| Department of Agricultural Sciences | |||||||||||||||||||
| Earliest Possible Year | |||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1 semester | ||||||||||||||||||
| Credits | 24 (ECTS) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Course Level | BSc | ||||||||||||||||||
| Examination | evaluation of participation Aid allowed Description of Examination: 13-point scale, internal examiner Dates of Exam: 50% of mark based on assessment of written project report, group presentation and oral examination in report contents. The project report and presentation are expected to be carried out as group work. Description of Examination: Dates of Exam: 30% of mark based on assessment of individual student learning documents. Description of Examination: Dates of Exam: 20% of mark based on assesment of literature review and presentation. This is expected to be carried out as group work. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Organisation of Teaching | Lectures: 6 course modules first 7 weeks. Practicals and discussions: 6-8 hours weekly first 7 weeks. Subject report primarily during last 7 weeks. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Block Placement | F SUP Monday 8.40-16.30, Wednesday 8.40-12, and Friday 9.35-14.30 Check Course Homepage | ||||||||||||||||||
| Teaching Language | English | ||||||||||||||||||
| Optional Prerequisites | 025111 Basic knowledge of chemistry, physics and biology and some knowledge of ecology. Geology and Soil Science, Introduction to Organic Farming, Agricultural Botany (basic) and Zoology (basic). Some understanding of organic farming as a profession. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Course Objectives | |||||||||||||||||||
| The basic aim of the course is to give students an understanding of the basis of ecological agriculture from an integrated viewpoint. The course begins with consideration of ecological farming in Denmark, and continues with the themes of the role and function of biodiversity in organic farming, the principles and practice of cropping system design and the technological and engineering aspects of ecological farming. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Contents | |||||||||||||||||||
| In the course we use both conceptual ideas and more practical ones, and move from learning through lectures to learning through independent work and in groups. Our goals are to utilise information from all major topics in the project and for students and teachers to obtain a better understanding of: · ecological agriculture and systems ecology · biodiversity in ecological agriculture · soil biotic and abiotic mechanisms that underpin soil fertility · energy and material flows in ecological agriculture · factors and conditions which determine the planning and management of a cropping system · technology in ecological agriculture. The course can be taken alone but it also forms the first part of a one-year (2 semester) curriculum in Ecological Agriculture under the SOCRATES program. The second part, addressing other aspects of ecological agriculture including animal production, ecological agriculture as a business, environmental impacts and decision making will be offered at another European University. There is planned to be an interesting short summer course (6 ECTS) dealing with the historical aspects of organic agriculture, its economic and social impacts and health issues. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teaching And Learning Methods | |||||||||||||||||||
| The course is structured as lectures, discussions, exercises and a major group project. The last seven weeks of the semester will be devoted to a supervised group project (3-4 students per group) with a distinct inter-disciplinary aspect, using information from all the topics discussed in the first period of the course to focus on a specific aspect of ecological agriculture. Previously completed projects can be found on the course web-site. Supervisors will approve a written synopsis of the project's proposed content and methods. Finally, students will present their projects to the rest of the course in a final seminar, which is part of the evaluation process. Instructors will offer guidance during the project. The course is examined via an oral examination with an external censor and concentrates on the written and oral presentation of the project. Further details are given nearer the time of the examination that is held in the first week of June. Regularly during the course students are expected to make presentations to the rest of the class and the staff - see the course description. In these 'hot topic' debates a group of students will be given the task of preparing a presentation for the rest of the class to act as an introduction to the theme in question. It is expected that the students will use the time away from lectures to read the material presented and free study is seen as an important part of the course. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Litterature | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teachers will provide copies of their teaching material prior to lectures. Lists of the texts used and their link to the topics during the lectures can be found on the course web-site. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Coordinator | |||||||||||||||||||
| John R. Porter, jrp@life.ku.dk, Department of Agricultural Sciences/Environment, Resources and Technology, Phone: 35333377 | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Course Scope | |||||||||||||||||||
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