DISCIPLINE
Physical Geography

DURATION
The exercise takes place over 4 weeks in a 13 week unit. The exercise normally takes place at the beginning of the subject, although this is not an essential feature.

ICT USED
WebCT environment with access to a graphic interface and the WebCT online discussion tool.

DELIVERY CONTEXT
Current delivery is a mixture of face-to-face, independent online research, online interaction, and independent library research.

Each of the following elements is required in the current learning design delivery:

• Face-to-face contact is required for negotiation and conflict resolution, plus effective “de-roling” and debriefing.
• Online and library research are both required to acquire both specific and contextual information for the exercise.
• Online asynchronous interaction is required for exchange of positions, questioning and general discussion.

TARGET AUDIENCE
This learning design has been designed for third year undergraduate students. The unit/subject in which the learning design is implemented (Module 1 Water Resources) is part of a compulsory 300 level unit for students in the Resource and Environmental Management programme. Students have fairly diverse backgrounds, given the flexible nature of the degree structure at Macquarie University. This is helpful in an exercise that deals with multiple perspectives.

COHORT
The learning design is implemented with one student allocated to one role and one teacher/tutor assigned to one student group. The role-play was originally designed to accommodate up to 20 students. This reflects the actual number of stakeholders involved in the case upon which this particular activity is based. In other situations, more or less stakeholders may be appropriate The key is to reproduce the range of interests and dynamics of the "real" situations. However, to ensure the learning outcomes can be achieved, we would recommend a minimum of 8 students for the activity

BROADER CONTEXT
The learning design forms one of three units in a final-year course in resource and environmental management. Each unit examines a particular strand of REM, such as water management, soil conservation, and atmospheric science. Students are drawn from a range of backgrounds, but many are completing the REM coherency of a degree in Science / Environmental Science.

The learning design is seen as an integrative exercise on the theme of stakeholder-based participatory approaches to resource and environmental management. The design is outcome-driven and requires students to draw on a range of prior learning in the undergraduate degree. The focus is on avoiding "doom and gloom" scenarios and providing a real sense of what can be achieved in environmental management through the use of a constructive exercise.

Round-table scenarios are also used in the other "core" units in the REM programme, GEOS 265 and GEOS 310. This unit will typically be in the last semester of many students'degrees, so it represents a culmination of their learning along the way.

Context: Discipline-specific outcomes

• Demonstrate how principles from Physical Geography are applied in real world environmental practice and decision-making.
• Demonstrate the relevance and use of scientific principles in water resources management.
• Merge scientific perspectives with social-science perspectives in an environmental management context, demonstrating the limitations of discipline-bound attitudes and thinking.
• Students question conventional positions, values and perspectives on water management issues.
• Students integrate and synthesise a range of information needs for water management, balancing their use of divergent forms of information (books, journal articles, media, www resources, 'grey literature', and local knowledge).

Process objectives

• Active participation in a simulated 'real world' process of environmental negotiation, working towards a consensus-based output/verdict.
• Students learn to appreciate the complexity and uncertainty of environmental decision-making processes.
• Students appreciate the importance of a participatory approach to resource and environmental management.
• Students apply conflict resolution techniques in environmental decision-making.
• Students recognise importance of moves towards consensus over compromise / majority decision-making.

In terms of core priorities, these could be summarised as:

1. use of scientific principles in water resources management.
2. demonstrating relevance of what is taught through reconstructing experiential real-world practice.
3. learning skills to participate in negotiation processes that work towards consensus-based outcomes.

IMPLEMENTATION OF ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES
Students are assessed in two parts:

1. A mark of 20% of this unit (5% of the course) is awarded for round-table exercise itself, based on position paper and questions to other stakeholders. The assessment is conducted by the instructor, based on criteria and instructions set out in the general briefing and tutorial material provided on WebCT.
2. A mark of 80% of this unit (15% of the course) is awarded for an essay based on round-table scenario which is expected to integrate lectures, reading, and the round table exercise itself. This essay is marked by the tutor who coordinates the round-table exercise. A number of criteria are set out on WebCT in relation to the essay.

The exam question for this module is also closely linked to the exercise, asking students to address one of the primary themes of contemporary approaches to water resources management that emerges through the module. Example themes include notions of environmental justice, participatory approaches to natural resources management, impacts of the water reform on the rural sector in Australia, use of science in environmental decision-making, etc. A total of 1/3 of the marks for this unit is based on the learning design.

IMPORTANCE OF ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES USED
The assessment strategies are integrated into the role-play process. The first assessment, which requires the preparation of a succinct position statement, is one of the mechanisms for preparing students for the actual role-play. To complete the task students must conduct research using published literature and other resources.

Preparation of a position paper reflects the real-world task of a stakeholder, although such a position may or may not be formally presented depending on the decision-making process. Reviewing and questioning other positions is again a real life activity as well as familiarising students with the wide range and complexity of interests involved in the task.

The second assessable item, the essay, is completed after the role-play action. It provides students with an opportunity to reflect on the module content and the set questions encourage them to integrate and synthesise their learning. The essay reflects the resources provided in asking students to apply general material in a critical manner to the particular case.

The final assessable item is a question in the exam. Related reading, participation in the role-play and the essay question help to prepare students for the exam question for this module. This enables/requires students to research these themes as part of the water resources module, helping them target their efforts to the selected themes for that year.

WHY ICT IS USED
In essence, use of ICT facilitated a process where large amounts of information conveyed from a wide range of perspectives could be presented and synthesised in an efficient and practical format. As each student represents a different stakeholder perspective on a specific problem, the students are readily able to appraise the diversity of opinions from a consistent information base, recognising that they need to add further resources to substantiate their own perspective.

The development of this exercise reflects a very practical side to the use of ICT as well. The course is taught to a large number of students for a 300-level course - never less than 60 in the last 5 years. Use of ICT enabled flexibility in presentation of a range of ideas, and promoted discussion of these themes prior to repeating the round table exercise in a face-to-face manner. The premise here is that a more informed debate is housed in the classroom environment.

HOW ICT USE HELPS
Efficiency of delivery of information and flexibility in uptake of ideas and promotion of discussions have proven to be major assets. Once the template for the exercise is set, the mechanics of teaching the module have been relatively straightforward.

Ultimately, this exercise has allowed a range of ideas to be conveyed and managed, broadening students' horizons on the issue under discussion.

Once established, the www-based round-table exercise provides an excellent, meaningful alternative to face-to-face teaching. Although little used by external students to date, because of the nature of enrolment for the course, there is no reason why this module could not be almost entirely externally taught in the format as it stands (i.e. only the final face-to-face round-table exercise would be compromised). The flexibility afforded in the delivery of this module has enabled us to allow additional external students to take the course - something which proved very difficult to accommodate in conventional modules that did not make effective use of WWW-based delivery.

MOST IMPORTANT ICT CONTRIBUTION TO LEARNING DESIGN
Flexibility and spontaneity of discussion have been very powerful tools in promoting debate on key issues. Ready access to a range of opinions on the same topic has broadened perspectives and made students aware of a real world context in environmental decision-making. I do not feel that equivalent awareness of breadth of perspectives could be achieved over the same very short time period using conventional teaching tools.