Course Coordinator:Louisa-Anne Buwalda (lbuwalda@usc.edu.au) School:School of Law and Society
UniSC Sunshine CoastUniSC Moreton Bay |
Blended learning | Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online. |
Online |
Online | You can do this course without coming onto campus. |
Please go to usc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.
Are we there yet? There is an urgent need for the global community to work collectively to achieve positive sustainability outcomes for people and the planet. Measuring the impact of sustainability action across various scales is a critical part of this process. In this course, you'll build you understanding of the core elements of creating positive change and be exposed to global best practice case studies and experts. You'll explore some of the emerging measures for assessing sustainability, across economic, social, environmental and governance aspects.
Activity | Hours | Beginning Week | Frequency |
Blended learning | |||
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – On Campus tutorial | 2hrs | Week 1 | 11 times |
Learning materials – Weekly online learning materials | 1hr | Week 1 | 11 times |
Online | |||
Learning materials – Weekly online learning materials | 1hr | Week 1 | 11 times |
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Weekly online tutorials | 2hrs | Week 1 | 11 times |
200 Level (Developing)
12 units
Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... | Graduate Qualities Mapping Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... | Professional Standard Mapping * Australian Learning & Teaching Council | |
1 | Develop criteria, indicators, measures and targets for assessing sustainability. |
Creative and critical thinker Empowered |
1, 3, 4, 5 |
2 | To appropriately scope a program evaluation and understand how to undertake it. |
Empowered Sustainability-focussed |
3, 4, 5 |
3 | Reflect on issues influencing the practice of evaluation. |
Knowledgeable Creative and critical thinker |
1, 4, 5, 7 |
4 | Effectively undertake and communicate program evaluation. |
Empowered Sustainability-focussed |
4, 5, 6 |
CODE | COMPETENCY |
Australian Learning & Teaching Council | |
1 | Knowing: Demonstrate a coherent geographical understanding of trends, processes and impacts that shape Australian and other environments and/or societies at different spatial and temporal scales. |
3 | Thinking: Apply geographical thought creatively, critically and appropriately to specific spaces, places and/or environments. |
4 | Thinking: Recognise, evaluate and synthesise various views, arguments and sources of knowledge pertinent to solving environmental and social problems. |
5 | Investigating and problem solving: Resolve geographical questions by ethical means, applying evidence-based knowledge and appropriate research techniques, including those associated with field work. |
6 | Communicating: Communicate geographical perspectives and knowledge effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences using appropriately selected written, oral and visual means. |
7 | Self-directing and collaborating: Contribute effectively as a member or leader of diverse teams working in geographical or multidisciplinary contexts |
Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
Foundation knowledge in sustainability principles, theory and application
Standard Grading (GRD)
High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL). |
Feedback on draft items will be provided during workshops.
Delivery mode | Task No. | Assessment Product | Individual or Group | Weighting % | What is the duration / length? | When should I submit? | Where should I submit it? |
All | 1 | Essay | Individual | 30% | 1250 words The word count does not include the reference list. |
Week 4 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
All | 2 | Report | Individual | 30% | 1250 words |
Week 8 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
All | 3 | Case Study | Individual | 40% | 1500 words maximum |
Week 13 | Online Submission |
All - Assessment Task 1:Analytical Essay - Assessing Sustainability Change | ||||
Goal: | Demonstrate understanding of sustainability measurement approaches, indicator selection and assessment rationale. |
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Product: | Essay | |||
Format: | Individual 1250 word report that maps a case study against the SDGs, by identifying criteria, indicators, measures, and targets to develop an assessment framework for a focus area of your choice. Additional information will be provided in class and on Canvas. |
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Criteria: |
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Generic Skills: |
All - Assessment Task 2:Critical Written Piece - Measurement and Reporting Analysis of a Sustainability Report | |||||||||||||||||||
Goal: | To demonstrate your skills in reviewing evaluation documents against criteria |
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Product: | Report | ||||||||||||||||||
Format: | Individual 1250-word report based on a sustainability assessment. Examples will be available on Canvas, or you can discuss an alternative with your Course Coordinator/Tutor. Additional information will be provided on Canvas. |
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Criteria: |
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Generic Skills: | Communication, Information literacy |
All - Assessment Task 3:Case Study Analysis | |||||||||||||||||||
Goal: | To analyse a sustainable development project and propose suggestions for improvement based on best practice development theories and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. |
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Product: | Case Study | ||||||||||||||||||
Format: | Individual case study analysis. Students will be provided with three case study options of past sustainable development projects. Each case study will be related to one of the major themes of the course; people, planet or prosperity. Students will analyse their chosen case study based on how it aligns to 3 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and one development theory covered in class. Students will write a short proposal on how they would approach the case study based on their chosen SDGs and development theory. Additional information and specific case studies will be provided on Canvas. |
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Criteria: |
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Generic Skills: | Communication, Problem solving, Organisation, Applying technologies, Information literacy |
A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.
Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.
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Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.
Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.
In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.
Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying: The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4% The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct.
Late submission of assessment tasks may be penalised at the following maximum rate: - 5% (of the assessment task's identified value) per day for the first two days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. - 10% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the third day - 20% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the fourth day and subsequent days up to and including seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. - A result of zero is awarded for an assessment task submitted after seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. Weekdays and weekends are included in the calculation of days late. To request an extension you must contact your course coordinator to negotiate an outcome.
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