School: Science

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Introduction to Environmental Science
  • Unit Code

    SCI1193
  • Year

    2025
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    2
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    A/Prof Mark LUND

Description

This unit introduces students to the fundamentals of environmental science. It provides a foundation for students to understand environmental problems, and their potential solutions, at global, regional and local scales. It also addresses the issue of resource use and the consequences which stem from their unsustainable exploitation.

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded SCI1186

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Identify underlying causes of environmental problems and how demographic, lifestyle and economic factors contribute to these problems and their consequences.
  2. Characterise and measure pollutants and understand their impact on biological and environmental systems.
  3. Facilitate discussion and present findings on a controversial topic
  4. Produce a scientific report
  5. Use spreadsheets to investigate data and conduct simple analyses.

Unit Content

  1. Energy resources and pollution: future of non-renewable and renewable energy; the nature of the pollution associated with energy.
  2. Global changes: the enhanced greenhouse effect (greenhouse gases, climate modelling); ozone depletion; transboundary pollution, ocean acidification, nitrogen deposition.
  3. Measurement of pollution, resource use and environmental impacts including life cycle analysis and ecological footprints.
  4. Underlying causes of environmental problems: population, urbanisation, affluence, lifestyle, unsustainable resource use.
  5. Water, land and air pollution: causes, impacts, solutions solid waste management.

Learning Experience

ON-CAMPUS

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 213 x 3 hour labNot Offered13 x 3 hour lab
Semester 213 x 2 hour lectureNot Offered12 x 2 hour lecture

For more information see the Semester Timetable

ONLINE

Students will engage in learning experiences via ECU’s LMS as well as additional ECU learning technologies

Additional Learning Experience Information

This unit is available in completely flexible mode, online or on-campus or any combination. Weekly lectures discuss key aspects and issues associated with Environment Science. This is supported through laboratory sessions, which focus on the collection and analysis of real world data. Blackboard is used to support learning through online quizzes, online lectures, video support materials and detailed resources to support assignments.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
TestReview Tests30%
ReportScientific Report 115%
ReportScientific Report 230%
ParticipationFacilitation and Participation in Group Discussions5%
ExerciseCollect and analyse data10%
Laboratory WorkUndertake laboratory activities10%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
TestReview Tests30%
ReportScientific Report 115%
ReportScientific Report 230%
ParticipationFacilitation and Participation in Group Discussions5%
ExerciseCollect and analyse data10%
Laboratory WorkComplete/review laboratory exercises at home10%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

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