Module 6: Impacts on the Societies and Economics of Coastal Regions

In Module 6, Impacts on the Societies and Economics of Coastal Regions, students explore a number of different locations and scenarios around the world to investigate the ways people are currently reacting to and coping with coastal hazards. Upon completion of this module, the students will be able to:

• Provide worldwide examples of coastal communities that face coastal hazards;
• Examine the responses by communities to these hazards, including catastrophic events and ongoing sea-level rise;
• Weigh the options for the future for vulnerable coastal communities; and
• Develop possible future scenarios based upon examples of recovery from coastal storm events.

Overall, this one-week module is intended to be used alone or as part of an online or blended general education or introductory-level course that would satisfy a science distribution requirement. The module would be appropriate for non-majors and undeclared students looking for a major. There are two formats: (1) Blended where the students meet at least once to perform the activities in teams; and (2) 100 percent online. As a general guideline, the delivery of content and assessment of learning goals/objectives have been designed to accommodate the logistics of large class sizes where students are expected to work approximately three hours per week covering lecture content with an additional six hours per week of additional reading and work on assessments. Note that some students will require more or less time to meet the goals and objectives of the module.

Students will examine examples of communities facing coastal hazards. In the first section of the module, students use the World Bank Climate Data Portal to research worldwide examples of locations (such as Vanuatu and the Philippines) that are particularly vulnerable to coastal hazards. In the second section, the students research U.S. examples, including New York (Superstorm Sandy), New Orleans (Katrina) and the North Carolina Outer Banks, to discover how residents are responding to changes brought by coastal hazards. For the summative assessment, students begin to assemble information they need for the capstone project, while considering long-term impacts to their chosen coastal city of a hypothetical coastal disaster. Materials for students for this module are located at the link below. Teachers can find documentation of the activities at this location as well as rubrics for students. Rubrics for teachers are compiled under Assessment on this site. Suggestions for teaching and a list of the assessments are found below.

• Student Materials - Module 6: Impacts on the Societies and Economics of Coastal Regions

What works best for the module?

• Students should be encouraged to explore the extra links and information provided in text and videos. Students who read all of the material and follow the extra, external links will develop the most complete understanding of concepts. There are numerous concepts embedded in the links that will foster a richer understanding of assessment topics, and students should be encouraged to investigate these materials.
• Students should be encouraged to read the material in the module before coming to lab.
• The students enjoyed the change of pace from the technical aspects of the previous modules to the societal approach and the humanized look at the impacts of hazards on coastlines.
• The formative assessments challenged the students to think differently about preconceived notions of how people face coastal challenges — such as the residents of Isle de Jean Charles in Louisiana and Tacloban, Philippines.

What students found tough and how we adapted

Students who did not thoroughly read the text and look at the accompanying external links had the most problems with the module. These students were unable to relate concepts to one another and consequently had difficulties completing some of the assessments.

Formative Assessments

• Formative Assessment 1 — Section A Community Profile Philippines and one other: Students use online sources provided (World Bank Climate Portal) to populate a chart that outlines coastal hazard vulnerability, economics and other factors, and ways the population has responded to hazards such as typhoons — in two locations — the Philippines and one other.
• Formative Assessment 2 — The Outer Banks: Communities at Risk: Students provide written response to materials on "Communities at Risk in Outer Banks, N.C., and develop a scenario for the future for the Outer Banks, North Carolina.

Summative Assessment

• Summative assessment — Pros and cons of rebuild or retreat question in the case study locations: Students develop a future scenario for a coastal town on a barrier island in the United States and develop a plan including factors such as changes in sustainability and resilience, and a decision for relocation or abandonment.

Student Readings:

• Student readings are provided in Student Materials — Module 6: Impacts on the Societies and Economics of Coastal Regions
• How to Tell When New Orleans Has Recovered From Katrina, by Katy Reckdahl
• Hurricane Katrina eight years later, a statistical snapshot of the New Orleans area, Mark Waller, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune