NES1212 : Foundations for Environmental Scientists
- Offered for Year: 2026/27
- Module Leader(s): Dr Cees van der Land
- Co-Module Leader: Dr Ankush Prashar
- Lecturer: Dr Elisa Lopez-Capel
- Owning School: Natural and Environmental Sciences
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| ECTS Credits: | 0.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
The aim of this module is to:
Allow students to revise or develop key underpinning scientific (biological, chemical and physical) and mathematical knowledge to support their learning in other modules
To develop students digital and information literacy skills and competencies and knowledge of academic good practice
The module is zero-credit and designed to support all students to reach a baseline level of knowledge and competency to succeed in their Stage 1 studies.
Outline Of Syllabus
1) Good academic practice including referencing, awareness of plagiarism and responsible use of AI and finding and assessing suitability of sources of information and literature.
2) Digital skills, including file systems, data storage and management, information security, email, word processing and document styles and formatting, Powerpoint.
2) Fundamental principles of maths and statistics, including averages, statistical distributions, and basic mathematical concepts such as ratios, trigonometry and standard form.
3) Fundamental science concepts from areas of biology, chemistry and physics that underpin Environmental Science. Examples might include: Cells and basic cell functions (biology), oxidation-reduction basics (chemistry), energy types and principles of radiation (physics).
All students will undertake units on good academic practice and digital skills, whilst completion of units on science topics and maths will be guided by diagnostic tests and prior studies.
The module will introduce students to their personal tutors and tutorials will be run throughout the academic year, supporting students in selecting appropriate units to study, acquiring skills in good academic practice and information literacy, and introducing career paths and skillset / competency development.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | Introductory lecture |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 4 | 1:00 | 4:00 | Group tutorial meetings |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 3 | 1:00 | 3:00 | Workshops introducing referencing and basic library skills, academic writing, and introduction to maths / science units |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 10 | 0:30 | 5:00 | Drop-in help clinics to support learning and assessment (optional) |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | Completion of pass/fail academic writing exercise |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 8 | 0:30 | 4:00 | Completion of diagnostic and pass/fail online quiz assessments |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 24 | 0:30 | 12:00 | Completion of online units of material and associated resources / activities |
| Total | 31:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
This self-paced, blended learning module is designed to prepare students from varied backgrounds for their Environmental Science degree. The majority of learning material will be provided online, supported by links to additional existing resources and activities (such as Academic Skills Kit) and by workshops. This will provide students with resources to which they can refer throughout their studies, as well as the scope to learn at their own pace, guided by diagnostic tests to help them self-assess the most relevant units of material to complete. Drop-in sessions will provide opportunity to get help with key concepts and development of literature search, referencing and academic writing skills will be supported by a Library workshop and by group meetings with tutors.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Zero Weighted Pass/Fail Assessments
| Description | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Written exercise | M | 250 word academic writing and referencing exercise. Assessment will be Pass/Fail with feedback via tutorials (25%) |
| Computer assessment | M | Online quizzes (x3) will be used to assess basic competency in digital skills and 2 from maths and statistics; biology; physics and chemistry. Assessment will be Pass/Fail and quizzes can be repeated as required (75%) |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Online quizzes will allow students to assess their competency in digital skills; and two from fundamentals of maths and statistics, biology, chemistry and physics. The quizzes will ensure engagement and allow students to assess their progress and understanding, but can be completed multiple times and will be pass/fail to allow students to learn and grow their confidence without pressure of achieving high grades. A concise academic writing example will be submitted to personal tutors, to demonstrate academic writing and referencing skills, with feedback via tutorial discussion.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- NES1212's Timetable