“Environmental Communication is the planned and strategic use of communication processes to support effective policy-making and project implementation geared towards environmental sustainability.” (OECD) 

 

Environmental policy focuses on issues arising from human impact on the natural environment. This course will examine how public policy is developed and the role played by different forms of communication in the policy processes, with a particular focus on contentious environmental issues. Most of the examples used will have a significant environmental component but the themes of the course are also broadly relevant to the development of other types of policy in politically pluralist societies such as Australia and the United States. The course will use public policy and communications activities in those countries as the starting point but students from elsewhere will be encouraged to make comparisons with their home countries. The nature of public opinion, and how it is shaped, will be examined along with a look at the impact of public opinion in the policy process. We will also look rise of environmental consciousness and the concept of sustainability, now a cornerstone of much public policy.  Media such as newspapers, televisions, radio and the web in its various forms, including social media, will be examined along with other forms of communications such as citizen activism, public participation, political campaigning, advertising and public relations.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

By the end of the course students will have learnt to critically assess:

• the processes through which environmental policy is developed, and related communications activities are conducted,
• the competing discourses relating to environmental policy,
• methods used by interests groups to influence environmental policy debates,
• government efforts to promote public participation and mobilise support for their policies, and
• ways that can be used by citizens to participate in public debates about environmental policy.

Research-Led Teaching

This course will include weekly lectures that provide an overview of key concepts. Weekly readings will provide students with an opportunity to critically engage with foundational and current research across the topics.

Required Resources

Required readings will be outlined in the course, and will be accessible via the ANU Library.

Recommended Resources

It is not required, but students with a special liking for books may like to use the following text to support their learning: Pezzullo, PC & Cox, R 2018, Environmental Communication and the Public Sphere, Sage, Los Angeles.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Communicating for environment and climate policy
2	The rise of environmental consciousness	Assessment item 1 (reading reflections) available to submit.
3	Understanding the audience and the messenger, and their interplay	Assessment item 1 (reading reflections) available to submit.
4	Crafting stories	Assessment item 1 (reading reflections) available to submit. Assessment item 2 (personal position statement) due for submission.
5	Truth and evidence (and their discontents)	Assessment item 1 (reading reflections) available to submit.
6	Ahhh! Risk	Assessment item 1 (reading reflections) available to submit.
7	Engagement in the age of the Social License to Operate	Assessment item 1 (reading reflections) available to submit. Assessment item 3 (issue analysis) due for submission.
8	Conflict resolution, mediation, negotiation	Assessment item 1 (reading reflections) available to submit.
9	Lobbying	Assessment item 1 (reading reflections) available to submit.
10	News media and journalism (and social media)	Assessment item 1 (reading reflections) available to submit.
11	Social movements and activism (and more social media)	Assessment item 1 (reading reflections) available to submit.
12	Behaviour change and the 'nudge'	Assessment item 1 (reading reflections) available to submit. Assessment item 4 (communications strategy and justification) due for submission.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Reading reflection	24 %	*	*	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Personal position statement	6 %	21/08/2020	11/09/2020	1, 2
Issue Analysis	25 %	21/09/2020	12/10/2020	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Communications strategy and justification	25 %	30/10/2020	13/11/2020	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Final exam	20 %	*	*	1, 2, 3, 4, 5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using 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. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Examination(s)

Final exam (see Assessment Task 5)

Assessment Task 1

Reading reflection

Eight reading reflections must be submitted over the course of the semester. This assessment item is worth a total of 24% of the course grade (each reading reflection is therefore weighted at 3% of the course grade).

Students select one of the weekly readings as the basis for a critical reflection. The critical reflection will form the basis for in-class discussion.

The critical reflection must contain:

• 100 word (maximum) summary of the article
• 200 word (maximum) critical reflection on the article
• 3 key insights (single sentence each)
• 1 discussion prompt (single concept, maximum 100 words but many fewer words is fine if the prompt is meaningful and thoughtful)

Reading reflections will be available for completion in weeks 2-12 of semester. Students must submit a minimum of eight reading reflections over the course of semester. The eight best reading reflections will be used to calculate the overall grade for this assessment item. In other words, students may submit greater than eight reading reflections, and of their submission the best eight will be used to calculate the grade for this assessment item.

