Module manager: Ben Murray
Email: b.j.murray@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
SOEE2800 (not changed)
This module is not approved as a discovery module
The module will help prepare students for a significant research activity such as their Level 3 research project alongside training in other year 2 modules. The module will present techniques and theory behind experimental planning, sampling, measuring, analysing and interpreting data. The aim is to give a coherent training all the way from experimental design through to presentation of findings. Students will learn how to design and implement scientific experiments, how to analyse the data they collect, to draw inferences, and how to write a report on their experiment. Students will have an opportunity to gain practical, hands on, experience of how environmental data is produced, analysed, interpreted and reported. The Lectures: Lectures provide an underpinning knowledge of sampling methods, uncertainty and the working principles of commonly used instruments in Environmental sciences. The lectures cover measurements in soil, water and air. Problems classes: Each lecture is paired with a problems class where students will learn how to solve quantitative and qualitative problems associated with the lecture material. Field trip: the one-day field trip to the research farm gives the students hands on experience of using instruments and techniques they learn about in the lectures. The student cohort is broken into teams who circulate around a number of activities. The small group teaching is an excellent way of building rapport with students and helps satisfy their desire for hands on field experience. This one-day field trip serves as an excellent prelude to the week-long residential field trip in semester 2 as part of SOEE2701. Workshops: Give the students a combination of hands-on and desk-based analysis. A major focus of the workshops is in producing succinct, informative and well-structured formal written reports. Learning how to present scientific material is a key skill they need for their third-year dissertations and will be further reinforced in SOEE2701.
Building on skills developed at Level 1, this module aims to provide all Level 2 Environmental Science students with a coherent and consistent training in skills needed for collecting, analysing and interpreting environmental data. The module provides the opportunity to undertake field and practical techniques relevant for future careers in Environmental Science.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
SSLO1. Demonstrate an understanding of key chemical and physical measurement techniques for water, soil and the air, and their application in environmental sciences.
SSLO2. Recognise how precision, accuracy and uncertainty are involved in sample collection, analysis and recording of data.
SSLO3. Critically appraise these analytical approaches in the application of environmental monitoring with attention to the validation of environmental measurements through sampling strategies and quality control.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
SKLO1. Presented succinct and informative written scientific reports of the workshop sessions. (Academic, Work Ready)
SKLO2. Developed data analysis and plotting skills (Academic, Digital)
SKLO3. Demonstrate critical thinking (Academic, Digital)
SKLO4. Boosted problem solving and analytical abilities (Academic, Work Ready)
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fieldwork | 1 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| Lecture | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Practical | 10 | 2 | 20 |
| Seminar | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Independent online learning hours | 7 | ||
| Private study hours | 145.5 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 47.5 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
There are 4 workshop topics that we will cover. The students will write up their choice of one of the first two, for formative assessment. This is designed to give students feedback to improve their reports on the final two workshop topics, which are summative and are worth 50% of the module.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Online Time-Limited Assessment | 50 |
| Coursework | Coursework | 50 |
| 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: 29/04/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team