Faculty of Science (FoS)

ENV2302 - Communications for Environmental Studies

Assessment	Continual Assessment 100%
Units	Four
Workload	0-3-0-4-3
Prerequisite(s)	Nil
Preclusion(s)	ENV1202
This course is designed for undergraduate students pursuing the Bachelor of Environmental Studies degree with the aim of helping them to develop critical thinking, reading, writing and speaking skills relevant for communication with academia and with the public. The curriculum deals with three main interrelated areas: Communication with the public - raising public awareness of environmental issues through science-based advocacy Communication with academia - developing skills in academic writing Argumentation within environmental studies - examining environmental issues using the Precautionary Principle. This course is taught over 1 semester via a blended approach with a three-hour sectional session per week. Learn More

ES1000 - Foundation Academic English

Assessment	ES1000 is a 100% Continuous Assessment course.
Units	Nil
Workload	2-2-0-2-2
Prerequisite(s)	Placement through the Qualifying English Test.
Preclusion(s)	Nil
This is a required course for students whose Qualifying English Test results show that they would benefit from basic English language skills support. Students in the course must pass this course before they are allowed to read the next required English course, English for Academic Purposes (ES1102/ES1103). The purpose of ES1000 is to improve the students' English language skills in reading, writing and grammar. These skills are taught, reviewed and reinforced through online, in-class and appropriate out-of-class activities. Assignments include reflections, written assignments and progress tests. This course is taught over 1 semester with a two-hour online lecture/discussion/quiz and a two-hour sectional teaching per week. Learn More

ES1103 - English for Academic Purposes

Assessment	ES1103 is a 100% Continuous Assessment course.
Units	Four
Workload	0-4-0-3-3
Prerequisite(s)	1. Placement through the Qualifying English Test or a pass in ES1000. 2. Only students who matriculated in AY2016/17 and onwards can take ES1103
Preclusion(s)	ES1102
ES1103 serves as a bridging course for students who have taken the university's Qualifying English Test and are deemed to require additional language support for the academic context. It aims to equip students with the knowledge of the academic genre and the ability to apply such knowledge in academic communication. The course adopts a reading-into-writing approach using themed readings as springboard texts for students' writing and provides opportunities for analysing and internalising ways of organising academic texts. Students will acquire essential academic skills required to cope with the rigour of academic writing at a tertiary level. Learn More

SP1541 - Communication Practices in Popular Science

Assessment	SP1541 is a 100% Continuous Assessment course.
Units	Four
Workload	0-3-0-3-4
Prerequisite(s)	Students who are required to read ES1000 Foundation Academic English and/or ES1103 English for Academic Purposes must pass those courses before they are allowed to read this course.
Preclusion(s)	Non-CHS students Students who have read and passed FAS1101, ES2531, ES2631, ES2660, UTW1001% and RVX100% Students in SPS (Special Program in Science) who have read and passed SP2271 are precluded from SP1541 and SP1541X Students who have read and passed SP1541X U-town students cannot select SP1541 RVRC students cannot select SP1541
SP1541 aims to enable students to communicate science to the non-specialist audience in a comprehensible and engaging manner through science popularised discourses. Students are introduced to four models of science communication which shed light on the evolving assumptions made about the roles of and interactions between scientists, policymakers, and the public in society. Drawing upon these models, students critically analyse and evaluate how communication strategies are employed in both written and spoken sources, and apply them. The cornerstone of the course is students demonstrating a deepened appreciation of the audience’s level(s) of knowledge through engagement opportunities with the public. Learn More

SP1541X - Communication Practices in Popular Science

Assessment	SP1541X is a 100% Continuous Assessment course.
Units	Four
Workload	0-3-0-3-4
Prerequisite(s)	Students who are required to read ES1000 Foundation Academic English and/or ES1103 English for Academic Purposes must pass those courses before they are allowed to read this course.
Preclusion(s)	Non-CHS students Students who have read and passed FAS1101, ES2531, ES2631, ES2660, UTW1001% and RVX100% Students in SPS (Special Program in Science) who have read and passed SP2271 are precluded from SP1541 and SP1541X Students who have read and passed SP1541 U-town students cannot select SP1541X RVRC students cannot select SP1541X
SP1541X aims to enable students to communicate science to the non-specialist audience in a comprehensible and engaging manner through science popularised discourses. Students are introduced to four science communication models which shed light on the evolving assumptions made about the roles of and interactions between scientists, policymakers, and the public. Drawing upon these models, students critically analyse and evaluate how communication strategies are employed in written and spoken sources and apply them through public engagement opportunities during a field trip in a Southeast Asian country, where they interact with the local community and learn about their cultures and local practices. Learn More

SP2271 - Introduction to the Scientific Literature

This course is designed to build essential skills for effective scientific reading and writing. At the end of the course, students should be able to critically read selected scientific papers and discuss their findings accurately, coherently, and concisely.

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