ENVS10002: Reshaping Environments

The handbook says theres one assessment worth 70%. This is sort of true, but in reality it’s made up of 3 semi-related assessments.

The first is a 1500 word essay basically about how we can move towards sustainability from a theoretical perspective. Use references from the textbook and the subject reader, along with being able to create your own definition of sustainability in order to do well in this essay.

OH MY FUCKING GOD

This could’ve been an amazing assessment… if the word limit wasn’t so tiny! In 1300 words you basically have to come up with an intervention (economic/political/social/technological/etc.) that helps a community work towards - you guessed it - sustainability.

Group project. It was basically looking at how our actions, in comparison with the rest of Australia and also China, impact the environment.

This was the first time this assessment was set, and as a result of this it was an organisational disaster. There was a severe miscommunication between the lecturer/subject coordinator, tutors, and the subject reader/LMS. The biggest problem was that there was just no direction of what to do, when to do it, etc. I understand that we’re in uni now and we can’t have our hands held, but even the tutors agreed this was a badly organised joke.

For the sake of all future Envs students, I hope they do fix this assessment.

This is going to just be a short review because there isn’t a great deal to write about this subject.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN RESHAPING ENVIRONMENTS: Understand the difference between “Sustainability” and “Sustainable Development”. Get that down and you’re flying.

Reshaping Environments is a good first year uni subject as it ‘introduces’ you to critical thinking, data analysis, APA ( ) referencing, and quantitative/qualitative research methods. The weekly readings (aside from 2 or 3) were straightforward and interesting so doing the assignments wasn’t a huge task when it came to referencing.
My biggest problem with the subject, and the reason I stopped going after 4 weeks, is that the lectures were an absolute

Yes, slides usually uploaded the day before

Helena Bender + various guest lecturers

There is a 10% tutorial participation mark but as I mentioned earlier, participating is easy and pretty fun too. I think there might be a 9/12 tute hurdle as well but don’t quote me on that.

There are 3 opportunities for bonus marks (worth 1 each)

1. Present a draft ‘tweet’ that demonstrates you can use the APA 6th referencing system
2. Visit the Ian Potter Gallery during their exhibition on Australian development (I’m guessing this will change next semester)
3. Show a draft of the group project in week 7

The assessments are marked extremely hard and getting a high mark for the 2nd and 3rd assessments will be difficult unless you pander to the agenda of the marker...
All in all this could have been a great subject if a few kinks got sorted out. Hopefully they’ll address these issues (this year was apparently a big improvement from 2013) and then it will be a decent subject.

No exam in this subject. Past assignment responses available on the LMS

2 Out of 5

This is a simple ~500-1000 word entry on the LMS wiki each week. Just recap how the lecture, reading, and tutorial all synthesis to create a big orgy of environmental goodness.

You get marked 3 times throughout the semester, first is worth 25% second 25% third 50%. The best way I found to do it is by posing a question to begin with, then answering it by reflecting on the week.

Bender, Helena (ed.) (2012) Reshaping environments: an interdisciplinary approach to sustainability in a complex world, Cambridge University Press, Melbourne + Subject reader

1 x 2 hour lecture
1 x 2 hour tutorial

2014, Semester One