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Skills for Geography

Module description

Through a combination of seminars, workshops, group work and independent study, Skills for Geography provides a foundation for all Single Honours Geographers (as well as those taking Geography as part of their FCH or Liberal Arts programme) in transitioning effectively to university-level study.

This foundation module is an essential toolkit for your undergraduate degree. It will raise your awareness of your role within the learning process, ease your transition to University-level study and independent learning, and provide a range of specialist and generic skills. Weekly independent learning activities provide the foundation for a series of seminars and workshops that will allow you to learn key skills in geography. The skills you learn will complement the approaches and ideas used in parallel first year modules as well as lay the foundations for successful study throughout your entire degree, as well as underpinning your development as an independent researcher.

This is a compulsory and non-condonable module for the BA and BSc Geography programmes and for Geography FCH and Liberal Arts students.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to:

• Enable a smooth transition into Higher Education by enabling you to work effectively as a group and individual researcher
• Encourage you to engage critically with contemporary debates within Geography
• Facilitate an understanding of effective approaches to oral and written communication at University
• Raise your awareness of the role you must play in the learning process
• Direct your acquisition of a range of skills in geography which will be beneficial throughout your time at University and later in employment

This is to be achieved primarily through an integrated series of seminars and workshops as a means of developing academic skills to support learning in other Level 4 (Stage 1) Geography modules. The module will therefore provide a foundation for all Geographers and a good preparation for modules in geography in Levels 5 and 6 (Stages 2 and 3). This module will contribute to the development of an understanding of how core skills contribute and relate to employability potential.

Through active participation in the module, the aim is that you will further develop academic and professional skills, including the ability to:

• Analyse, interpret and evaluate data
• Manage your time effectively (task management, goal setting, developing strategies)
• Develop teamwork and group management skills
• Develop writing skills that are concise and well-supported
• Recognise the role of different methodological approaches within Geography

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Understand the key academic skills required to learn effectively on a Geography degree programme, including those associated with academic honesty and practice

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 2. Identify global issues in the contemporary public narrative and recognise the relevance of geography to their examination and mitigation
• 3. Understand and use knowledge derived from peer-reviewed research journals
• 4. Develop a sustained and reasoned argument by synthesising, analysing and evaluating relevant information

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Communicate ideas effectively and fluently by written, oral and visual means in a manner appropriate to the intended audience
• 6. Work as part of a group and contribute effectively to the achievement of objectives

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

• Effective reading and note taking
• Academic writing
• Understanding feedback and marking criteria
• Honesty, plagiarism and referencing
• Presentation skills
• Qualitative and Quantitative Methods

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to re-submit the relevant assessment. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Bonnett, A. (2001) How to Argue. A Student’s Guide. Harlow: Prentice Hall
• Clark, G. and Wareham, T. (2003) Geography@University. London: Sage
• Cottrell, S. (2017) Critical thinking skills: effective analysis, argument and reflection. London: Palgrave
• Cottrell, S. (2019) The study skills handbook. London: Red Globe Press
• Dixon, T. M. (2004) How to Get a First: The Essential Guide to Academic Success, London: Routledge
• Kneale, P. (2011) Study Skills for Geography, Earth and Environmental Science Students. London: Hodder Education
• Tate, S., & Hopkins, P. (2020). Studying Geography at University: How to Succeed in the First Year of Your New Degree (1st ed.). Routledge.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE page: articles and reading lists for seminars will be distributed via ELE, sourced from leading journals in Geography

Key words search

Geography, Study Skills, Research Skills, Writing, Reading, Referencing, Presentation