Bachelor of Arts Honours in Geography and Environmental Studies

Purpose

The programme would allow candidates without prior Geographical Information Systems training to enrol for an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree: Geography and Environmental Studies at Stellenbosch University. This would enable the widening of access and allow students without a systematic interest or ability in information technology to enrol. It fills a need in the Education sector, where teachers of Geography are allowed to improve their qualifications. Similarly candidates with an interest in planning related careers and further systematic research interests in Geography can be accommodated. Training demands from private firms and public institutions employing these skills will be served by the new programme.

Rationale

Students without Geographical Information Systems training at the undergraduate level are unable to enrol for an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree at the Department of Geology, Geography and Environmental Studies at Stellenbosch University. Only the Honours Bachelor of Arts: Geographical Information Systems (with the GIS prerequisite) and a compulsory Geographical Information Systems module are available for further education. This prevents the widening of access, narrows the reach of the department and prohibits students without a systematic interest or ability in information technology to enrol. The need exists in the Education sector, where Geography is a school subject, and teachers are now (again) in a position to improve their qualifications through enrolling in this programme in modules that are directly related to curriculum content. More specifically, a sizable contingent of potential candidates with an interest in planning related careers (town and regional planning, social-environmental planning, tourism analysis and planning) currently cannot be accommodated. The programme will therefore meet training demands from private firms and public institutions employing the systematic spatial analytical and planning skills from the new programme.

The University in its official Teaching and Learning Policy (TLP) stipulates that an institutional student-centered approach is followed. The programme gives effect to that policy in its teaching and learning strategy which imparts activities which facilitate learning instead of imparting knowledge. The programme organises various structured, sufficient and effective learning and assessment opportunities in all its modules. The strategy utilises and provides ready access to all available academic facilities and support mechanisms. However, the student remains responsible for the learning process and the utilisation of facilities and independent learning opportunities, especially provided and encouraged by electronic e-learning means and resources. Students are allowed substantial leeway for self discovery and realisation of their own development potential. Special attention is paid to accommodation and support of the teaching and learning challenges related to a diverse student population. Efforts are made to support students financially through accessing bursaries and related financial means.

A Bachelor of Arts Degree or a Bachelor's Degree regarded as appropriate by Senate with Geography as major and a 60% pass mark in the major.

Recognition of Prior Learning

The University has an official Policy for the Assessment and Recognition of Prior Learning. It allows various forms of assessment, including access assessment instruments (access and placement tests), examinations assessed numerically, consideration of submitted learning portfolios and qualitative screening thereof by qualified staff, conditional admission (learning goals are set), prescribed additional work to be assessed, recognition of formal learning at other institutions, professional short courses, recognition of informal learning through job experience.

Each faculty has a well documented and approved Recognition of Prior Learning process, suitably qualified staff to facilitate the application process together with support staff from related offices (like the International Office), mechanisms to provide uniform feedback to candidates, reasonable and clear parameters regarding service costs related to the process to applicants, guidelines to applicants regarding the admission instruments and appeal procedures or alternative learning options.

According to official Senate decision

Faculties and their programme committees for Recognition of Prior Learning matters are specifically appointed and quality control as part of ongoing programme development form part of their charge.

Access to the Qualification

Admission requirements is a Bachelor of Arts Degree or a Bachelor's Degree regarded as appropriate by Senate with Geography as major and a 60% pass mark in the major. The Recognition of Prior Learning route may be employed to broaden access beyond these requirements.

Four compulsory modules consisting of 30 Credits each.