Weekly deadlines for submission of the reading reflections will be available on Wattle. In principle, the deadline will be shortly prior to the discussion session. The critical reading serves as the preparation for discussion and sharing in class time.

Reading reflections are designed as a tool to structure engaged learning through reading, critical reflection, and participation in class discussions. Submissions should be well presented, structured, and written, and include referencing consistently adhering to an accepted style. College of Asia and the Pacific (CAP) assessment standards will be used for grading the reading reflections.

Assessment Task 2

Personal position statement

Students are required to submit a personal position statement that outlines their experiences and perspectives that shape the way they interact with issues to do with the environment and climate change. This will be informed by content presented in weeks 1-3, and students are expected to draw on the literature to guide their personal position statement.

This assessment item is worth 6% of the course grade.

The personal position statement should not exceed 500 words.

Submissions should be well presented, structured, and written, and include referencing consistently adhering to an accepted style. College of Asia and the Pacific (CAP) assessment standards will be used for grading the personal position statement.

Assessment Task 3

Issue Analysis

Analysis of a contemporary environmental or climate change related issue is to be submitted in week 7.

This assessment item is worth 25% of the course grade.

The issue analysis will draw on themes explored in weeks 1-6 of the course. It will be up to students to determine which themes to emphasise to provide the most incisive analysis of their selected issue. The purpose of the issue analysis is to develop a nuanced understanding of the dynamics of a contemporary issue, NOT to provide 'solutions' for resolving it.

Students will need to source evidence on a contemporary environment/climate issue, and use theoretical and conceptual frameworks from the literature as the analytical apparatus.

The issue analysis should not exceed 1,500 words.

Submissions should be well presented, structured, and written, and include referencing consistently adhering to an accepted style. College of Asia and the Pacific (CAP) assessment standards will be used for grading the issue analysis.

Assessment Task 4

Communications strategy and justification

A proposal for a communications strategy (justified by the literature) regarding a contemporary environmental or climate change related issue is to be submitted in week 12.

This assessment item is worth 25% of the course grade.

The communications strategy and justification will draw on themes explored in all weeks of the course. It will be up to students to determine which themes to emphasise to devise the most suitable communications strategy for their selected issue. Students may use the same or a different topic as that explored in their issue analysis. Unlike the issue analysis, the purpose of this assignment IS to provide potential solutions. Students may devise a strategy from the perspective of any policy actor (government or non-government, e.g. industry, advocacy group). Critical to this assessment item is the pairing of practical and theoretical elements: the strategy should recommend specific and practical communications priorities, while the justification should be thoroughly and persuasively grounded in the literature.

The communications strategy and justification should not exceed 2,000 words.

Submissions should be well presented, structured, and written, and include referencing consistently adhering to an accepted style. College of Asia and the Pacific (CAP) assessment standards will be used for grading the issue analysis.

Assessment Task 5

Final exam

This final exam will be submitted on-line on a date to be determined but likely within 1-2 weeks of the final class session. Students will be provided with a series of questions, and must select TWO to answer. This means students will be provided with the questions and a deadline for submission, but preparation of responses is not timed.

This assessment item is worth 20% of the course grade.

Questions will be provided at least one week before the submission date. The exam is intended to prompt students to draw together ideas form the course, integrating themes and topics to propose insights based on synthesis of many themes.

Each question should require around 30 minutes to prepare a response, excluding time spent on revision prior to the exam. These are not intended to be substantial essays, but rather offer integrative, succinct reviews of concepts explored in the course. Each answer should not exceed 500 words.

Submissions should be well presented, structured, and written, and include referencing consistently adhering to an accepted style. College of Asia and the Pacific (CAP) assessment standards will be used for grading the issue analysis.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

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.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students