Environmental Geography a.y. 2025-2026 – Corso di laurea magistrale in Scienze pedagogiche

Teacher: Prof. Pierluigi Magistri

CFU: 6
Course code: 804002754
SSD: GIUR-17/A
Master’s Degree: Scienze pedagogiche
Language: Italian

Course delivery modalities: in-presence
Attendance: Optional
Assessment method: Oral examination
Period:

Pre-requisites:
Basic knowledge of the distribution of the main geographical phenomena with particular reference to the period from the 17th century to the present. As a further prerequisite, knowledge of the basic concepts of physical and human geography as well as an understanding of the organisation of geographical spaces are considered essential. To this end, handouts entitled “Fundamentals of Geography Zero” are made available to students within the web-based teaching platform, and are recommended to be read in full.

Pre-requisites:

Basic knowledge of the distribution of the main geographical phenomena with particular reference to the period from the 17th century to the present. As a further prerequisite, knowledge of the basic concepts of physical and human geography as well as an understanding of the organisation of geographical spaces are considered essential. To this end, handouts entitled “Fundamentals of Geography Zero” are made available to students within the web-based teaching platform, and are recommended to be read in full.

Program:
Environmental geography describes the spatial aspects and interactions between man and the natural world and, as such, requires an understanding of all those dynamics, as well as the ways in which human societies conceptualise the environment and use a set of analytical tools of fundamental importance to assess the anthropic impact on the environment. The course provides students with the foundations and theoretical approaches of the subject through specific case studies that will enable them to acquire the tools for the scientific analysis of territorial systems, the cultural landscape, and the visual landscape, i.e. to assess the relative environmental and social impact produced by human intervention on these systems. The course proposes a reading of the transformations taking place from the Holocene to the Anthropocene and aims to provide students with useful tools for an in-depth reading of the current evolution of sustainability policies in order to arrive at the topicality of the SDGs.

Program:

Environmental geography describes the spatial aspects and interactions between man and the natural world and, as such, requires an understanding of all those dynamics, as well as the ways in which human societies conceptualise the environment and use a set of analytical tools of fundamental importance to assess the anthropic impact on the environment.
The course provides students with the foundations and theoretical approaches of the subject through specific case studies that will enable them to acquire the tools for the scientific analysis of territorial systems, the cultural landscape, and the visual landscape, i.e. to assess the relative environmental and social impact produced by human intervention on these systems. The course proposes a reading of the transformations taking place from the Holocene to the Anthropocene and aims to provide students with useful tools for an in-depth reading of the current evolution of sustainability policies in order to arrive at the topicality of the SDGs.

Text books:
Compulsory volume Giorda, Cristiano (a cura di), Geografia e Antropocene. Uomo, ambiente, educazione. Roma, Carocci, 2019, ISBN: 9788843098729

Bibliography:
Supplementary readings recommended by the instructor for the preparation of the examinations are indicated on Didattica Web, together with the slides made available by the instructor in the ‘Files’ section of Didattica Web.

