (WebCT) with all lectures/practicals and data analyses onto the faculty corporate slide design for PowerPoint. As expected, about 10% of students relied on the materials on LMS and rarely attended lectures – their final grades reflect the lack of attendance. Finally, I continued 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.). With reference to the students’ comments on areas needing improvement, 1) I am loath to change the weighting of the final exam. As this hasn’t been an issue for earlier classes, I will keep it worth 60% of the final grade. 2) As a number of students commented on how much they got out of oral exercises, I do intend to change the assessment for next year by adding a seminar on each groups’ findings on their major Phillip Island project. 3) I have made arrangements to continue the parliamentary role-playing exercise in future years; another excellent chance for students to speak up in a ‘real life experience’. 4) I will not restructure the students’ third year experience by lessening the time between when they do their major field work at Phillip Island (March/April) and when the assessment is due (October). The rationale behind the 6-month lag is to teach students the need to correctly input and archive data (AT THE TIME) so that analyses are more straightforward later. Real scientists may take years to work-up data sets, so this is a vital lesson. Finally, I intend to initiate some optional tutorials for students seeking employment (eg. resume writing and interview skills) toward the end of semester, possibly in conjunction with the ADU people. This should alleviate the need for me to go through this exercise with many students on a one-to-one basis.

WEM3WMB Environmental assessment (2008)

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.

High satisfaction from students with all questions rated at 4.0 or above. This year was the first time that resources were made available on webCT but the feedback from students was not positive. There is a feeling that the exam emphasis is too high with 60% of final marks. The placement component equates to 40% of the assessment. The placement assessment is difficult due to the wide variation of positions that the students occupy (from a crocodile farm in NT, National herbarium to a sewage treatment plant) and to achieve a comparative evaluation is not possible. It is interesting to note that one student has a permanent job from his placement. 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 all lectures and other resources as required made available on WEB CT. and students encouraged to use this resource. Will investigate using a casual to teach GIS on site rather than using the Riverina TAFE. This should reduce costs and be more appropriate for the level of intelligence of the students.

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Last Updated: September 30, 2009

Science, Technology and Engineering

School of Life Sciences

Department of Environmental Management & Ecology