This syllabus is "dynamic", it will change throughout the term. Though the basic structure of the course (e.g., weighting of evaluation components) will not change, topics and readings may need adjusting along the way. Please return to this section for important updates.

3 lecture hours, half course, Fall term

News

Dec 22/08
Grades no longer posted here - The powers that be have removed the grades-by-student-number page ("Grades" link on the left menu) as this technically does not meet freedom of information guidlines.  You will have to wait for your final grades to be posted on the main university system.

Dec 3/08
Grades - The pre-exam grades are posted (see menu).  Please double check that your grades have been recorded accurately, particularly if you have asked Steve or I to correct addtion and Turnitin issues.

Nov 24/08
Assignment 2 - A reminder than everyone has to submit their paper to Turnitin.com.  You will lose a mark if you do not. 

Nov 4/08
Assignment 2 - list of potential hazards/disasters provided in assignment 2 instructions.
Assignment 1 - Want your Turnitin mark?  If you lost a mark for not submitting to Turnitin, if you do so you will get the mark back (see class id and pass next).  Notify Steve or myself by email if you do and we will check it and change your grade.

Oct 14/08
Turnitin login information posted - class id = 2462026; pass = hazards.

Sept 2/08
Syllabus updated for FALL 2008 and first lecture - the syllabus is ready for use for Fall 2008. For the first class, I will go over the syllabus and clarify the goals of the course so you can decide if the course is right for you. Even if you are not registered for the course (yet) feel free to attend!

Description
Calendar Description
A survey of the methods and models used to understand human responses to hazards. The course reviews the rich tradition of hazards research in geography, particularly through the lens of social science. While the course focuses on concepts and models for understanding human influences on and responses to hazards, the course will include discussions of both "natural hazards" (e.g., floods, fires, earthquakes) and "technological hazards" (e.g., nuclear technology, genetically modified organisms, terrorism, war) as examples.

Format
This course consists entirely of lectures - no labs. Some of the class time will be devoted to tutorial-style discussion. That is, there will be group break-out (3 or 4 per goup) discussions. Thus, students are responsible for completing the reading for each class prior to lecture.

Contact Information

Timetable

Evaluation

(midterm format below may change, watch for updates)

Weight: 20%
Duration: 1.5 hours
Date:
Location: in class
Format: mixed, all answers on exam paper - marked out of 85

Multiple choice and true/false - 20
- 1 mark ea. (20 marks)
- MC usually 1 of 5 choices (a - e)
- NOT scantron, circle on exam paper
- no "correction factor" (i.e., NO subtraction of incorrect answers from correct answers)

Instructions
Multiple Choice/True-False: Circle the letter next to the best, single answer for each question. (20 @ 1 ea. = 20 marks).
Sample question
Most people, in their decision making regarding hazard adjustment and preparedness, will decide in favour of protecting against losses. That is, as per Kahneman and Tversky’s S shaped graph of gains and losses, losses are more strongly felt (than proportional gains). This helps explain why people sometimes do not make choices which maximize utility.
a. True
b. False

Definitions - 25
- 5 marks ea. (25 marks)
- choice - you will choose 5 from at least 6
- identify what the thing is, why it is important, how it relates to other things in hazard and risk research and provide an example(s)
- I have been told by students that I, "expect a lot in a definition". I agree.
- only those definitions that include an example will receive full marks
- space - use only the space provided - approximately 1/5 of a page

Instructions
Definitions: Define 5 only with at least one example, no point form (5@ 5 ea. = 25 marks) Use only the space provided. Write in sentences. Hint: Start by telling what the thing is.
Sample question
technological hazard

Short Answer - 40
- 10 marks ea. (40 marks)
- choice - you will choose 4 from at least 5
- address the question directly and include at least one example
- examples- only those short answers that include at least one example will receive full marks
- space - use only the space provided - approximately 1/3 of a page

Instructions
Short Answer: Answer 4 only with an example(s), no point form (4 @ 10 ea = 40 marks) Use only the space provided. Write in sentences.
Sample question
Distinguish the sociological, geographical and critical perspectives in hazards research.

Material Covered:
All lectures and readings up until the end of the class immediately prior to the midterm date. The focus will be on lectures, but the readings are generally worthwhile to fill in details and provide examples. Rarely are there questions on my midterms that are specific only to a reading. Generally speaking you do not have to know specifics like who said what in what year for the multiple choice, but it could not hurt to know some of the more important figures mentioned in class to round out your definitions and short answer. Provide an example for all definitions and short answers.

Final Exam

(exam format below may change, watch for updates)

Weight: 40%
Duration: 3 hours
Date:
Location:
Format: mixed, all answers on exam paper.
Multiple choice and true/false
- 1 mark ea. (20 marks)
- MC usually 1 of 5 choices (a - e)
- NOT scantron, circle on exam paper
- no "correction factor" (i.e., NO subtraction of incorrect answers from correct answers)

Definitions
- 5 marks ea. (20 marks)
- choice - you will choose 4 from at least 5
- identify what the thing is, why it is important, how it relates to other things in hazard and risk research and provide an example(s)
- I have been told by students that I, "expect a lot in a definition". I agree.
- only those definitions that include an example will receive full marks
- space - use only the space provided - approximately 1/5 of a page

Short Answer
- 10 marks ea. (30 marks)
- choice - you will choose 3 from at least 4
- address the question directly and include at least one example
- examples- only those short answers that include at least one example will receive full marks
space - use only the space provided - approximately 1/3 of a page

Essay
- 30 marks ea. (30 marks)
- choice - you will choose 1 from 2
- address the question directly and include examples
- space - use only the space provided - approximately 2 1/2 pages
- outline - though there are no marks explicitly awarded for this, sketch an outline on the extra sheet of paper provided (back of last page)

Material Covered:
All lectures and readings since the midterm date. You are also responsible for material you might use in an essay answer. That is, the essay question will be quite general and will allow you to draw on material from the entire course. The focus will be on lectures, but the readings typically overlap the lectures considerably. Generally speaking you do not have to know authors and dates for the multiple choice, but it could not hurt to know some of the more important details of concepts/theories/studies to round out your definitions, short answer and essay. 

Readings

A copy of each reading will be available either on-line (see schedule below) or in the Map Library (ground floor SSC). Please do NOT KEEP Map Library copies of readings from these folders - return after 2 hours max. This is an honour system that should save you a lot of money - even moreso than courseware. You DO have to make your own copies though - if desired - or simply borrow, read and return to the appropriate folder.

Two key books from which the readings come are as follows:
on reserve
Cutter, S. (Ed.)(1994) Environmental Risks and Hazards Upper Saddle River NJ: Prentice Hall.
on reserve
Smith, K. (2001) Environmental Hazards: Assessing Risk and Reducing Disaster (3rd Edition) New York: Routledge.

Lecture Schedule

And now some messages from our lawyers (same as on assignments page)...

plagiarism
“Scholastic offences are taken seriously and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site:
http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/scholoff.pdf.
For a full set of regulations please visit this website: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/exam/crsout.pdf"

Turnitin.com
"All required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to the commercial plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the detection of plagiarism. All papers submitted will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between The University of Western Ontario and Turnitin.com"