Module manager: Ryan R. Neely III
Email: R.Neely@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
| SOEE3791 | Observing weather and climate: advanced field skills |
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Through this module, learners will become expert in advanced practical environmental field skills for use in research and industry. Students will be supported to design, build and install field instrumentation; generating, analysing and communicating primary data in the context of published findings. The module includes a residential field course and further hands-on practical work upon returning to Leeds, to test scientific hypotheses and draw original conclusions from the results. No pre-requisite knowledge is required. Please note: this module has limited places available and students for whom it is compulsory will be allocated places as a priority over those for whom it is an option. Optional places are awarded on a first-come first-served basis, so please sign up early to avoid disappointment. Registration for optional module students will be confirmed in induction week.
This module takes learners through the complete process of designing and executing a field campaign to ‘observe’ or ‘measure’ the environment; from desk to field and back to desk. Students will work in teams to generate and process physical data using a wide variety of expert research techniques in environmental, atmospheric, ecological and climate sciences, at a theoretical level and through practice in the field. They will select and build their own instrumentation, including establishing live data feeds, and they will analyse the results using a variety of computer-based and analogue methods. Students will interpret their data to draw conclusions concerning the natural structure of the atmosphere, local/regional meteorological and climatological features, and ecological diversity; integrating their results with state-of-the-art knowledge from published literature. The field and independent project work will be supported by world leading research staff from the University of Leeds and National Centre for Atmospheric Sciences. Learning will culminate in two capstone research projects (one during the residential field course, and one following the instrument-building workshops in Leeds).
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Design and execute an appropriate observation campaign with bespoke instrumentation to measure environmental variables
2. Evaluate implicit error/uncertainty within those measurements
3. Draw robust conclusions from primary data
4. Independently research, synthesise and critically analyse existing literature
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
1. Planning and conducting appropriate field investigations, including acquiring or building and installing appropriate observational instrumentation [Enterprise Skills in vision and purpose, planning and mobilising resources, working and communicating with others; Work Ready Skills in personal management, time management, planning and organising, collaboration; Technical Skills]
2. Collecting, recording and analysing data using appropriate research- and industry-standard techniques [Technical Skills in data generation, processing and analysis; Digital Skills in digital creation, problem-solving and innovation; and digital communication, collaboration and participation; Academic Skills in critical thinking];
3. Identifying issues for sample selection and data accuracy/precision, and applying methods that minimise uncertainty/error [Sustainability Skills in anticipatory and future thinking; Technical Skills in data generation, processing and analysis; Academic and Sustainability Skills in critical thinking];
4. Integrating of primary data results with secondary information; synthesis and critical evaluation of their combined knowledge to formulate and test hypotheses, reaching robust conclusions [Academic, Sustainability and Enterprise Skills in information searching; Academic Skills in critical thinking, referencing and academic integrity; Digital Skills in information, data and media literacies];
5. Effective communication of research findings [Digital Skills in digital proficiency and productivity; Sustainability and Work-ready skills in effective communication; Academic skills in Presentation, academic writing and language
6. Reflecting on and evaluating performance in independent and collaborative (i.e. team) work [Work Ready Skills in Reflection; Work Ready and Sustainability Skills in Collaboration; Enterprise Skills in Self-Awareness, Adaptability and Resilience]
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Supervision | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Fieldwork | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Fieldwork | 4 | 4 | 16 |
| Lecture | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Lecture | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Practical | 3 | 4 | 12 |
| Seminar | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Private study hours | 110 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 40 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 150 | ||
There are many opportunities for learners to receive formative feedback, primarily through the time spent with instructors.
During the residential field course, learners will undertake online research, critical thinking and data analysis activities within their teams, where learners will visualise and interpret their data to answer questions on the science topics in the syllabus; presenting their results graphically in answers to specific challenges and as oral presentations. Field instructors, including activity leaders and support staff, will be on-hand throughout to actively mentor learners through their research and learning, check their understanding from their answers to the set questions, and feedback on their practical techniques and analytical work. The residential field course will culminate in learners undertaking a capstone research project under the guidance of the instructors, with the results to be presented orally and graphically on the final day of the field course. Instructors and peers will ask questions of the presenters and will issue summary feedback (orally) on performance.
In Leeds, a discursive seminar will give learners the opportunity to express ideas and quiz the instructors, while the instructors will also feedback their assessment of what is expressed in a two-way dialogue. During the Practical workshops, local Field Course and follow-up Supervisions, instructors will guide learners through the practical steps, providing immediate feedback on technique so that learners develop their skills and can improve. In these sessions, learners will be quizzed informally through discussion on their understanding of the taught material in order to provide useful, immediate feedback for their reports and structured guidance for how to move forward with their projects and improve existing work. In these sessions and during the local 1-day field course, instructors will provide the opportunity for learners to discuss their research plans for the independent research project, receive guidance/feedback on their ideas for what/how to present their final results and practical troubleshooting/problem-solving for technical challenges. Instructors will use digital platforms to check in with students throughout the learning journey.
| 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: 29/04/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team