Assignment 4: Landscape Concepts in comparison
Task
Assigned: Tuesday, Nov. 30
Due: Tuesday, Jan. 11
In this forth assignment the focus is on concepts of landscapes from various cultural backgrounds. You will discuss similarities and differences according to recent and upcoming approaches and visions in your countries and cultures. Based on this you will give answers to questions such as:
- How does the landscape concept in my country look like?
- What is a desirable landscape for the future in my country compared to others?
- Is there a common concept for future landscapes?
In order to learn more about differences and similarities between the different participating countries concerning current issues and the future of landscapes, this assignment will be done first in university groups and then in internationally mixed groups. The groups will prepare a short presentation, addressing the above mentioned questions along one or two landscape concepts from each of the countries they represent and one scientific text they examine and compare.
The overall objective of this assignment is to reflect on how we understand landscape concepts from our own cultural background to be standards for the future compared with those from a different cultural background - and if there is a common concept for future landscapes.
We want you to approach this discussion in different steps:
Step 1: Look for landscape concepts from your background (university groups, Nov. 30 - Dec. 13)
Look for definitions and concepts of landscape in literature from your cultural background and prepare an English translation.
Step 2: Collection of your landscape concepts in the seminar session on Tuesday, Dec. 14
You will shortly present the landscape concepts from your cultural background and we will discuss similarities and differences. Moreover, we will form internationally mixed working teams and distribute literature for the final step.
Step 3: Read one article from the Resources list and compare it to your landscape concepts (mixed groups, Dec. 15 - January 09, 2011)
Sum up the main aspects from both your national landscape concepts and the landscape concept presented in the article and visualise similariteis and differences in a concept map. Add concluding thoughts (bringing arguments together) to this map. Add your concept map and some explanatory text to your wiki page. This process needs to be finished on January 9, 2011.
LITERATURE:
Texts and articles for this assignment are availabe here.
Step 4: Presentation of Concept Maps through January 2011
We plan to have all groups presenting their results in the seminar session on January 11, 18 and 25. Your presentation should include: short note on the national landscape concepts (one slide each), the main arguments of the article (1-2 slides) and the synthesis concept map (1 slide).
Deliverables:
- Definition/ Concept of Landscape from your cultural background in your language and translated to English, edited on the Wiki in both versions and send as a Word file to Heike heike.kaiser(at)gmail.com by Dec. 13, 2010.
- 5-7 minutes presentation briefly introducing your landscape concepts, the article and conclusions as input for the joint discussion; please send your presentation (as ppt or pdf) to Ellen ellen.fetzer(at)hfwu.de for upload in Vitero by January 09, 2011.
Evaluation criteria:
- 50% Content: depth of analysis and reflection; clear communication of findings, creativity in the process of analysis, delivery of products assigned;
- 25% Communication of content: structure/logical flow of spoken language and slides;
- 25% Graphic quality: visual quality, organization, cohesiveness of layout, craftsmanship.