MTMCCC: Climate Change: Causes and Consequences

Module code: MTMCCC

Module provider: Meteorology; School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Professor Nigel Arnell, email: n.w.arnell@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module examines the causes and consequences of climate change, and ways of addressing climate risks through mitigation and adaptation. 

The broad aim of the module is to provide students with the latest information on climate change and its consequences to allow them to understand both how and why climate is changing, and understand the challenges in developing local, national and international responses to climate change. 

The module will enable students to understand and actively contribute to one of the key defining challenges of the 21st century.  

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the physical and socio-economic mechanisms and processes causing climate change and its consequences 
2. Demonstrate an understanding of how future climate change and risks are made, and the factors affecting these projections 
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the range of approaches to dealing with climate change, and the challenges to their implementation 
4. Demonstrate an ability to critically evaluate evidence and proposals for addressing climate change. 

This understanding will be at a sufficient level to allow students to actively participate in debates and discussions around climate change and responses to it. 

Module content

• Introduction and overview (framing and context) (6%)
• Climate science: understanding climate change (40%)
• Impacts and risks (14%)
• ²Ñ¾±³Ù¾±²µ²¹³Ù¾±´Ç²ÔÌý(14%)
• Adaptation and resilience (14%)
• Governance, justice and ethics (6%)
• Overview and recapitulation (synthesis) (6%)

(Indicative % of contact term shown)

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module consists of 35 hours in-person teaching, supplemented by around 8 hours of online material. The in-person teaching consists of traditional lectures and sessions for group discussions and debate, as well as 5 seminars (approximately 75% lectures and seminars, 25% class discussions). The supplementary online material consists of recorded videos/slideshows describing specific technical or practical issues. 

Study hours

At least 35 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Online multiple choice quizes 

Reassessment

Additional costs