YEI-10306 Introduction Environmental Sciences

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

Dutch

Contents:

Relationships between humankind and his/her environment plays a central role in this course. This course is centred around a number of case studies and subdivided into three parts: a general case, an information technology course (CCI: Computers, Communication & Information), and a more specific in-depth case. For the general case, students work in subgroups of about 10 persons, and each group is supervised by a coach (wk 1-3). In the general case, students select a topic from a given list of keywords that are related to one of the five climate zones. The CCI course is self-instructing and individual, and is based on a large number of modules (mainly training in advanced MS Office tools) (wk 1-4). Computers skills are immediately practiced in the general and the in-depth case. For the in-depth case, students choose a topic from a list of about 8 in-depth cases. Groups of about 10 students are supervised by an expert in that particular field (wk 4-6).

Learning outcomes:

After this course the student is:
- familiair with the libarary infrastructure of Wageningen University (WU);
- knows how to search for information in the libraries of WU;
- knows how to use the WU virtual library (predominantly) electronic journal & is experienced in the use of literature searching vehicles;
- is (better) able to judge to reliability and/ or relevance of publicly available (scientific) information;
- knows theoretically and by experience how to structure and write minutes from a medium size meeting (7-10 students);
- knows theoretically and by experience how to chair a medium size meeting (7-10 students);
- knows theoretically (and by experience) how to present a group case study;
- knows how to write a concise scientific text (In Dutch);
- knows by experience to go (relatively deep) into an environmental sciences subject within a short and strict time frame.

Activities:

Activities and products are defined for each day of this course. General and in-depth case studies are in groups of about 10 students; the CCI course is self-instructing.

Examination:

Examination: weighing of the individual course elements is as follows: General case: 30% (products: mini-poster presentation), CCI course: 20% (individual examination), in-depth case: 50% (products: report presentation).

Literature:

https://portal.wur.nl/sites/Omgevingswetenschappen/