ENS5010 - Global challenges and sustainability

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Overview

This unit, together with ENS5020, sets the context for considering the interactions and interdependence between nature and society and the basic principles of sustainability (social, economic and environmental), reflected in the Sustainable development goals. This unit (Global challenges and sustainability) provides the scientific basis for understanding contemporary global environmental change … For more content click the Read More button below. Using the current global policy context in this area, it introduces the science of sustainability and the environment and its relevance to human well-being. It explores the key threats to sustainability, such as climate change, human migration, resource scarcity and emerging diseases. Core concepts covered in the unit include those of scale, systems and complexity. The unit teaches problem structuring methods, evidence-based approaches and methods of interpreting risk and uncertainty. Particular emphasis is placed on developing skills to integrate evidence into sustainability actions across multiple sectors, systems and scales. Theory will be complemented with group learning exercises, professional development activities and engagement with practitioners.

This unit (Global challenges and sustainability) provides the scientific basis for understanding contemporary global environmental change and its implications for society.

Using the current global policy context in this area, it introduces the science of sustainability and the environment and its relevance to human well-being. It explores the key threats to sustainability, such as climate change, human migration, resource scarcity and emerging diseases. Core concepts covered in the unit include those of scale, systems and complexity.

The unit teaches problem structuring methods, evidence-based approaches and methods of interpreting risk and uncertainty. Particular emphasis is placed on developing skills to integrate evidence into sustainability actions across multiple sectors, systems and scales. Theory will be complemented with group learning exercises, professional development activities and engagement with practitioners.

Offerings

S1-01-CLAYTON-ON-CAMPUS

S2-01-CLAYTON-ON-CAMPUS

Rules

Enrolment Rule

Contacts

Chief Examiner(s)

Associate Professor Rohan Clarke

Unit Coordinator(s)

Dr Misol Kim

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:

Evaluate and integrate the multidisciplinary scientific evidence for contemporary global change and ecosystem services.

Forecast challenges associated with global change and sustainability through analysing evidence and applying scientific knowledge, concepts and methods.

Appraise, classify and prioritise complex systems, problems and solutions relevant to sustainability.

Devise evidence-based approaches to sustainability through integrating data with multidisciplinary tools, frameworks and principles.

Plan evidence-based sustainability actions across multiple sectors, systems and scales.

Effectively communicate scientific knowledge across disciplines and communities of practice in environment and sustainability.

Teaching approach

Active learning

This unit is taught primarily via online pre-work alongside face to face (or interactive online) workshop sessions that feature both discursive, interactive seminar-style learning, to deepen your conceptual knowledge, and practical exercises for the development of professional, critical thinking, and research skills. This provides a mixture of theory and practical investigative experience, which are essential elements of the scientific method as well as active learning.

The online pre-work prepares you for participating in the weekly session. In the live session, you will contextualise and extend your understanding with the guidance of an expert. The session focuses on practice, application of scientific and professional methods, and the development of evidence-based and transferable skills for your career. The unit features the following teaching approaches:

Online pre-learning
Interactive seminar-style discussions
Workshops
Active learning
Case-based teaching and simulations
Enquiry-based learning
Peer assisted learning
Problem-based learning
Research activities

Moodle
All pre-work is available on the relevant week of the Moodle page. You should regularly consult the ENS5010 Moodle page for information including weekly pre-work and session materials that may be made available by teaching staff. It is highly recommended that you check the Moodle page at least twice per week.

Online pre-work
To gain maximum benefit from the interactive session, you should complete the online pre-class work every week before the session. You understanding of this work will be assessed via weekly online mini-quizzes (Weeks 2-10). This online work may include readings, videos, and/or podcasts, which mini-quizzes will cover.

Interactive workshop sessions
The sessions are highly interactive and involve teamwork activities, simulations, and case-based analysis and discussion. Thus your attendance (in person or online) is strongly encouraged to develop a good understanding of the concepts in this unit. If you miss a session, or want to listen to and watch it again for revision purposes, all classes will be recorded. You can elect to start listening immediately or save the file for later listening.

Workshop session materials
There is no hard copy session manual for this unit so that we can all be kind to the environment. Instead you can access the session materials via the relevant week on the Moodle page. There are no textbooks you are required to buy. Materials, such as readings and podcasts, are provided online via the weekly pages, week by week.

Assessments and the assignment book
All assignment guidelines and marking rubrics, resources, and submission drop boxes can be found under the Assessments tab on the unit Moodle page. The assignment guidelines and rubrics, which are important to read through, are contained in the Assignment book. Please ensure that you carefully read the relevant chapter/s and sub-chapters of the Assignment book before undertaking each assignment. This will be useful for guiding the development of your work. You can navigate between chapters in the Assignment Book by utilising the panel to the right side of your view. As you will see in the Assignment Book, many workshop sessions are designed to provide you with the background, techniques, tools or skills to support the development of your future assignments.

Enquiry-based learning

Case-based teaching

Problem-based learning

Research activities

Peer assisted learning

Assessment

1 - AT1 Mini-Quizzes 1% per mini-quiz over 10 weeks

2 - AT2 Reflection task

3 - AT3 White papers (Parts A B and C)

4 - AT4 Professional engagement - Group oral presentation, Twitter curration

Scheduled and non-scheduled teaching activities

Workshops

Workload requirements

Workload

Learning resources

Required resources

Assignment Book: The Assignment Book is a particularly critical resource on the Moodle page. It comprises the guidelines and rubrics designed to guide the development of your assignments.

ENS5010 Moodle page: You should regularly consult the ENS5010 Moodle page for news and materials that may be available. In each weekly or thematic tab, and under the Assessments tab, you will find a range of electronic resources to support your studies. This includes recordings should you need them. You should access all your unit web pages (including ENS5010) through your ‘Monash Portal’ http://my.monash.edu.au/.

Recommended resources

Monash Library ENS5010 Unit Reading List: Readings are typically accessed through your weekly tab/sub-section on the ENS5010 Moodle page but you can also access some key unit readings via: http://readinglists.lib.monash/index.html

Textbooks: You are not required to purchase any textbooks for this unit. All resources, such as readings, are provided online as part of the weekly pre-work with new materials introduced week by week.

Research and Learning Online: This contains modules, which you can use as needed and when needed, to develop study skills for academic success. This includes example assignment structures for different disciplines and other useful materials to get your assignments done. Access the website via: https://www.monash.edu/rlo

Master of Environment and Sustainability Moodle Home: This is a central location for general course news, events, discussions, support services, Part D information, and resources: http://moodle.vle.monash.edu/course/view.php?id=33086

Master of Environment and Sustainability Library Guide: This contains information on how to use the library and how to access its support services, as well as environmental databases, for all course specialisations. It provides many types of resources relevant to environment and sustainability. You can access the guide via the MEnvSust Home, the ENS5010 Moodle page, or via the link: http://guides.lib.monash.edu/environ-sustain

Availability in areas of study

International development practice
International sustainable tourism management