Syllabus - Coastal Processes, Hazards, and Society Course

Fall Semester, 2015

This syllabus is divided into several sections. You can read it sequentially by scrolling down the length of the document or by clicking on any of the links below to "jump" to a specific section.

• Course Overview
• Required Course Materials
• Assignments and Grading
• Course Schedule
• Technology Requirements
• Disclaimers

Course Overview

Description

This course will provide students with a global perspective of coastal landscapes, the processes responsible for their formation, diversity, and change over time, as well as societal responses to current changes in the coastal zones around the world. Active learning elements include analyzing real data sets and applying critical thinking and problem-solving skills to real-world coastal issues that affect human populations. Students will complete a capstone project in which they consider a real-world coastal issue.

Course Objectives
When you successfully complete this course, you will be prepared to:

• develop the fundamental geospatial skills and concepts needed to assess the coastal processes and hazards discussed in this course;
• link geologic time and current shoreline processes in order to explain the past and present evolution of coastline morphology;
• assess the economic and social impacts of coastal hazards;
• select optimal engineering options to mitigate specific risks;
• assess how government and stakeholders can plan for and respond to coastal hazards.

Expectations

On average, most students spend eight to ten hours per week working on course assignments. Your workload may be more or less depending on your study habits.

We have worked hard to make this the most effective and convenient educational experience possible. The Internet may still be a novel learning environment for you, but in one sense it is no different from a traditional college class: how much and how well you learn is ultimately up to you. You will succeed if you are diligent about keeping up with the class schedule and if you take advantage of opportunities to communicate with me as well as with your fellow students.

Specific learning objectives for each module and project are detailed within each module.

Return to top of page

Required Course Materials

Online Lesson Content

All materials needed for this course are presented online through our course website. In each module, we provide citations for additional reading.

Complementary Subscription to the New York Times

We require you to obtain a complimentary subscription to the New York Times. You can use the online version. To do this go directly to:

https://myaccount.nytimes.com/verification/edupass

Simply register with your Penn State email address and create your user password to claim a NYTimes.com Academic Pass and receive NYTimes.com access

Return to top of page

Assignments and Grading

Assignments

This course will rely on a variety of methods to assess and evaluate student learning, including:

• weekly quizzes multiple choice, administered through your course management system;
• two midterm exams short answer, given in the lab period midterm weeks;
• labs: take place during weekly lab meetings;
• Blogs: see Course Blogs for a full description of this activity;
• capstone activity: will be introduced at the end of Module 3.

It is important that your work be submitted in the proper format by the designated due date. We strongly advise that you not wait until the last minute to complete these assignments—give yourself time to ask questions, think things over, and chat with others. You'll learn more, do better...and be happier!

Due dates for all assignments are posted in the syllabus for your campus and below. Please make sure you are aware of the weekly deadlines.

Grading

Breakdown of each assignment's value as a percentage of total course grade.

Assignment	Percent of Grade
Quizzes (12)	15%
Midterm Exams (2)	15% each
Labs (12 weeks with multiple labs)	30%
Blogs (12)	10%
Capstone Project (1)(12)	15%

Your scores for all assignments will be kept current in the Course Management System.

Late Policy

We accept late work only in exceptional circumstances, but you must contact us immediately if you need an exception. The earlier you contact us to request a late submission, the better. Requests will be considered on a case by case basis. If you miss a quiz or a blog entry, that will count as your dropped score. Late labs will be assessed a penalty of 10% per day.

Return to top of page

Course Schedule

Weekly Schedule

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Blog posts are due by Midnight. Quizzes are due by Midnight.				Lab: 9:30-10:45 am

Note: Labs are due in the following week lab period (i.e., Lab 1 is due in Lab 2 lab period).

Module Schedule

Do not use this list for Readings or Assignments, use the Lesson Road Maps at the beginning of each module for these.

