Module manager: Jouni Paavola
Email: J.Paavola@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
This module is not approved as an Elective
This module provides an in-depth understanding of the variety of ethical and value systems that inform human relationships with the economy and nature, and how alternative approaches to environmental governance can acknowledge and give effect to them. The module will help you understand different value positions regarding environmental issues and how and to what extent different governance arrangements can accommodate and balance them. The lectures will familiarise you with the key concepts and topics around environmental values and governance, and the seminars will engage you with the practical aspects together with your fellow students.
The aim of this module is for students to understand the variety of ethical and value systems that inform human relationships with the economy and nature and their role and implications in alternative approaches to environmental governance.
This will be achieved through a combination of lectures and seminars. The lectures will provide the necessary conceptual background and principles, while the seminars will allow students to engage with the contemporary debates and practical aspects of the topics, in an active learning environment. Students will be encouraged to engage in discussions in a critical manner by drawing on real world examples, using data, news articles, blog posts and videos.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
SSLO1: Describe the range of environmental values people have for nature and their implications for environmental governance.
SSLO2: Analyse how different environmental governance solutions are based on and give effect to different degree to different values.
SSLO3: Apply concepts related to environmental values and governance to real-world situations.
SSLO4: Critically evaluate the economic, social and environmental implications of relevant concepts.
Skills Learning Outcome
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
SKLO1: Problem solving and analytical skills (Work Ready): Take a logical approach to solving problems; resolve issues by tackling from different angles, using both analytical and creative skills.
SKLO2: Critical thinking (Work Ready, Academic): Weigh up different arguments and perspectives, using supporting evidence to form opinions, arguments, theories and ideas. Gather information from a range of sources, analyse, and interpret data to aid understanding and anticipate problems.
SKLO3: Information, data and media literacies (Digital): Find, evaluate, organise and share information across a variety of formats and media, ensure the reliability and integrity both of the sources and of the ideas that they help to generate.
SKLO4: Integrated problem solving (Sustainability): Apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainable development problems; develop viable, inclusive and equitable solutions; utilise appropriate competencies to solve problems; develop innovative and creative solutions.
SKLO5: Ethical (Sustainability, Academic): Identify ethical questions and use ethical frameworks; assess the impacts and ethical effects of actions and decisions.
SKLO6: Academic writing (Academic): Write in a clear, concise, focused and structured manner that is supported by relevant evidence.
SKLO7: Referencing (Academic): Know when, why and how to acknowledge someone else’s work or ideas.
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Lecture | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| Seminar | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| Private study hours | 125 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 25 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 150 | ||
Concepts and approaches will be applied in seminars in group tasks. They will be briefly presented in classroom in the weekly seminar sessions and formative feedback will be given on them. Formative feedback is also provided in the online project support sessions based on student questions and queries.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Coursework | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 16/05/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team