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AGRO501 Organic Agriculture - Principles and Practice

Credit Points 6
Offering
Responsible Campus Teaching Period Mode of Study
Armidale Trimester 1 Off Campus
Armidale Trimester 1 On Campus
Intensive School(s) None
Supervised Exam There is no UNE Supervised Examination.
Pre-requisites candidature in a postgraduate award
Co-requisites None
Restrictions None
Notes

Consult unit coordinator on enrolment
Combined Units None
Coordinator(s) Paul Kristiansen (paul.kristiansen@une.edu.au)
Unit Description

The unit consists of a special program of study in organic agriculture, tailored to meet the needs of individual students, involving guided reading and assessment. Students will gain a thorough knowledge of the organic farming sector in Australia and overseas, as well as skills and knowledge in specific aspects of organic production relevant to their interests.
Recommended Material
Optional 		Text(s):

Note: Recommended material is held in the University Library - purchase is optional

Organic Agriculture: A Global Perspective
ISBN: 9780643090903
Kristiansen, P., Taji, A. and Reginald, J., CSIRO Publishing 2006
Text refers to: Trimester 1 , On and Off Campus
Disclaimer Unit information may be subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.
Assessment
Title Exam Length Weight Mode No. Words
Case Study 55% 3500
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
LO: 1-5 GA: 1-6
Review 45% 2500
Assessment Notes
Critical review
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
LO: 1-5 GA: 1-6

Learning Outcomes (LO) Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
  1. critically evaluate the principles and practices of organic farming;
  2. articulate the major agronomic and economic constraints faced by organic producers;
  3. demonstrate a solid understanding of the known impacts of organic farming on the environment;
  4. display critical thinking and problem solving skills related to organic farming; and
  5. provide a broad overview of the industry and place new knowledge in context.

Graduate Attributes (GA)
Attribute Taught Assessed Practised
1 Knowledge of a Discipline
Through guided reading, students will have knowledge of the key definitions, strengths and weaknesses of the discipline (organic agriculture). 		True True True
2 Communication Skills
Written communication skills will be practised and assessed through an essay, critical review and case study. 		True True True
3 Global Perspectives
Unit material will describe the global nature and extent of organic agriculture and the importance of exporting for Australia. Students will discuss those issues in the essay and case study. 		True True True
4 Information Literacy
Intelligent processing and effective conversion of diverse information into high-level knowledge. All assessment tasks will evaluate these attributes. 		True True True
5 Life-Long Learning
Students will be able to integrate learning exercises with current and future workplace activities and gain skills in information acquisition and evaluation (eg. review paper). 		True True True
6 Problem Solving
The case study will require students to identify constraints on a specific organic farm and develop possible solutions. 		True True True
7 Social Responsibility
The unit will cover social issues in agriculture and organics in particular. Case study will require explicit discussion of social aspects of agriculture. 		True
   

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