MABY4700 Life Cycle Assessment for Built Environment Course description

A-E as pass grades and F as fail grade.

The group paper and the individual home examination are assessed by one internal and one external examiner.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge:

The student:

·         has knowledge of the sustainability concept and is able to identify common environmental impacts from buildings, structures and infrastructures

·         has knowledge of the drivers behind the development and implementation of sustainability assessments

·         has in-depth knowledge of life-cycle methodology, with the focus on system limits, service life and functional units

·         is capable of recommending relevant standards, guidelines and commercial methods for sustainability assessments and life-cycle analyses.

Skills:

The student is capable of:

·         comparing methods for assessing the environmental performance of civil engineering solutions

·         applying regulations, relevant standards, guidelines and commercial methods in the performance of sustainability assessments and life-cycle analyses of buildings, structures and infrastructures

·         performing calculations and documentation of greenhouse gas emissions in a life-cycle perspective for buildings, structures and infrastructures

·         using spreadsheet tools and BIM-based software for the collection, processing, sharing and presentation of relevant information in interdisciplinary assessments

·         choosing appropriate civil engineering solutions based on sustainability and life-cycle assessments

General competence:

The student is capable of

·         analyzing complexity and assessing the scope of possibility for design and construction to achieve sustainable solutions

·         cooperating in groups on a real, interdisciplinary task

·         presenting academic results and evaluations in a scholarly manner.

Introducing development studies

This first part provides a set of readings that explore basic development concepts and introduce some of the theories and approaches within development. Students discuss three concepts in an introductory paper: development, poverty, and sustainable development, and consider how development is understood from a variety of perspectives. This part of the course is entirely web-based.

Research design and field methodology

Students will be given an introduction to research methodology. Covered by three lectures, qualitative and quantitative research methods, research design and evaluation of primary data will be presented. Field ethics will also be emphasized.

History, politics and economic development, globalisation and democracy

The course covers development initiatives that take place at global, national and local levels, current trends in development and development theories, and draws on political and economic

theories. Processes of globalization will be discussed, such as global patterns of resource distribution and their effect on both poverty levels and the environment in various parts of the world, questioning how power relations are reflected in these patterns. This will include discussion of the global economy, international trade, debt, and international institutions like the World Trade Organization (WTO), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Policies and practices of national governments, and actions at a community level by NGOs and local organizations, will be considered in terms of their impact on poverty and environmental concerns, including attention to human rights and the control people have over their own lives.

Population, environment and livelihood

The overall topic of this part of the course is material living conditions in developing countries, especially among the poor. Central issues are questions of environmental sustainability, food security and famine, health problems and health care, migration and demography. It includes consideration of the many ways in which poor people try to make a living.

Culture, gender and knowledge

This part directs itself to the level of people's lives and the conditions for change. We study the impact of culture on development and the social context of people's interactions. The main concepts are identity, ethnicity, nationalism, religion and the influence of gender on social life and work relations. We also include the role of learning and knowledge for people to improve their life situation.

Regional focus: South East Asia / Vietnam

Here we look at South East Asia in general, and Vietnam in particular, in order to exemplify the development topics and debates outlined in the previous parts of the course. You will be introduced to the position of South East Asia in the global system. The varied contemporary social, economic and political structures found in the region will be outlined and their cultural and historical origins explored. An examination of the nature and relative success of various South East Asian developments will also be presented.

Organisation and requirements

As part of the course, students complete one compulsory assignment, one group examination and one home examination. The Study Guide of the course will give details about deadlines defined by OsloMet.

One individual exercises must be completed and passed.

The exam is a Portfolio exam, which consists of the following:

• Final submission of exercise.
• Results of two individual knowledge tests.
• Project report prepared in groups of 2-4 students, approx. 10-15 pages of text (in addition to graphs/diagrams and title page, table of contents and references).Oral/visual (5 min video) presentation of the project report.

Each student's work will be assessed together as a portfolio with one individual grade at the end of the semester, but all parts that make up the portfolio must be assessed as 'pass' in order for the student to pass the course. 

The exam cannot be appealed.  If a student fails the portfolio assessment, he/she is given one opportunity to resubmit the portfolio.

All aids are permitted.

Grade scale A-F. 

Two internal examiner. External examiners are used regularly.

Haidar Hosamo