Module manager: Susannah Sallu
Email: s.sallu@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
SOEE5586M Environment & Development International Field Course
This module is not approved as an Elective
This module provides a structured opportunity to gain field experience and engage in experiential learning, supporting students to broaden knowledge and deepen understanding of interrelations between environment, development and sustainability. The module links academic, community, and grassroots perspectives, allowing students to understand how both theoretical concepts and real-world challenges intertwine when addressing sustainability and development. The module supports critical reflexivity on the nature of development to address sustainability with a focus on justice and equity, centred around development in a rural landscape. Through both group and individual work on a particular focal topic, students will develop, apply, and/or be directly exposed to the application of participatory methodologies and critically reflect on their value in developing new understanding. Students will further their research and professional skills, dealing with issues of ethics, power and positionality in cross-cultural development practice.
1. To broaden knowledge and deepen understanding of the interrelations between environment, development and sustainability and associated innovations through integration of academic and other knowledges.
2. To design and undertake cross-cultural experiential learning in practice that incorporates socially inclusive participatory dialogue focussed on a case study landscape.
3. To identify and evaluate the health and safety implications of one’s own practice and that of others.
4. To explain and critically reflect on ethics, power and positionality of the cross-cultural experiential learning experience.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
SSLO1: Integrate academic and other knowledges to characterise environment-development interrelations of a sustainability challenge and evaluate associated innovation in a case study landscape.
SSLO2: Apply academic knowledge as a basis for design and implementation of a cross-cultural experiential and participatory investigation in the field.
SSLO3: Critically reflect on the approaches applied (considering social inclusivity, ethics (including power and positionality) and health and safety) during the cross-cultural experiential learning experience.
SSLO4: Communicate the knowledge outcomes generated from your project work to local practitioners.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
SKLO1: Academic integrity (Academic skill): A commitment to good study practices and shared values, which ensures that your work is a true expression of your own understanding and ideas, giving credit to others where their work contributes to yours.
SKLO2: Presentation (Academic skill): The ability to communicate on a pre-prepared topic in an accessible manner, considering the needs of the specific audience. For example, oral or visual presentations to a variety of audiences.
SKLO3: Effective communication (Sustainability skill): Effectively communicates key facts and ideas, for example, verbally and in written form. Respects and considers the needs and perspectives of others. Engages in interdisciplinary discussion to inform their thinking about sustainable futures.
SKLO4: Ethical (Sustainability skill): Identifies ethical questions, which involve considering what is morally right or fair, and how we make good choices; understands how decisions affect people and the world around.
SKLO5: Cultural and diversity awareness (Work-ready skills): Being aware of similarities and differences across different international cultures or groups of people. Appreciation, respect and value of diversity and difference, and a commitment to equity and inclusion.
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fieldwork | 10 | 6 | 60 |
| Lecture | 5 | 2 | 10 |
| Seminar | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Private study hours | 225 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 75 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 300 | ||
- Staff feedback will be provided during seminars and throughout fieldwork.
- Written formative feedback will be provided on concept notes before fieldwork.
- Oral feedback from staff & stakeholders on oral presentations at the time of presentation .
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Coursework – pass for progression | 0 |
| Coursework | Oral assessment | 15 |
| Coursework | Coursework | 85 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Submission of a concept note of pass standard ahead of the field course is necessary to pass the module. Module enrolment: MSc Sustainability, Environment and Development programme students have priority access to this module. For other students, when spaces are available, enrolment is by application only, and subject to an additional charge. Such interested students should please contact SOEE5587M module leader in week 1 of semester 1 to request further information. Typically, we are not able to confirm places on the module until after the start of semester 1, students should therefore register on alternative module(s) in the first instance.
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