Contemporary Environment and Human Health
| Module title | Contemporary Environment and Human Health |
|---|---|
| Module code | HPDM027 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Rebecca Lovell (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
The environment in which we live is inextricably linked, both positively and negatively, to human health. This module focuses on the theoretical principles and concepts that are at the forefront of academic thinking and practices in environment and human health. The potential impacts of environmental change on human health will also be explored.
No pre-requisites or specialist knowledge are required to undertake this module, which is well suited to interdisciplinary learning. Delivery is via expert-led small group learning, interspersed by personal study undertaken at your own pace and supported by our internet resources.
This module is hybrid – there will be in-person in-class teaching with the option to join in online.
Module aims - intentions of the module
You will develop core knowledge and understanding of theories and concepts in environment and human health and their applications in a diverse range of practice contexts and settings.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate a deep and systematic understanding of the key theories and concepts at the forefront of environment and human health
- 2. Critically review contemporary debates around the impact of environmental change on human health and wellbeing
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Critically examine how environment and human health evidence is and should be applied to inform policy, guidelines and practice
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Demonstrate a professional ability to present an evidence-based and balanced academic stance
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, an example of an overall structure is as follows:
- Introduction to environment and human health
- Living with climate change
- Contemporary environmental and health issues, policies and debates
- Sustainability and adaptation
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 130 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning & teaching activities | 20 | All student taught sessions including lectures, workshops and small group discussions, and Q&A sessions in tutorials and seminars. |
| Guided independent study | 30 | Session preparation and follow up work utilising resources provided on ELE including asynchronous structured materials (such as short pre-recorded lectures, podcasts, asynchronous workshop activities, discussion forum posts and so on) |
| Guided independent study | 100 | Reading and assignment preparation |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class discussions and small group work activities | Each taught session | 1-4 | Facilitator and peer feedback in class. |
| Evidence synthesis | 750 words | 1-4 | Written feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | 100 | 2000 Words | 1-4 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Report (100%) | Report (2000 words ) | 1-4 | Typically within six weeks of the result |
Re-assessment notes
Please refer to the TQA section on Referral/Deferral: http://as.exeter.ac.uk/academic-policy-standards/tqa-manual/aph/consequenceoffailure/
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
Colls, R. and Evans, B., 2014. Making space for fat bodies? A critical account of ‘the obesogenic environment’. Progress in human geography, 38(6), pp.733-753.
Cook, J., Oreskes, N., Doran, P.T., Anderegg, W.R., Verheggen, B., Maibach, E.W., Carlton, J.S., Lewandowsky, S., Skuce, A.G., Green, S.A. and Nuccitelli, D., 2016. Consensus on consensus: a synthesis of consensus estimates on human-caused global warming. Environmental Research Letters, 11(4), p.048002.
Cronin P, Ryan F and Coughlan M. (2008). Undertaking a literature review a step-by-step approach. British Journal of Nursing. 17(1); 38-43.
HM Government, 2019. Tackling antimicrobial resistance 2019-2024: The UK’s five-year national action plan. HM Government.
McMahon, B.J., Morand, S. and Gray, J.S., 2018. Ecosystem change and zoonoses in the Anthropocene. Zoonoses and public health, 65(7), pp.755-765.
Phoenix, C., et al. 2013. Paradigmatic approaches to studying environment and human health: (Forgotten) implications for interdisciplinary research. Environmental Science & Policy 25, 218-228.
Power, A., Bell, S.L., Kyle, R.G. and Andrews, G.J., 2019. ‘Hopeful adaptation’ in health geographies: Seeking health and wellbeing in times of adversity. Social Science & Medicine, 231, pp.1-5.
Romanelli, C., Cooper, D., Campbell-Lendrum, D., Maiero, M., Karesh, W.B., Hunter, D. and Golden, C.D., 2015. Connecting global priorities: biodiversity and human health: a state of knowledge review. World Health Organisation/Secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. https://www.who.int/globalchange/publications/biodiversity-human-health/en/
Sala OE, Meyerson LA and Parmesan C. (2009). Biodiversity Change and Human Health. Washington: Island Press
Twohig-Bennett, C. and Jones, A., 2018. The health benefits of the great outdoors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of greenspace exposure and health outcomes. Environmental research, 166, pp.628-637.
Whitmee, S., Haines, A., Beyrer, C., Boltz, F., Capon, A.G., de Souza Dias, B.F., Ezeh, A., Frumkin, H., Gong, P., Head, P. and Horton, R., 2015. Safeguarding human health in the Anthropocene epoch: report of The Rockefeller Foundation–Lancet Commission on planetary health. The Lancet, 386(10007), pp.1973-2028.
Zywert, K., 2017. Human health and social-ecological systems change: Rethinking health in the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene Review, 4(3), pp.216-238.
Web based and electronic resources are provided by the module ELE pages.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | Yes |
| Origin date | 15/12/2015 |
| Last revision date | 01/12/2023 |