Weekly Schedule
Week 1: Course Orientation
Dates	Monday, August 24, 2015 - Sunday, August 30, 2015
Topics	Meet the Instructors The Learning Environment Assignments Technical Requirements Course Blogs Refreshers and Tutorials How to Succeed in this Course Course Communication Getting to Know You Course Introduction Modern Earth Science Principle
Readings	None
Assignments	Perform tasks outlined in course orientation to become familiar with the course and the course environment Post a self-introduction to the course Blog Complete the Initial Course Survey on your CMS (Professors will give you more information).
Week 2: The Societies and Economics of Coastal Regions
Dates	Monday, August 31, 2015 - Sunday, September 6, 2015
Topics	Our Increasingly Urbanized Coasts and Sea Level Introductory Activities Case Studies
Readings	See Lesson Road Map
Assignments	Complete Module 1 Labs Take Module 1 Quiz Post Module 1 Blog
Week 3: A Global Glance at Coastal Landscapes
Dates	Monday, September 7, 2015 - Sunday, September 13, 2015
Topics	Classification of Coastal Zones Second Order Influences on Coastal Zones
Readings	See Lesson Road Map
Assignments	Complete Module 2 Labs Take Module 2 Quiz Post Module 2 Blog
Week 4: Coastal Systems: Landscapes and Processes
Dates	Monday, September 14, 2015 - Sunday, September 20, 2015
Topics	Rocky Coasts Reef Coasts Nearshore, Beaches, and Dunes Barrier Islands Deltaic Coasts Estuaries Coastal Wetlands and Maritime Forests
Readings	See Lesson Road Map
Assignments	Complete Module 3 Labs Take Module 3 Quiz Post Module 3 Blog Begin working on the Capstone Activity
Week 5: Understanding Sea Level Change
Dates	Monday, September 21, 2015 - Sunday, September 27, 2015
Topics	Measuring Sea Level Sea Level Definitions Sea Level Changes: On a daily to centuries long time scale Sea Level Changes: NEW SECTION TITLE TO COME Sea Level Fluctuations Anthropogenic Factors and Sea-Level Change
Readings	See Lesson Road Map
Assignments	Complete Module 4 Labs Take Module 4 Quiz Post Module 4 Blog
Week 6: Coastal Catastrophes: Storms and Tsunamis
Dates	Monday, September 28, 2015 - Sunday, October 4, 2015
Topics	Tropical and Extratropical Storms Tsunamis
Readings	See Lesson Roadmap
Assignments	Complete Module 5 Labs Take Module 5 Quiz Post Module 5 Blog
Week 7: Impacts on the Societies and Economics of Coastal Regions
Dates	Monday, October 5, 2015 - Sunday, October 11, 2015
Topics	Case Studies Paying for Flood Damage
Readings	See Lesson Roadmap
Assignments	Complete Module 6 Labs Take Module 6 Quiz Post Module 6 Blog Continue working on the Capstone Activity
Week 8: Midterm 1
Dates	Monday, October 12, 2015 - Sunday, October 18, 2015
Topics	Modules 1-6
Readings	None
Assignments	Take the Midterm.
Week 9: Hard Structures and Coastal Modifications through Mimicking Natural Processes
Dates	Monday, October 19, 2015 - Sunday, October 25, 2015
Topics	Overview of Coastal Erosion The Dynamic Coastline Coastal Protection and Mitigation
Readings	See Lesson Roadmap
Assignments	Complete Module 7 Labs Take Module 7 Quiz Post Module 7 Blog
Week 10: Managed Retreat/Multi-Layered Protection
Dates	Monday, October 26, 2015 - Sunday, November 1, 2015
Topics	Alternate Approaches Managed Retreat: Introduction Managed Retreat as a Response to Disaster Multi-Layered Defenses
Readings	See Lesson Roadmap
Assignments	Complete Module 8 Labs Take Module 8 Quiz Post Module 8 Blog
Week 11: Smart Building
Dates	Monday, November 2, 2015 - Sunday, November 8, 2015
Topics	Early Smart Building The Need for Growth
Readings	See Lesson Roadmap
Assignments	Complete Module 9 Labs Take Module 9 Quiz Post Module 9 Blog Continue working on the Capstone Activity
Week 12: Understanding and Assessing Coastal Vulnerability
Dates	Monday, November 9, 2015 - Sunday, November 15, 2015
Topics	Assessing Vulnerability: The Vulnerability Scoping Diagram Dimension 1: Exposure Dimension 2: Sensitivity Dimension 3: Adaptive capacity
Readings	See Lesson Roadmap
Assignments	Complete Module 10 Labs Take Module 10 Quiz Post Module 10 Blog
Week 13: Tsunami and Storm Surge Policy
Dates	Monday, November 16, 2015 - Sunday, November 22, 2015
Topics	Policy, natural hazards, disasters, and the emergency management cycle
Readings	See Lesson Roadmap
Assignments	Complete Module 11 Labs Take Module 11 Quiz Post Module 11 Blog
Week 14: Sea Level Rise Policy
Dates	Monday, November 30, 2015 - Sunday, December 6, 2015
Topics	Identifying Stakeholders Selecting Strategies Assessing Costs and Benefits Considering Views of Vulnerable Stakeholders Setting Timeframes for Implementation
Readings	See Lesson Roadmap
Assignments	Complete Module 12 Labs Take Module 12 Quiz Post Module 12 Blog Continue working on the Capstone Activity
Week 15: Final Exam
Dates	Monday, December 7, 2015 - Sunday, December 13, 2015
Topics	Modules 6-12
Readings	None
Assignments	Take the final exam Continue working on the Capstone Activity

Return to top of page

Technical Requirements

See Technical Requirements (upper right of Orientation).

Return to top of page

Disclaimer

Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus can be changed at any time, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Changes will be posted to the course discussion forum.

Return to top of page