Educational goals and expected learning outcomes:
TRAINING OBJECTIVES: The teaching will consider the fundamental concepts of place, territory, space, environment, landscape and region, developed in the context of geography. The relations between cultural contexts and natural areas will also be considered, with specific regard to the main settlement formations; special consideration will be given to demographic changes and the migration phenomenon. KNOWLEDGE AND CAPACITY TO UNDERSTAND: At the end of the course the student will have acquired the basic knowledge required by the epistemological statute of the discipline. In particular, he/she will have acquired an adequate knowledge of the origin, development and topics of interest of human geography, with particular attention to the relationship between man and the environment, as well as of the methods of investigation used by geographical research and interaction with other sciences. He/she will therefore be able to understand anthropic phenomena from a spatial perspective according to the methods of geography and understand their implications. CAPACITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: At the end of the course the student, on the basis of the knowledge and skills acquired in terms of understanding anthropic phenomena in spatial perspective, will have acquired the ability to use, at least at an average level, the appropriate investigation, language and working tools of the discipline and will be able to understand specific problems of medium complexity to which he/she can try to give autonomous answers. JUDGMENTAL AUTONOMY: at the end of the course the student who will have acquired adequate knowledge and competence regarding the fundamental themes and problems of Geography will be able to formulate autonomous judgements that will allow him/her a critical level of reading, from a spatial perspective of the phenomena considered by the discipline. This autonomy of judgement will be verified during the profit examinations and the ongoing assessment tests. COMMUNICATIVE SKILLS: at the end of the course the student will have developed an appropriate scientific language and will therefore have communication skills, both verbal and written, that will allow him/her to demonstrate, at least at an average level, argumentative skills and ease of illustration of the fundamental themes of Geography, both in relation to specialists and in the field of popularisation. Communication skills will be tested by means of the in itinere tests and the proficiency exam. LEARNING SKILLS: The learning ability will concern the fundamentals of Geography, and above all the investigation methodologies and good practices proposed by the discipline. Particular attention will be paid to the method of study, a fundamental element of authentic learning, guaranteeing comprehension, autonomy of judgement and communicative skills in the topics covered by Geography. This means that, by the end of the course, the student will have had the opportunity to expand his or her learning methodology through active involvement during the course. The development of one’s own learning methodology makes the student autonomous in the study of the various topics covered by the discipline. The acquisition of the ability to learn will be verified during the in itinere tests, reserved for attending students, and the final exam.

Educational goals and expected learning outcomes:

TRAINING OBJECTIVES: The teaching will consider the fundamental concepts of place, territory, space, environment, landscape and region, developed in the context of geography. The relations between cultural contexts and natural areas will also be considered, with specific regard to the main settlement formations; special consideration will be given to demographic changes and the migration phenomenon.
KNOWLEDGE AND CAPACITY TO UNDERSTAND: At the end of the course the student will have acquired the basic knowledge required by the epistemological statute of the discipline. In particular, he/she will have acquired an adequate knowledge of the origin, development and topics of interest of human geography, with particular attention to the relationship between man and the environment, as well as of the methods of investigation used by geographical research and interaction with other sciences. He/she will therefore be able to understand anthropic phenomena from a spatial perspective according to the methods of geography and understand their implications.
CAPACITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: At the end of the course the student, on the basis of the knowledge and skills acquired in terms of understanding anthropic phenomena in spatial perspective, will have acquired the ability to use, at least at an average level, the appropriate investigation, language and working tools of the discipline and will be able to understand specific problems of medium complexity to which he/she can try to give autonomous answers.
JUDGMENTAL AUTONOMY: at the end of the course the student who will have acquired adequate knowledge and competence regarding the fundamental themes and problems of Geography will be able to formulate autonomous judgements that will allow him/her a critical level of reading, from a spatial perspective of the phenomena considered by the discipline. This autonomy of judgement will be verified during the profit examinations and the ongoing assessment tests.
COMMUNICATIVE SKILLS: at the end of the course the student will have developed an appropriate scientific language and will therefore have communication skills, both verbal and written, that will allow him/her to demonstrate, at least at an average level, argumentative skills and ease of illustration of the fundamental themes of Geography, both in relation to specialists and in the field of popularisation. Communication skills will be tested by means of the in itinere tests and the proficiency exam.
LEARNING SKILLS: The learning ability will concern the fundamentals of Geography, and above all the investigation methodologies and good practices proposed by the discipline. Particular attention will be paid to the method of study, a fundamental element of authentic learning, guaranteeing comprehension, autonomy of judgement and communicative skills in the topics covered by Geography. This means that, by the end of the course, the student will have had the opportunity to expand his or her learning methodology through active involvement during the course. The development of one’s own learning methodology makes the student autonomous in the study of the various topics covered by the discipline. The acquisition of the ability to learn will be verified during the in itinere tests, reserved for attending students, and the final exam.

Methods and criteria for verifying the learning:
The assessment of learning outcomes will take place through an oral exam, held during the examination sessions. The exam assesses the student’s overall preparation, the ability to combine knowledge about each part of the syllabus, the coherence of argumentation, the analytical ability, and the autonomy of judgment. In addition, the student’s command of language and clarity of presentation are also assessed, in adherence with the Dublin descriptors (1. knowledge and understanding; 2. applying knowledge and experience; 3. making judgments; 4. learning skills; 5: communication skills). The final grade will be based 70% on the student’s depth of knowledge and 30% on the student’s ability for expression (written and oral) and independent critical thinking. The exam will be evaluated according to the following criteria: – Failed: significant deficiencies and inaccuracies in the knowledge and the understanding of the subject matter; poor analytical and synthesizing skills, recurrent generalizations, limited critical and judgmental skills; the arguments are exposed inconsistently and with inappropriate language. – 18-20: Knowledge and understanding of topics barely adequate, with occasional generalizations and imperfections possible; sufficient capacity for analysis synthesis and autonomy of judgment, the arguments are frequently exposed in an incoherent manner and with inappropriate/non technical language. – 21-23: Fair knowledge and understanding of the subject; proper analysis and synthesis skills with coherent, logical argumentation, but with language that is often inappropriate/non technical. – 24-26: Moderate knowledge and understanding of the subjects; good analytical and synthesis skills with arguments expressed rigorously but with language that is not always appropriate/technical. – 27-29: Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the subjects; remarkable analytical and synthesis skills. Good autonomy of judgment. Topics expounded rigorously and with appropriate/technical language. 30-30L: Excellent level of in-depth knowledge and understanding of the subjects. Excellent skills in analysis, synthesis, and independent judgment. Arguments are expressed in an original way and with appropriate technical language.

Methods and criteria for verifying the learning:

The assessment of learning outcomes will take place through an oral exam, held during the examination sessions.
The exam assesses the student’s overall preparation, the ability to combine knowledge about each part of the syllabus, the coherence of argumentation, the analytical ability, and the autonomy of judgment. In addition, the student’s command of language and clarity of presentation are also assessed, in adherence with the Dublin descriptors (1. knowledge and understanding; 2. applying knowledge and experience; 3. making judgments; 4. learning skills; 5: communication skills).
The final grade will be based 70% on the student’s depth of knowledge and 30% on the student’s ability for expression (written and oral) and independent critical thinking.
The exam will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
– Failed: significant deficiencies and inaccuracies in the knowledge and the understanding of the subject matter; poor analytical and synthesizing skills, recurrent generalizations, limited critical and judgmental skills; the arguments are exposed inconsistently and with inappropriate language.
– 18-20: Knowledge and understanding of topics barely adequate, with occasional generalizations and imperfections possible; sufficient capacity for analysis synthesis and autonomy of judgment, the arguments are frequently exposed in an incoherent manner and with inappropriate/non technical language.
– 21-23: Fair knowledge and understanding of the subject; proper analysis and synthesis skills with coherent, logical argumentation, but with language that is often inappropriate/non technical.
– 24-26: Moderate knowledge and understanding of the subjects; good analytical and synthesis skills with arguments expressed rigorously but with language that is not always appropriate/technical.
– 27-29: Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the subjects; remarkable analytical and synthesis skills. Good autonomy of judgment. Topics expounded rigorously and with appropriate/technical language.
30-30L: Excellent level of in-depth knowledge and understanding of the subjects. Excellent skills in analysis, synthesis, and independent judgment. Arguments are expressed in an original way and with appropriate technical language.

Attendance modalities:
Lectures, group discussions in the classroom, power point presentations provided by the lecturer, possible seminar activities conducted by scholars for in-depth study of specific aspects of the discipline. Classroom attendance and active participation in discussion of topics covered.