Communicating Global Issues in a Changing World

Overview
Module description

Communicating Global Issues in a Changing World (CMM2005)

Staff	Mike Finn - Lecturer
Credit Value	15
ECTS Value	7.5
NQF Level	5
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
Duration of Module	Term 1: 1 weeks; Term 2: 11 weeks;

Module aims

The module aims to:

Discuss and present global sustainability challenges that society faces today and in the future. Propose a way forward to tackle one or more of these challenges through a case study.
Explore theories and meanings of sustainable development and sustainability
Identify and critique drivers and challenges to sustainable futures
Reflect on societal and personal attitudes and values that inform (un)sustainable practices
Formulate and contextualise local and global strategies for sustainable futures
Enhance key transferable skills through a variety of learning methods: time management, problem-solving and giving an oral presentation
Provide compelling cases for sustainability solutions based on current research finding

ILO: Module-specific skills

1. Define major global challenges, giving examples of sustainable practices, measures taken towards sustainability and the achievement of achievable goals
2. Describe the principles of sustainable development
3. Use appropriate language and presentation skills to communicate sustainability issues

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

4. Analyse complex global challenges, reflect critically on them and identify key messages

ILO: Personal and key skills

5. Work independently and with self-motivation
6. Presenting to different target groups

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

Introduction
Communication and semiotics – hidden messages
Advertising
Graphic design and typography
Styles of writing – academic, formal, casual, informative
Media design – books, newspapers, magazines, web pages
Species of the week – two-minute student presentation – the elevator pitch. Two or three per class.
Student presentations – two per class in the second half of the module

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
22	128	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	22	Seminars [face to face / online] individual and group teaching presentations
Guided independent study	128	Studying global sustainability challenges and sustainable development. Studying the theory and practice of communication

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Species of the week individual student 'elevator pitch' to the class about a sustainability issue relating to a plant or animal	2 minutes	1-6	Immediate oral comments from the module coordinator and other students after delivery

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
75	0	25

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Individual small-group presentation on a current issue relating to sustainability	30	25 minutes plus discussion	1-6	Immediate oral comments from the module coordinator and other students after delivery, plus written feedback from the whole class and the module convenor
Journalistic Media (e.g. magazine article, grafic, video) and written rationale, based on your presentation subject or on a different sustainability subject	35	750 words or equivalent, plus 500 word rationale	1-6	Written
Academic article on a current topic of sustainability (a different topic from the presentation and journalistic subject)	35	2000 words	1-6	Written

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Individual small-group presentation on a current issue relating to sustainability	A presentation, submitted as a set of slides and a word-processed script or a recorded presentation, on a different subject from the original presentation	1-6	Referral/deferral period
Journalistic Media (e.g. magazine article, grafic, video) and written rationale, based on your presentation subject or on a different sustainability subject	Journalistic Media (e.g. magazine article, grafic, video) and written rationale, based on your presentation subject or on a different sustainability subject	1-6	Referral/deferral period
Academic article on a current topic of sustainability (a different topic from the presentation and journalistic subject)	Academic article on a current topic of sustainability (a different topic from the presentation and journalistic subject), and a different topic from the original submission	1-6	Referral/deferral period

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Collins, H., and Pinch T. (1998) The Golem: What you should know about science (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998)
Lenton, T., Earth System Science (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016)
Mackay, D. (2009) Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air (333.794 MAC)
Weingart, P., Engels, A. and Pansegrau, P. (2000). Risks of communication: discourses on climate change in science, politics, and the mass media. Public Understanding Of Science , 9(3), pp. 261-283.

Module has an active ELE page?

Yes

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=6387
Climate Visuals - an evidence-based resource for visual climate change communication - www.climatevisuals.org/
The Earth Charte -www.earthcharter.org/discover/the-earth-charter/
Resilient People, Resilient Planet (The Report of the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability): www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/66/700(2012)
]What is resilience? An introduction to social ecological research: agrilinks.org/library/what-resilienceintroduction-social-ecological-research– Agrilinks, Feed the Future, US Government’s Global Hunger and Food Security Institute.
Sell the Sizzle: How to sell climate change: www.wearefuterra.com/2017/06/08/how-to-sell-climate-change/

Available as distance learning?

Origin date

17/06/2021

Last revision date