This is an Honours Pathway Course. It emphasises a sophisticated and critical analysis of environmental models and offered in association with Fenner School.
Focus of the course will be on critical assessment of models used in published papers and one or more models will be coded and analysed to document their performance, limitations and potential improvements. This will include:
- critical reviewing of papers
- analytical exploration of the models described in the papers
- coding models used in the papers and testing against actual or synthetic data
- developing potentially improved model structures
The assessment of the course will be based on written reports on selected papers, as well as a project exploring a particular paper/model in more detail. The key component of the project will be proposing potential improvements in the work done, and doing at least some initial work on evaluating these improvements. This will include components of:
- analytical evaluation of model behaviour
- coding the original and improved versions of the model and conducting sensitivity analysis
- exploration of structure of uncertainty in model inputs.
Note: This course will have shared lectures with MATH6102 but will have different tutorials and assessment which will emphasise a more sophisticated approach to the evaluation of the models.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Describe the basic processes and behaviours of different environmental systems and the major methods of modelling these (e.g. model family selection, model structure identification, parameter estimation, sensitivity assessment, optimisation)
- Appreciate the concept of tradeoffs and uncertainty sources in decision-making and optimisation through critical evaluation of case studies referring to hydrology, ecology, water quality and socioeconomics
- Evaluate the issues in building and evaluating models; formulate treatment of complex real-world problems (not just environmental problems); and select appropriate frameworks and methods to solve these, including using computer platforms and the statistical R package
- Communicate and engage with interest groups involved in a problem; and appreciate how integrated assessment can be used for managing our environment more sustainably, and the valuable role played by modelling
- Build a model of a system, drawing on an existing understanding of the typical behaviour of the system and available data.
- Be able to critically evaluate the limitations of a model, and identify potential research that will enable improvements in the model.
Indicative Assessment
Assessment will be based on:
• Five reviews of selected papers (50%; LO 1, 2)
• Two presentations (10%; LO 3, 4)
• Project (40%; LO 5 and 6)
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
36 lectures and regular tutorials
Requisite and Incompatibility
Assumed Knowledge
It will be assumed that students have a reasonable grasp of different model types (time series, PDE/ODE-based models, frequency domain models) as well as understanding of the issue of uncertainty in model inputs, structure and observed outputs.Majors
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $3276 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $4368 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10079 | 24 Jul 2017 | 31 Jul 2017 | 31 Aug 2017 | 27 Oct 2017 | In Person | N/A |
