Climate Action field course: causes, consequences and solutions to the climate challenge

ECTS Credits

5 ECTS

Level of Study

Master's/PhD

Teaching semester

Fieldcourse runs whenever funding is availble. The course is not scheduled for the time being. More info to come.

Place of Instruction

Webinars starting early in fall semester, culminating with field and project work on board Statsraad Lehmkuhl sailing from Curacao, via Kingston to Havana 8th - 28th of November, 2021. Students must arrive by the 7th of November in Curacao and are expected to spend 1-2 days in Havana following the field cruise. Accommodation for these days is included.

Information on new teaching will be given whenever new funding is available.

Objectives and Content

In 2015 the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with 17 interconnected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) addressing the global challenges of poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, prosperity, peace, and justice.

The course aims at recruiting a highly interdisciplinary student group to facilitate individual differences of opinions and actions, cultural and social backgrounds and learning negotiating across these differences.

In 2021 the course will take place onboard Statsraad Lehmkuhl in the Carribean as part of the One Ocean Expedition (see more https://oneoceanexpedition.com/route/). Living and studying onboard will facilitate active and experimential learning. Working in teams will highlight the importance of cooperation whether sailing a tall ship or contributing towards a sustainable future. Inclusion and interaction with local students from Caribbean universities will secure exchange of knowledge and first-hand experience with discussion of the consequences and solutions to climate change.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge

Upon completion of the course, a student should be able to:

• Explain oceanographic and mereological concepts, relating to global wind systems and ocean currents, and how they impact marine transportation.
• Describe climate threats particular to the tropics, such as storm surge, hurricanes and extreme precipitation.
• Describe the basic structure and function of local and regional marine ecosystems and reflect on the differences between natural variation and human-induced changes including climate change.
• Recognize the human impacts on the climate system and assess the risks to local ecosystems and societies.
• Describe how ocean pollution spreads as a function of wind, waves and currents.
• Engage with the sustainability challenges in Agenda 2030, while acknowledging the role of individual and collective actions.

Skills

Upon completion of the course, a student should be able to:

• Perform basic meteorological and oceanographic field measurements.
• Retrieve and calibrate key climate data documenting ocean climate variability.
• Assess the impact of human activities on climate change with examples from the tropics.
• Design a study using qualitative and quantitative research methods and present the results to a general audience.
• Evaluate sustainability solutions and their impacts.
• Evaluate climate adaptation measures.

General competences

Upon completion of the course, a student should be able to:

• Analyze current scientific knowledge and identify research needs.
• Accommodate individual differences of opinions and actions, cultural and social backgrounds and negotiate across interdisciplinary differences.
• Collaborate with scholars across disciplinary boundaries and give insight into underlying assumptions of their scientific disciplinary backgrounds.
• Identify differences between scientific knowledge, values and opinions, and critically evaluate different types of arguments in societally relevant debates.
• Provide constructive feedback and conduct peer-reviews verbally and in written form.
• Compose and use scientifically valid arguments in societally relevant debates.
• Analyze uncertainty and its role in science and decision-making.
• Evaluate current political processes and ways to influence these at an individual, community and regional level.

Recommended Previous Knowledge

SDG213 or similar course on Climate Action and sustainable development

Access to the Course

The course is available for all students at UiB as well as members of CHESS and ADCD partner universities. However, grants to cover participation costs are currently limited to students from CHESS and ACDC partners.

Teaching and learning methods

In 2021 SDG313 takes place on board sailing vessel Statsraad Lehmkuhl during the One Ocean Expedition. All students will be sailing trainees and will be enrolled in the daily routines of the crew and are expected to play an active role on board. The students will be on duty 2 x 4 hours per day, also during the night under supervision of the crew (in addition to time spent on the course activities). When on duty, the tasks include e.g. trimming sails, manning the helm, look out, fire watch.

This course is based on active learning methods, where the students play a key role in their learning. Students will work in groups, with individual and group assignments.

5ECTS corresponds to 133.5 study hours including all study related work, but excluding compulsory duty time on board (2 x 4 hours).

Compulsory Assignments and Attendance

Compulsory attendance during the whole course.

Approved compulsory assignments.

Forms of Assessment

Portfolio assessment, consisting of:

• group projects and presentations
• preparing for and participating in discussion groups
• outreach (including presentations of group projects to local communities)
• individual project reports following the field cruise
• peer reviews of "fellow students" project reports

Grading Scale

Pass/fail.

Assessment Semester

Fall.

Course Evaluation

Students will evaluate the course in accordance with the quality assurance system at UiB and the Department.

Course Coordinator

Professor Kerim Hestnes Nisancioglu