Module manager: Paul Glover
Email: P.W.J.Glover@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
None
| SOEE3791 | Observing weather and climate: advanced field skills |
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module supports other Level 3 modules on the BSc Environmental Science programme, in particular the dissertation module SOEE3030.This module has two interlinked parts. The first part will train students in advanced practical environmental field skills and their expert application in research and industry. It involves both a residential field course and a component of independent research that allows the students to examine the observations made in the field in further depth, critically valuate their findings from an ethical perspective. These support other Level 3 modules, in particular SOEE3030 the dissertation module. The second part occurs on campus during Semester 1. Students will attend a series of lectures and discussion workshop sessions lead by staff from the Inter-Disciplinary Applied Ethics Centre and SEE to assess the ethical implications of environmental and economic practice and to prepare students for the module assessment.
On completion of this module, students will have had experience of field data collection, data analysis techniques, environmental ethics discussions and the crafting of an environmental ethics report.
Associated with the field course, students will be familiar with research techniques used in meteorology, atmospheric physics, chemistry, biodiversity and ecology. Measurement techniques will have been practiced extensively in the field. A wide variety of in situ and remote sensing approaches will have been used to gather physical, chemical and ecological data. Data collected in the field will have been analysed using a variety of computer-based and analogue methods. Data will have been interpreted in order to draw conclusions concerning the natural structure of the atmosphere, both chemically and physically, and ecological diversity.
Associated with classwork occurring on campus immediately after the field course, students will develop their understanding of the importance of ethics in general and environmental ethics in particular through lectures. A series of workshops with ethics experts will provide the student with a forum to explore complex environmental ethics issues and develop ideas, identifying the ethical implications of activities and economic practices observed globally, and followed by an assessment in the form of a report informed by both their own experiences and information from specific published literature.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes:
SSLO1: Research independently, synthesise and analyse critically existing literature.
SSLO 2: Apply expert practical skills and knowledge to measure environmental variables using research- and industry-standard instrumentation, while evaluating implicit error/uncertainty within those measurements.
SSLO 3: Create clear oral and written summaries, including bespoke graphics, to communicate research findings.
SSLO 4: Produce a discursive piece of critical writing focussed on the ethical implications of environmental and economic activities.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
SKLO1: Environmental - The student will be able to engage in Earth and environmental science research in a range of environments and at a range of scales. [Skills Matrix: Sustainability]
SKLO2: Meteorological - The student will have sufficient understanding to carry out simple meteorological measurements and understand technical descriptions of short-term weather and developing climate. [Skills Matrix: Technical & Work Ready Skills]
SKLO3: Social - The student will be able to assess physical measurements in the light of wider social issues and understand the complex interactions between the environment, social needs and the economy. [Skills Matrix: Sustainability Skills]
SKLO4: Ethical - The student will have developed an insight into the fundamental precepts of environmental ethics as used to create a framework for making balanced judgements in complex environmental issues. [Skills Matrix: Enterprise Skills]
SKLO5: Team working – The student will, through working in a team learn the capabilities and skills required to succeed at projects that are larger than can be carried out by an individual in a given time. [Skills Matrix: Work Ready Skills]
The module places considerable emphasis on:
- analysing, synthesising and summarising information critically, including prior research;
- planning, conducting and reporting on investigations, including the use of secondary data;
- collecting, recording and analysing data using appropriate research- and industry-standard techniques in the field;
- undertaking field investigations in a responsible and safe manner, paying due attention to risk assessment, rights of access, relevant health and safety regulations, and sensitivity to the impact of investigations on the environment and stakeholders;
- appreciating issues of sample selection, accuracy, precision and uncertainty during collecting, recording and analysis of data in the field;
- preparing, processing, interpreting and presenting data, using appropriate qualitative and quantitative techniques and packages.
- collecting and integrating several lines of evidence to formulate and test hypotheses;
- recognising the moral and ethical issues of investigations and appreciating the need for professional codes of conduct;
The module places moderate emphasis on:
- communicating appropriately to a variety of audiences in written, verbal and graphical form;
- using the Internet critically as a source of information and access point for online atmospheric models;
- identifying individual and collective goals and responsibilities and performing in a manner appropriate to these roles;
- Managing a series of tasks as a team and working within a prescribed timeframe;
- recognising and respecting the views and opinions of other team members.
The module places some emphasis on:;
- receiving and responding to a variety of information sources (eg textual numerical, verbal, graphical);
- solving numerical problems using computer and non-computer based techniques;
- recognising and using subject-specific theories, paradigms, concepts and principles;
- developing an adaptable and flexible approach to study and work.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practicals | 5 | 2 | 10 |
| Fieldwork | 4 | 4 | 16 |
| Lecture | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Private study hours | 71 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 29 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 100 | ||
30 hours of self-directed study, background reading and writing an individual essay.
Formative feedback is provided:
During all of the field course exercises, learning both issues and measurement techniques in the field in small groups.
During the field course assessment and resulting from the final oral presentation that the groups of students give.
Formative exercise for bringing to class. Formative feedback is given individually by both peers and ethics experts during and after the workshop in Week 5. Feedback is both generic and specific to individual as well as delivered orally and as written comment on the pre-prepared text.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Group work/oral assessment | 0 |
| Coursework | Coursework | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
For students unable to participate in, or complete, fieldwork, a zero-weighted alternative desk-based study is available for those with proven mitigating circumstances that meets the same learning outcomes and skills objectives.
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team