Directed activities will consist of: theoretical lectures, problem-solving activities based on practical case studies in the classroom and computer lab, and a field trip, in addition to activities that promote student participation through seminars and tutorials.

Lectures: Theoretical knowledge will be delivered primarily in the classroom through lectures, supported by ICT tools and large-group discussions. In addition to the selected bibliography, students will have access to other materials to support their learning. These materials will be available on the course’s virtual campus and in libraries. The theoretical knowledge acquired by students will be assessed through written exams.

Problem-solving activities (classroom and computer lab): Practical sessions will apply the knowledge acquired and involve solving simple problems. Different types of environmental hazard case studies and their associated maps will be interpreted and analyzed. Students will be required to use GIS tools to produce susceptibility maps.

Fieldwork: During the field trip, students will acquire a transversal and systemic understanding of selected environmental hazard problems, including process recognition, field data collection and validation, and the interpretation of hazard-related cartography.

Some tasks will be carried out in groups to promote cooperative learning. Students will also deliver oral presentations in class, encouraging debate and active participation.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment is carried out continuously throughout the course, partly in groups and partly individually.

Exams (30% + 30%): This component assesses, on an individual basis, the scientific and technical knowledge acquired by the student, as well as their capacity for analysis, synthesis, and critical reasoning. The evaluation of theoretical content and part of the practical component is conducted through a minimum of two written exams held during the course, each accounting for 30% of the final grade. The contents are cumulative in a sequential (non-overlapping) manner, meaning that subsequent exams do not include material from previous ones. The grade for this component is the sum of the two exams, provided that each exam score is at least 4.

Assessment of practical activities (25%): This corresponds to the submission of reports from classroom and field practicals.

Group project (15%): Students complete a group project on a real environmental hazard case study, selected at the beginning of the course and approved by the teaching team.

To pass the course, the average mark of the exams must be at least 5, and the average mark of the practical reports and coursework must also be at least 5.

Both midterm exams are eligible for resit and will be retaken together on the date set by the course coordination. To be eligible for the resit, students must have obtained an average mark of at least 5 in the continuous assessment components (practical reports and coursework).

Students may opt for single (final) assessment by notifying the instructors within the first two weeks of the course. This assessment consists of a comprehensive exam covering all course content (60% of the final grade) and the submission of two assignments based on practical activities and case studies included in the course (40% of the final grade). The exam will take place on the same date as the second midterm of the continuous assessment. The resit for the single assessment will be held on the same day as the resit for the continuous assessment.

Restricted use of AI: For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks, such as bibliographic or information searches, text correction, or translations. Students must clearly identify which parts have been generated using this technology, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these tools have influenced the process and the final outcome of the activity. Lack of transparency regarding the use of AI in this assessable activity will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in a partial or total penalty in the activity grade, or more serious sanctions in severe cases.

Irregularities in assessment activities: Any irregularity committed in an assessment activity —academic fraud, plagiarism, or improper use of AI, unless such use is expressly authorised in the course guide— that may lead to a significant change in the grade will result in that assessment activity being graded as 0. If the course guide establishes that, in order to pass the course, a minimum grade must be obtained in that assessment activity, or if several irregularities occur in the assessment activities of the same course, the final grade for that course will be 0. In addition, disciplinary proceedings may be initiated against any student who commits any of these irregularities.