Water and soil laboratory (5 cr)

Objective

You know how to process soil and water samples in the laboratory and in the field. You are familiar with the most common standard methods and analyses of soil and water samples. You are able to carry out basic laboratory tests and analyses. You are able to produce environmental data out of soil and water samples and you know how to assess the reliability of the data. You understand the importance of reliable data and how this data is used outside laboratory to make environmental decisions. You understand the differences between the laboratory and the field assays.

Content

How to analyse water and soil samples?
What are standard laboratory protocols and how are they used?
How to produce reliable data out of soil and water samples?
How to assess and improve the reliability of data?
What are the differences between field and laboratory assays.

Evaluation

Students can:
· use professional vocabulary and concepts in an expert way in different situations.
· evaluate information sources critically.
· work as team members in working life expert duties and identify and describe the problems of the professional field.
· evaluate operations in customer, user and target group situations.
· choose appropriate models, methods, software and techniques according to the purpose and justify these choices.
· promote teams’ goal-oriented operation.
· apply critically the ethical principles of the professional field in different situations.

Course material

Lab experiment instructions and other materials will be on Learn.

You will need your own laboratory coat and safety goggles for the laboratory sessions. Laboratory coat should be long-sleeved and knee-length.

Study forms and methods

You will attend teaching and guidance sessions as specified in the weekly schedule. Teaching takes place on Mikkeli campus. Your study routine is determined by the scheduled group sessions and by the self-study assignments. You will do the labs in small groups. All evaluated tasks are done individually.

Attendance on ALL scheduled session is highly recommended. In case of absence, 25% of the sessions may be compensated by separate compensatory tasks given by the teachers. If more than 75% of sessions are skipped, the final grade of the course will be reduced by 1 per each additionally skipped session.

RDI and work-related cooperation

Application of literature information to practical laboratory work. Visit to the waste water treatment plant.

Timing of exams and assignments

Evaluation is based on the portfolio. Portfolio is divided into four blocks, each having an individual deadline. Deadlines are settled at the course kick off.

No exam.

International cooperation

International study group

Student workload

Student work load is about 135 h.

Course part description

This course is coupled with the course Water and soil sampling. Samples collected from the field are used in the laboratory exercises of this laboratory course. Be sure to enroll into both courses!

Further information

Attendance for lab work is mandatory and highly recommended. If you need to be absent for personal reasons, you may skip up to 25% of the sessions, but you must compensate for the missed sessions with separate tasks assigned by the teachers. If you skip more than 75% of the sessions, your final grade will be reduced by 1 point for each additional session missed.

Evaluation scale

1-5

Assessment methods and criteria

Evaluation is based on the active attendance during the course and the portfolio collected during the water and soil courses (both sampling and laboratories). Portfolio is graded on scale 1-5. The same grade is then applied to this course and to the water and soil sampling course.

Portfolio is divided into 4 blocks evaluated separately. The final grade of the course is calculated as weighted average of the blocks. More detailed information about the evaluation is given at the course kick off.

Absence from the scheduled sessions (75% mandatory attendance) and delays from the submission deadlines may decrease the final grade.