Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Your ability to perceive and understand the interconnectedness of landscape structures, systems, processes and developments will improve your ability to make decisions in landscape design that foster sustainable outcomes. Landscape architects need to understand the systems that create and are created by the landscape in order to make these decisions. This unit expands your understanding of landscape from the smaller scale to a large-scale and holistic level, essential to support your explorations of landscape design at increasingly large scales from second year onward.

Aims

The main aim of this unit is to discover and explore the use of landscape ecology theory for designing sustainable landscapes at a variety of scales. A secondary aim is to understand the dynamic nature of landscapes as both forms and systems and how they may change over time.

Objectives

On completion of this unit you should be able to:

1. demonstrate at an introductory level, the ability to effectively communicate through written scientific reporting (communication)

2.demonstrate at an introductory level, knowledge and application of landscape ecology and regional ecosystems theory to a study area (knowledge base)

3. demonstrate at an intermediate level, knowledge of geomorphological and human processes in landscape formation (knowledge base)

4. demonstrate at an introductory level, effective critical thinking and analytical processes concerning spatial data analysis in assessing the characteristics of a specific landscape (critical investigation)

5. demonstrate the appropriate application of ethical conduct, collaboration, independent self-management and accountability.

Content

The three main themes covered in this unit are:

1. LANDSCAPE STRUCTURES - introduces the basics of landscape ecology to show how theoretical concepts can be used to analyse landscape patterns seen from above.



2. LANDSCAPE SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES - introduces a geographical approach to show how competing processes of earth building and erosion create distinctive and varying landscapes on which human activities occur.



3. LANDSCAPE CHANGE - introduces how human activities change the landscape structure and in turn also attempt to prevent earth building and erosion from disturbing those activities.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

Teaching Mode:
Hours per week: 4 for 13 weeks
Lecture: 1-2 hours per week
Studio workshop: 2-3 hours per week

Learning Approaches:
Learning approaches will cover the following:

1. Team based learning through the completion of formative studio workshop exercises and oral communication of in-class feedback that supports the completion of the site-specific landscape studies;


2. Individual problem-based learning through a semester long Landscape Study project applying beginner-level knowledge of landscape ecology, and physical and cultural geography to landscape analysis and design at a sub-regional scale.


3. Individual problem based learning through a staged, semester-long, site-specific landscape study that develops written and graphic communication skills; and


4. Individual learning facilitated through the examination of substantive unit content.

Assessment

Your ability to perceive and understand the interconnectedness of landscape structures, systems, processes and developments will improve your ability to make decisions in landscape design that foster sustainable outcomes. Assessment will be based on exams to encourage and test your understanding of core theoretical material, and the Landscape Study develops and evaluates your application of this theory in a real-world landscape.Feedback on exams will be given through in-class review of the exam answers.
Formative feedback on the Landscape Study will be given through the completion of a series of formative studio exercises, and staged studio presentations of Landscape Study work- in-progress. Summative assessment will be in the form of detailed assessed feedback through relevant criterion referenced evaluation sheets.

Assessment name: Essay
Description: Essay
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
Weight: 30%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 7 Mid Semester

Assessment name: Report
Description: Report
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 13 End Semester

Assessment name: Multiple Choice Quiz 2
Description: Multiple Choice Quiz 2
Relates to objectives: 2 & 3
Weight: 20%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week End Semester

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Required text for this unit :
Set readings will be provided via Blackboard and the Resource Centre in week 1
QUT 'Cite|Write' is the standard QUT writing and referencing guide: www.citewrite.qut.edu.au/cite/apa/index.jsp which will be used for this assignment.

The following texts are highly recommended reading:
Forman, R.T.T. (1995). Land Mosaics: The ecology of landscapes and regions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Strahler, A.N. and Strahler, A. (2011) Introducing Physical Geography. John Wiley and Sons. 3rd Edition.

The following texts are prescribed reading:
Bell, S. (1999). Landscape: pattern, perception and process. London: E & FN Spon.
Dramstad, W.E., Olson,J.D. and Forman, R.T.T. (1996). Landscape Ecology Principles in Landscape Architecture and Land Use Planning. Washington DC: Harvard University Press Graduate School of Design Island Press.
Forman, R.T.T. (1995). Land Mosaics: The ecology of landscapes and regions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Gallagher, H.H. and Peterson, J.A. (1982). Landforms: An Introduction to Australian Geomorphology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Strahler, A.N. and Strahler, A. (2003) Introducing Physical Geography. John Wiley and Sons. 3rd Edition.
Willmott, W. and Stevens, N. (1992) Rocks and Landscapes of Brisbane and Ipswich: geology and excursions in the Brisbane, Ipswich, and Pine Rivers districts. Brisbane: Geological Society of Australia, Queensland Division.

Additional Costs
There are no out of the ordinary additional costs associated with this unit. Additional costs can be reduced by minimising travel distances for field work, sharing a ride with friends, sharing copies of sourced material and using black and white presentations of assignments, unless colour is specifically required.

Risk assessment statement

During lectures you are expected to comply with all evacuation drills, instructions and other occupational health and safety regulations at QUT. You are advised to avoid construction areas/hazardous zones and to minimise risks to both yourself and other members of the public while at QUT. The unit will require you to partake in field trips, of a self-guided nature. A risk assessment for these trips has identified only low impact risks. You will be provided with relevant safety guidlelines prior to any field visit. You will be required to obey all safety guidelines and direction while undertaking field work.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 05-Oct-2012