TCP2035 : Study Visit
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Dr Georgiana Varna
- Owning School: Architecture, Planning & Landscape
- Teaching Location: Mixed Location
- Capacity limit: 40 student places
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
This module aims to enable students to gain an understanding of planning related practice in a particular place in another context, the actual location/s varying from year to year.
The main Intended Knowledge Outcomes are:
1. Greater awareness of different cultural approaches to planning, green infrastructure, design architecture, development in another country;
2. More knowledge and understanding of specific practice issues in another country;
3.Insight into the different ways in which planning, urban design, green infrastructure and architecture practices are conducted in other countries within different planning and legal systems
The main Intended Skills Outcomes are:
1.Development of analytical skills – ability to reflect critically on planning practice and to consider England’s practices in a more comparative light
2.Development of data collection skills in situ
3.Development of team work skills
4.Development of oral presentation skills
Outline Of Syllabus
This module offers a comparative exploration of aspects of planning, landscape and green infrastructure, urban design and/or architectural practices in another context. (The choice of destinations and foci of the field-trips will be confirmed/presented each year as part of students’ options choice presentation).
Given the differences in planning systems and planning/landscape and green infrastructure/architectural history across the world, focusing on a particular specified country or city, this module allows students to understand the different social, environmental, economic, cultural and political situations that practitioners in different contexts face.
It allows students to become familiar with this particular context for planning, landscape and green infrastructure, urban design, and/or architecture to understand how these influence practices.
And it allows students to critically reflect on practices (and mainstream architectural and planning practices), and comparatively on practices that are available in England.
The main focus of the module is a (self-funded) field-trip but the course also includes workshops ahead of the field-trip, and a follow up group presentations on our return. During the field trip students will work in small groups that will be set in advance of the trip.
Students should only choose this option if they intend to come on the field-trip.
The field trip will take place during term time either just before or just after the Easter vacation.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured research and reading activities | 90 | 1:00 | 90:00 | Preparatory topic and background reading pre-trip |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured non-synchronous discussion | 74 | 1:00 | 74:00 | Group work preparation of presentation inc hand-in (PowerPoint) and individual essay |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 3 | 2:00 | 6:00 | Workshops to discuss planning aspects to be considered on field-trip |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Fieldwork | 3 | 8:00 | 24:00 | Field trip days (ex travel) |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Module talk | 1 | 4:00 | 4:00 | Student led group presentations to invited audience post-trip |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Module talk | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | Welcome & overall module introduction - expectation of students and rationale |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The workshops will unpack key issues relating to the city or country being visited, its context and practices before the commencement of a fieldtrip which will involve a great deal of independent and guided study. The workshops and the fieldtrip feed into the learning outcomes of the course because:
1) The workshops will draw out key contextual differences students need to be aware of and practice themes.
2) The actual fieldtrip itself (and the visits to particular sites, and/or meeting particular practitioners) will allow students to experience different practices in a different situation first hand.
3) Both the workshops and the fieldtrip will allow students to understand how practices differ.
4) If for reasons to do with travel restrictions it is not possible to undertake a trip then this will be replaced by group project study on campus.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prof skill assessmnt | 2 | M | 40 | Students will undertake group presentations based on work undertaken during field trip including PowerPoint |
| Written exercise | 2 | M | 60 | 2000 word individual written assignment on a topic related to site visits covered |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The first assignment, the group presentation is meant to hone students’ group work skills, introduced in Stage 1 and which need consolidated in Stage 2 and is also meant to allow them to find a space to share their experiences and critical reflections on the visited location. The presentation also helps with developing students’ visual presentation skills needed in their future planning profession.
The second assignment, the individual essay asks students to develop their critical thinking skills related to comparative urban planning systems and dive deeper in the main concepts, themes and debates raised throughout the Course.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- TCP2035's Timetable