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Assessed Seminars: Sustaining the Historic Environment - Issues in Conservation - ARC00045H

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  • Department: Archaeology
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Louise Cooke
  • Credit value: 40 credits
  • Credit level: H
  • Academic year of delivery: 2019-20

Module summary

Sustaining the Historic Environment will introduce students to current scenarios for climate change, and the significant policy and political issues around planning for sustainability in a national and international context. Impacts on the historic environment include both the direct effects of changing environmental conditions attributed to global warming, and also the indirect effects of anthropogenic change to accommodate perceived risks and mitigation action, such as management of the carbon economy. These raise conflicting issues for the protection of the historic aspects of the environment, for heritage management and for the concept of sustainable development in particular contexts.

We will look at environmental and social action to manage climate change impacts sustainably, and consequences - intended and unintended - both for heritage assets and the communities who value them. Case studies provide material for exploring the issues raised for conservation of landscapes, archaeological sites and historic buildings. Challenges include a rapidly-changing policy position, increase in scientific understanding and scenario-building, perceptions of risk and benefit, and the influencing of social and individual behaviours. Has archaeology as a discipline anything to offer to the sustainability agenda, and how could it make a contribution more effectively to sustainability and the way people think about these issues

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching cycle
A Spring Term 2019-20 to Summer Term 2019-20

Module aims

  • To introduce the key debates and issues around planning for climate change and its direct and indirect impacts on the historic environment
  • To raise awareness of the intersection of policy and practice for sustainability on the conservation of the heritage assets and their contexts
  • To engage critically with contested areas of thinking and environmental action in relation to the long term protection of the historic environment and public engagement with its conservation.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

  • demonstrate that they are familiar with the literature and information sources for the direct and indirect effects of climate change for the historic environment and sustainability, including contested areas of policy and practice
  • exhibit a firm understanding of the theoretical, methodological and ethical issues related to conservation of heritage assets and their contexts, in relation to climate change impacts and concepts of sustainability
  • show familiarity with a range of case studies
  • demonstrate in depth knowledge of a topic of their choosing
  • pick out the key issues in their chosen topic
  • prepare a worksheet which sets out key reading and issues for presentation, debate and discussion, and support the group in the preparation of the seminar
  • chair a seminar, engage interest in the topic, stimulate debate and structure discussion
  • have a critical awareness of the process of collective debate on a specific topic
  • be able to judge the general 'success' of the seminar, and to be able to reflect on this, through a written summary of a seminar
  • present PowerPoint presentations on other subjects within the general theme and contribute informed ideas and information to the other seminars

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Critique		 N/A 20
Essay/coursework
Seminar Worksheet		 N/A 27
Oral presentation/seminar/exam
Presentation 1		 N/A 26.5
Oral presentation/seminar/exam
Presentation 2		 N/A 26.5

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

 

 

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Critique		 N/A 20
Essay/coursework
Seminar Worksheet		 N/A 27
Oral presentation/seminar/exam
Presentation 1		 N/A 26.5
Oral presentation/seminar/exam
Presentation 2		 N/A 26.5

Module feedback

Processes for written and verbal feedback are detailed on our deadlines pages:

Formative assessment.

Summative assessment.

 

Indicative reading

Reading is accessible via the module web pages or VLE.

 


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.