HAZM403-12S2 (C) Semester Two 2012

Hazard and Disaster Investigation

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 9 July 2012
End Date: Sunday, 11 November 2012
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 22 July 2012
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 7 October 2012

Description

Investigation, solution and reporting of hazard and disaster management situations.

Supervised group projects that provide opportunities for students to become involved with real-life hazard management situations; obtain information; analyse problems and synthesise solutions; integrate scientific, societal, legal, institutional, environmental and political considerations; and consult and communicate outcomes. Hazard assessment, vulnerability assessment, disaster management planning and recovery from disaster. Seminars on aspects of hazard and disaster management.

Course Content
The course utilises knowledge gained from completing HAZM401 on the nature of hazards and disasters. The investigation, synthesis and reporting in HAZM403 require application of the material in HAZM401 to real-life situations, and further require the student to seek, acquire, assimilate and use additional material from a variety of sources. Students are required to complete the projects both as individuals and also as groups, to gain experience of the benefits and difficulties of working in a team situation.

Learning Outcomes

  • Students successfully completing this course will:
  • Be experienced and confident in carrying out hazard and vulnerability assessments
  • Know how to communicate with both experts and lay persons in hazard and disaster situations
  • Know how to approach novel problems of hazard and disaster management
  • Know how to assess information needs, and access and assess information from a range of sources world-wide
  • Have experience in reporting hazard and disaster management situations and solutions

Prerequisites

Subject to approval of the Programme Director, Department of Geological Sciences

Course Coordinator

For further information see Geological Sciences Head of Department

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Literature review/research methods 20% Literature review/research methods
Presentation 20% Presentation to class on research topic
Peer review 10% Peer review of major assignment
Assignment 40% Major assignment
Participation 10% Participation

Textbooks / Resources

To be announced (depending on research topic).

Notes

Staff will be available for appropriate advice and mentoring throughout the course; however the major benefit from the course is that students learn how to learn, by discovering that they have the ability to think through a novel situation and devise ways of solving problems on which they have not been instructed.

July – course introduction and formulation of research plan
August – collection of data and submission of individual reports
September – collection of data and writing of group report
October – Presentation of personal research for group report and submission of group report

Lecture 1: Introduction to the course and discussion of possible topics
Lecture 2: Research Methods (Tim/Tom & other - depending on project...) and selection of research topic
Lecture 3: Finalised research plan and identification of relevant methodologies to be used
Lectures 4-10: Informal progress meetings (briefing of course supervisors and wider group).  Further lectures and discussions to be delivered out as necessary
Second-to-last Lecture: Presentation of individual research components

Potential project sites (and hazards):
New Zealand development sites (all hazards)

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $873.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Geological Sciences .

All HAZM403 Occurrences

  • HAZM403-12S2 (C) Semester Two 2012
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