SLE151 - Biodiversity: a Global Perspective

Unit details

Year:

2024 unit information

Enrolment modes:Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne)
Credit point(s):1
EFTSL value:0.125
Previously coded as:

SQB143, SQB151

Unit Chair:Trimester 1: Nicholas Porch
Prerequisite:

Nil

Corequisite:

SLE010

Incompatible with: Nil
Typical study commitment:

Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit.

This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site.

Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment:

1 x 2-hour lecture per week (weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11), 2 x 3 hour practical experience (laboratory), 2 x 3 hour practical experience (workshop), 1 x 3 hour practical experience (fieldtrip) per trimester (weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10).

Content

This unit is about the nature and significance of biodiversity. It includes study of extinction; speciation; threatened species; conservation strategies; plant and animal diversity; threatening processes; human cultural attitudes to wildlife exploitation and conservation; genetic diversity and molecular techniques in biodiversity conservation.

ULO These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes
ULO1 Recognize the variety and extent of biodiversity and show how such diversity is important to the functioning of ecosystems and the survival of humans.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities
GLO2: Communication
GLO3: Digital literacy
GLO4: Critical thinking
GLO6: Self-management

ULO2

Recognize and demonstrate how ecological knowledge can be used to make decisions about the conservation and management of biodiversity.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities
GLO2: Communication
GLO3: Digital literacy
GLO4: Critical thinking
GLO6: Self-management

ULO3

Demonstrate a knowledge of how and under what circumstances to apply different tools to survey and manage biodiversity.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities
GLO3: Digital literacy
GLO4: Critical thinking

ULO4

Compare differing attitudes to biodiversity and examine the impacts these have on conservation strategies.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities
GLO3: Digital literacy
GLO4: Critical thinking

Assessment

Assessment Description Student output Grading and weighting
(% total mark for unit)
Indicative due week

Assessment 1
Plant diversity report

1000 word written report 10% Week 4

Assessment 2
Scientific report

1000 word written report 15% Week 7

Assessment 3
Oral presentation

6-minute in-class oral presentation  10% Week 8 

Assessment 4
Conversation article on a biodiversity issue: communicating scientific research

1000 word written essay 25% Week 11
End-of-Unit Assessment Timed online test 40% End-of-Unit Assessment Period

The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.

Learning Resource

The texts and reading list for the unit can be found on the University Library via the link below: SLE151 Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.

Unit Fee Information

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