1. Knowledge of social and environmental values, concepts and mindsets about the interaction and perceived dichotomy between social and economic development and the environment as basic framework for sustainable environmental management practices.
2. A broad perspective on the background and influences against which spatial socio-economic and environmental problems are analysed and managed, with special reference to urbanisation and tourism.
3. The critical understanding of the principles, prescriptions and strategies of development as they manifest between urban and tourism development and environmental management as they are currently propagated internationally and applied in the public and private domains in South Africa, also as they relate to the social impacts of development.
4. Practical experience in the critical evaluation of, position formulation about, and written and verbal communication, utilising modern electronic means, regarding scientific spatial aspects of social, economic and environmental phenomena and their integrated management.
5. Mastery of a variety of geographical analysis techniques available for socio-economic environmental evaluation, with some emphasis on Geographical Information Systems as an applications tool in decision-making, through:

• The higher level introduction and operationalisation of concepts of urban and tourism development.
• Familiarisation with Geographical Information Systems packages in grid format and its application as analysis, modelling, decision-making and management tool.

Critical Cross-Field Outcomes

This qualification addresses all the Critical Cross-Field Outcomes. A student who obtains this qualification can

• Identify and solve problems in which responses display that responsible decisions using critical and creative thinking have been made.
• Work with others as a member of a team, group, organisation and community.
• Organise and manage oneself and one's activities responsibly and effectively.
• Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information.
• Communicate effectively using visual, mathematical and/or language skills in the modes of oral and/or written persuasion.
• Use science and technology effectively and critically, showing responsibility towards the environment and health of others.
• Demonstrate and understand the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation.
• Contribute to the full personal development of each learner and the social and economic development of society at large, by making it the underlying intention of any programme of learning to make an individual aware of the importance of reflecting on and exploring a variety of strategies to learn more effectively.
• Participate as responsible citizens in the life of local, national and global communities.
• Be culturally and aesthetically sensitive across a range of social contexts.
• Explore education and career opportunities.
• Develop entrepreneurial opportunities.

Integrated Assessment

The University has a formal Assessment Policy (AP, currently under review) driving all assessment practices, fulfilling diagnostic, formative and summative functions. According to the policy, assessment criteria are prescribed that ensure the attainment of assessment validity, reliability, transparency, justice, attainability and timeous feedback. The academic honesty criterion is ensured through a formal policy on the curtailment of plagiarism and the Turnitin software is available and has its use enforced through the Web-Studies e-learning platform.

Evaluation and assessment practices form part of continual university processes for the evaluation of programmes and departments through a range of delegated responsibilities that charge involved role-players with responsibilities regarding:

• The student (to be informed about assessment policy and be committed to academic honesty).
• The Academic Offering Committee (to orientate and inform students concerning assessment practices).
• Lecturers (to apply assessment criteria effectively and assure their own continued training).
• Academic Offering Committee of Faculties (to coordinate policy implementation and annual review processes).
• Programme coordinators (to ensure that programme outcomes are achieved, appropriate assessment criteria are employed, student evaluation at all levels of programmes and modules are recorded).
• Departmental and module teams (to develop an appropriate assessment system, assures alignment with university assessment policy and practice, monitor assessment experience and apply remediation when required).
• Faculty assures annual assessment evaluation, an appropriate Faculty strategy for teaching and learning, and implementation of procedures for the maintenance of assessment quality control.
• Committee for Teaching and Learning (to perform central monitoring, advising and programme and module review enforcement).
• Centre for Teaching and Learning (to act in an advisory capacity, provide and coordinate assessment training, and national policy and practice alignment).

Measures for continued assessment training and learning of staff appointed before 2005 (Staff appointed after 2005 are obligated to follow the formal PRONTAC teaching and learning course).

The University has issued a formal Assessment Policy (AP) through which are achieved

• Assessment Reliability by ensuring that results of individual assessments and processes of modules and programmes are replicable and consistently distinguishes between high and low performance. Measures include the improvement of assessment measure alignment with stated outcomes, testing for methodological flaws, adjusting the number and diversity of assessment methods, and triangulation of assessment to ensure uniformity in judgment.
• Assessment Validity by alignment between assessment methods and stated outcomes (content validity) and efficiency alignment with the type of outcome. Validity improves through planning and development of assessment to allow students to demonstrate the achievement of outcomes, ensuring that outcome content is assessed adequately, methods are aligned with the nature of outcomes, the number of assessment opportunities allows emphasis on different outcomes, and the range of methods is expanded.