Studying online
There are now 2 possible online modes for units:
Units with modes Online timetabled and Online flexible are available for any student to self-enrol and study online.
Click on an offering mode for more details.
Unit Overview
- Description
This unit focuses on physical disasters including earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, epidemics, and those related to climate change including fires, droughts and floods. It provides a comprehensive understanding of the environmental, physical and geological and social triggers of these events from an environmental science viewpoint and the social vulnerabilities and failures that, together, result in slowly unfolding disasters or rapid-onset catastrophic events. The unit uses a variety of domestic and international case studies to examine how, in each case, physical vulnerabilities, environmental hazards and risk management intersect to produce disasters that threaten lives, livelihoods and ecosystems across a range of biophysical and socioeconomic contexts and scales.
The unit is delivered via a one-hour lecture each week which focuses on overarching themes and concepts that are further explored through a three-hour tutorial each week. The concepts include vulnerability, hazards and governance as understood through physical geography and human geography. Students apply these concepts through an investigation of a real-world disaster in tutorials to unravel the layers of complex interactions that result in disasters. Tutorials are designed with a strong emphasis on practical and group work to foster skills in multi-layered analytical thinking that encompasses patterns, processes and interactions.
- Credit
- 6 points
- Offering
Availability Location Mode Not available in 2024 UWA (Perth) Face to face - Outcomes
Students are able to (1) distinguish between a variety of environmental and geological hazards, including their origin, pace, frequency and intensity; (2) understand the environmental, physical and governance factors through which an environmental hazard becomes a disaster; (3) appreciate the multiple layers that produce vulnerability in societies, including differences between low- and high-income countries and inherent disadvantages of particular populations; (4) gain knowledge of and experience in applying core concepts and analytical skills in human and physical geography, environmental sciences and planning; and (5) debate and design strategies for better risk management to reduce harm from disasters.
- Assessment
Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) online quizzes; (2) individual essay; and (3) group poster and presentation. Further information is available in the unit outline.
Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.
- Unit Coordinator(s)
- TBA
- Unit rules
- Prerequisites
- Enrolment ina UWA College course.
- Incompatibility
- GEOG1104 Disasters!
- The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
- All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
- Visit the Essential Textbooks website to see if any textbooks are required for this Unit. The website is updated regularly so content may change. Students are recommended to purchase Essential Textbooks, but a limited number of copies of all Essential Textbooks are held in the Library in print, and as an ebook where possible. Recommended readings for the unit can be accessed in Unit Readings directly through the Learning Management System (LMS).
- Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.
Face to face
Predominantly face-to-face. On campus attendance required to complete this unit. May have accompanying resources online.
Online flexible
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit is asynchronous delivery, with NO requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online timetabled
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit includes some synchronous components, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online Restricted
Not available for self-enrolment. Students access this mode by contacting their student office through AskUWA. 100% Online Unit.
NO campus face-to-face attendance. All study and assessment requirements are online only. Unit includes some timetabled activities, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times. In exceptional cases (noted in the Handbook) students may be required to participate in face-to-face laboratory classes when a return to UWA’s Crawley campus becomes possible in order to be awarded a final grade.
External
No attendance or regular contact is required, and all study requirements are completed either via correspondence and/or online submission.
Off-campus
Regular attendance is not required, but student attends the institution face to face on an agreed schedule for purposes of supervision and/or instruction.
Multi-mode
Multiple modes of delivery. Unit includes a mix of online and on-campus study requirements. On campus attendance for some activities is required to complete this unit.