Marine_Ecomed Intensive Study Program

The main output of the Marine_Ecomed Project is the Intensive Study Program (ISP) on planning and management of marine and coastal areas. It is a multidisciplinary course focused in aspects such as spatial planning, environmental management and sustainability, climate change, stakeholder engagement, innovative research and technologies. The ISP is organized through 2 Long Distance Learning (LDL) modules and a 2 weeks long workshop. It will be conducted for three editions (from 2019 to 2021).

Students will be trained by the experts of the project partner institutions and participate together to the course, collaboration between them will be enhanced to promote knowledge exchange and networking. Participation to the workshop will be supported through the award of Erasmus+ mobility grants available for students of the project partner universities in order to entirely cover their expenses.

The course is valid for 6 ECTS credits and it will be addressed to students from project partner universities (University of Venice, University of Marseille, University of Thessaloniki). Subscription of students from academic institutions external to the partnership will also be considered.

Hosting Universities

  • 2019

    Aix de Marseille - Marseille (France)

  • 2021

    Aristotle University - Thessaloniki (Greece)

    2021

  • 2021

    IUAV - Venice (Italy)

The ISP in Planning and Management of Marine and Coastal Areas

Introduction

The Intensive Study Program was valid for 6 ECTS credits. Erasmus+ grants were available for students from partner Universities, to cover expenses of travel and subsidence.

The Intensive Study Program on Planning and Management of Marine and Coastal Areas was thought for connecting students from different backgrounds through an innovative course on the multidisciplinary subject of Planning and Management of Marine and Coastal areas. It was developed through three complementary modules: two long-distance learning modules and a two-weeks workshop.

In a nutshell the intensive study program provided participants with:

  • fundamental knowledge to understand how terrestrial planning deeply influences marine and coastal areas and vice-versa;
  • understanding on the main aspects of marine and coastal planning and management and the main challenges and potential solutions for its effective implementation;
  • knowledge on the main aspects and strategies adopted in citizens science and how these can support the implementation of spatial planning and management;
  • detailed insight on good practices in the context of planning and management of marine and coastal areas through interactive classes delivered by the experts of the project partner institutions;

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes (based on Dublin Descriptors) are the following:

Knowledge and understanding: Acquire knowledge on main relevant aspects of coastal and marine planning and management and the main challenges and potential solutions for its effective implementation; acquire an overview of citizens science and communication strategies and approaches and their relevance to support spatial planning and management;

Applied knowledge and understanding: Depict the key steps typical of a coastal-marine planning and management process and apply it to a specific geographical context;

Making judgements: Select the best tools and approaches for the development of a coastal-marine planning and management project in relation to site-specific conditions of different scenarios/case studies;

Communication skills: Communicate effectively with other students and teachers from different backgrounds; communicate their working results to specialist and non-specialist audience; be able to work in teams around common problems;

Learning skills: Describe main tools and methods available to effectively approach planning and management of coastal-marine systems; acquire an overall knowledge of marine-coastal planning and management adequate to orient their future study, research and work within the framework of this multidisciplinary field.

Syllabus

The course aims to provide participants with an overall knowledge of planning and management of marine and coastal areas, the principles, and approaches that can be adopted for its effective elaboration and implementation. Specific focus will be addressed on available stakeholder engagement approaches and communication strategies to support planning and management.

Main subjects of the teaching modules:

  • The terrestrial-marine continuum, an overview (physical, environmental, socio-political aspects)

  • Planning process (key steps: visioning, problem scoping, analysis, elaboration of planning measures and implementation program)

  • Monitoring and planning implementation evaluation;

  • Stakeholder engagement

  • Communication and public awareness

Program

Long distance learning (module 1 – 2)

These modules included interactive virtual classes and tutoring delivered through the use of the online platform designed to support the implementation of an innovative interactive learning approach.
The online platform (Canvas LMS) also served as a virtual space for students from different backgrounds and institutions to interact between each other through the Marine_Ecomed forum in order to share experiences and discuss about the course aspects and topics.

Long Distance Learning 1 (Module 1)

It was based on Open Education Resources (OERs) made available by the project partners from the 3 academic institutions and shared through the project web platform.

In particular this module focused on: the terrestrial-marine continuum; the planning process (key steps: visioning, problem scoping, analysis, elaboration of planning measures and implementation program); monitoring and planning implementation evaluation;

To capitalize the knowledge acquired from this module each student was asked to undertake an individual problem-based exercise on the subject of Innovative strategies for sustainable coastal-marine planning and management. Classes, interactive tutoring and examination were delivered through the project web platform.

Long Distance Learning 2 (Module 2)

It was based on Open Education Resources (OERs) made available by the project partners from the 3 non-academic institutions and shared through the project web platform.

In particular this module focused on: survey strategies to support monitoring and planning implementation evaluation; stakeholder engagement strategies; communication and public awareness strategies;

To capitalize the knowledge acquired from this module each student was asked to undertake an individual problem-based exercise on the subject of Engagement and communication strategies for sustainable coastal-marine planning and management. Classes, interactive tutoring and examination were delivered through the project web platform.

Workshop (module 3)

During the workshop students with different backgrounds from the different partner universities worked in groups on a real case study on the local marine and coastal area of the workshop site.

This represented the opportunity for participants to apply the knowledge acquired during the two previous modules and to benefit from frontal classes taught by the experts involved in the program, who shared their professional experience in planning and management of marine and coastal areas and provide support to students in the development of their work.

The aim of the workshop was to provide participants with a clear understanding of planning and management strategies, available communication strategies and related challenges, enhancing them to work on existing issues on a real case, with real data, in a real political and administrative context, with real stakeholders and workers.

Team work: during the workshop participants worked in groups. Each group was composed by participants of different nationalities, background (planning and oceanography), skills (e.g. GIS, graphic tools) in order to simulate real-life multidisciplinary team work.

Contents: During the workshop, research and campaign experiences selected by the partnership members, were presented to students by the experts involved in the mobility program.

The case studies selected were located on the coastal-marine geographical context of the hosting university. Students were provided with data and information on the case study to support the development of their work. A field trip was organized in the coastal area adopted as case study to foster understanding on main specificities and challenges to the planning and management of the case study local context.

The workshop was also an occasion to foster students understanding of ecosystem services by involving them in a role-playing simulation, the Marine ecosystem services game.

Work presentation: in order to allow students to get a better understanding of real dynamics in planning and management their work was presented at a public event organized within the project framework where local experts and stakeholders will be invited to give a very important feedback to workshop results.

Evaluation: Examination for this module was based on active participation to the workshop (30%), problem-based activities consisting in the oral presentation of a potential strategy developed for the “marine planning, management and communication” of a real case study (30%), writing of a report on a potential strategy developed for the “marine planning, management and communication” of a real case study (40%).

At the end of the workshop a joint certificate was issued to participants by the three universities involved.