GEO1026 : Becoming a Geographer
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Professor Nick Megoran
- Other Staff: Professor Simon Tate
- 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 Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 50:00 | 50:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 7 | 1:00 | 7:00 | N/A |
| Structured Guided Learning | Academic skills activities | 1 | 20:00 | 20:00 | Interactive online learning activities exploring Mental Health and Well-Being at university |
| Structured Guided Learning | Academic skills activities | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | Online Interactive Session on Using Artificial Intelligence |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 9 | 1:00 | 9:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | Workshops to explore themes from Mental Health online content |
| Guided Independent Study | Project work | 1 | 11:00 | 11:00 | Work on activities towards second assessment |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 99:30 | 99:30 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Dissertation/project related supervision | 1 | 0:30 | 0:30 | Individual tutor meeting |
| Total | 200:00 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 1 | M | 30 | Students will have the option of submitting these first for formative feedback |
| Portfolio | 2 | M | 70 | A 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 1 | M | The 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
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- GEO1026's Timetable