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Module

GEO1026 : Becoming a Geographer

  • Offered for Year: 2024/25
  • Module Leader(s): Professor Nick Megoran
  • Owning School: Geography, Politics & Sociology
  • Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Semester 1 Credit Value: 10
Semester 2 Credit Value: 10
ECTS Credits: 10.0
European Credit Transfer System

Aims

The module aims to introduce Geography students to academic skills, their fellow students and staff, and life as a geographer at university. It allows students and staff to build a sense of community in Geography, exploring together what it means to be a geographer.

In addition to practical activities that introduce key skills, such as finding, reading and understanding academic work, communicating geographical ideas, and personal/professional development, it is also facilitates the transition to university, promoting a collegial environment through a playful approach towards doing geography.

Outline Of Syllabus

In Semester 1, students will work building connections as a cohort with their tutor group, while exploring key geographical skills.

In Semester 2, students will be guided to take part in a series of different activities to help build their geographical knowledge. These will be a mixture of independent individual, group and guided in-class sessions.

Through the year, students will be guided to take part in online learning to develop an understanding of well-being and the importance of healthy study habits.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities
Category Activity Number Length Student Hours Comment
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion150:0050:00N/A
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesLecture71:007:00N/A
Structured Guided LearningAcademic skills activities120:0020:00Interactive online learning activities exploring Mental Health and Well-Being at university
Structured Guided LearningAcademic skills activities11:001:00Online Interactive Session on Using Artificial Intelligence
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesSmall group teaching91:009:00N/A
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesWorkshops21:002:00Workshops to explore themes from Mental Health online content
Guided Independent StudyProject work111:0011:00Work on activities towards second assessment
Guided Independent StudyIndependent study199:3099:30N/A
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesDissertation/project related supervision10:300:30Individual tutor meeting
Total200:00
Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The core teaching of the module takes place through:

- 12 group and 1 individual meeting. In semester 1, 6 group and 1 individual meeting is delivered by personal tutors. In semester 2, groups are collected into trios, with each personal tutor running 2 of 6 meetings. This will allow students to build up as a cohort, working together to learn and explore common geographical themes and skills.

- 13 hours exploring online content, with 2 supporting in-person workshops that guide students around mental health and well-being. By using interactive online content, developed at Newcastle University, we ensure a consistency and quality of delivery that would not be achieved by individual tutors.

- 5 lectures will be used at key points in the module to introduce common themes and ideas, particularly in semester 1 when exploring study skills.

- In semester 2, students will be tasked with various activities that need completing and time is allocated for this as a 1 hour per week.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessment
Description Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Essay1M30Students will have the option of submitting these first for formative feedback
Portfolio2M70A portfolio of outputs relating to the activities carried out in semester 2
Formative Assessments

Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.

Description Semester When Set Comment
Essay1MThe essay will lead straight into the summative Essay 1 task
Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The semester 1 assessment will provide a focus for teaching around how students discover and read literature, and then use it in assessments. Students will submit a formative version of their essay in November, followed by a summative version in January, building on feedback.

The semester 2 assessment will allow students to reflect on some of the activities that are taught over the 6 meetings, as well as the online mental health learning

Reading Lists

Timetable