Institute of Archaeology
ARCLG055
Model Building in Archaeology
2008–2009
Co-ordinator: Dr Mark Lake
mark.lake@ucl.ac.uk
Room 115, Tel. 020 7679 1535 (Ext. 21535)
Contents
1 Introduction
3
2 Aims
3
3 Objectives
3
4 Learning outcomes
3
5 Teaching methods
4
6 Prerequisites
4
7 Workload
4
8 Methods of assessment
4
9 Libraries and other resources
4
10 Teaching schedule
5
11 Course timetable
5
12 Seminar/Lecture summaries
5
13 Basic texts
10
14 Course reading list
10
15 Assessments
11
16 Citing of sources
11
17 Submission of coursework
12
18 Submission of coursework to Turnitin
12
19 Keeping copies
12
20 Communication
12
21 Dyslexia and other disabilities
13
22 Health and safety
13
23 Feedback
13
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Introduction
This handbook contains basic information about the content and administration of this course.
If you have queries about the objectives, structure, content, assessment or organisation of the
course, please consult the Course Co-ordinator.
Further important information, relating to all courses at the Institute of Archaeology, is
to be found at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/handbook/common/ and in the general
MA/MSc handbook. It is your responsibility to read and act on it. It includes information about
originality, submission and grading of coursework; disabilities; communication; attendance; and
feedback.
This document is also available (in HTML or as a PDF file) from the course website: http:
//moodle.ucl.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=337.
2
Aims
The aims of the course are:
• To help you gain knowledge and understanding of the benefits and limitations of computerbased modelling;
• To help you appreciate the cycle of activities involved in computer-based modelling;
• To help you gain basic knowledge of a range of current applications of computer-based
modelling in archaeology and related disciplines;
• To give you hands-on experience building and using agent-based simulation models.
• To provide a basic introduction to programming in Java.
3
Objectives
At the end of the course you should be able to:
• Evaluate whether computer-based modelling is an appropriate technique for research problems that you encounter;
• Choose the appropriate modelling paradigm;
• Schedule the modelling process within an overall research design;
• Design and implement a simple agent-based simulation model using Java and the Repast
framework.
4
Learning outcomes
In meeting these objectives you will also be able to demonstrate the following generic learning
outcomes:
• An understanding of the role of formal model building in the social sciences;
• The ability to use quantitative data to support an argument;
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• Basic Java programming skills;
• The application of acquired knowledge.
5
Teaching methods
Teaching will be by a mixture of lecture, seminar, demonstration and supervised practical
exercises. Lectures and seminars will last for 2 hours, or (usually) 1 hour when followed by a
practical class. Practical classes will normally involve direct supervision for one hour; in most
cases you will also be offered the option of an additional hour during which time the tutor will
be available to help as you work through exercises on your own.
N.B. Participation in practical exercises is limited by the availability of suitably equipped
computers, and is guaranteed only for those who are taking this course as an examined module
for a Masters degree.
6
Prerequisites
There are no formal prerequisites for this course, but it is essential that you have an aptitude
for computer methods and you may find some of the exercises easier if you have basic familiarity
with use of spreadsheets and/or GIS.
7
Workload
There will be 10 hours of seminars/lectures for this course and 15 hours of supervised practicals.
Students will be expected to undertake around 115 hours of reading and independent project
work for the course, plus 40 hours producing the assessed work. This adds up to a total workload
of 180 hours for the course.
8
Methods of assessment
This course is assessed by means of a total of 5000 words of coursework, divided into one
2000 word report (50%) and one 3000 word essay (50%). The topics and deadlines for each
assessment are specified below. If students are unclear about the nature of an assignment, they
should contact the Course Co-ordinator. The Course Co-ordinator will be willing to discuss an
outline of their approach to the assessment, provided this is planned suitably in advance of the
submission date.
9
Libraries and other resources
In addition to the Library of the Institute of Archaeology (5th floor), other libraries in UCL with
holdings of particular relevance to this course are the Science Library (D.M.S. Watson building
on the central UCL site) and the Environmental Studies Library in Wates House on Gordon
Street. You may also wish to consult the list of electronic journals available through UCL
(http://metalib-a.lib.ucl.ac.uk:8331/V?func=find-ej-1). A full list of UCL libraries
and their opening hours is provided at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/.
The University of London Senate House Library (http://www.ull.ac.uk/) also has holdings which may be relevant to this course.
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Teaching schedule
The course will be taught in Term 2. Unless advised otherwise, classes will be held from 14:00–
16:30 on Mondays. In many cases I will remain in the AGIS lab. until 17:00 to assist with
practicals and you may well find that you need the extra time to complete the class exercises.
Lectures will be held in room 410; seminars and practicals will all be held in room 322C (the
AGIS Lab.). There will be no taught class on 16th February (Reading Week).
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Course timetable
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Date
12 Jan
29 Jan
26 Jan
2 Feb
9 Feb
16 Feb
23 Feb
2 Mar
9 Mar
16 Mar
23 Mar
Session
1
2
3
4
5
–
6
7
8
9
10
Subject
Simulation modelling in archaeology: history and future
Agent-based models and human decision-making
Specialisation and cooperation
Networks, power laws and the small-world phenomenon
Approaches to demography
Reading week
Introduction to programming in Java
Programming an agent-based model in Java
Programming an agent-based model in Java continued
Programming a spatial agent-based model with Repast
Further programming with Repast
Seminar/Lecture summaries
The following is a session outline for the course as a whole, and identifies essential readings
relevant to each session. Information is provided as to where in the UCL library system individual readings are available; their location and Teaching Collection (TC) number, and status (whether out on loan) can also be accessed on the eUCLid computer catalogue system
(http://library.ucl.ac.uk/). The recommended readings are considered essential to keep
up with the topics covered in the course sessions, and it is expected that students will have read
these prior to the session under which they are listed. Copies of individual articles and chapters
identified as essential reading are in the Teaching Collection.
In addition, a research bibliography is available on the course website (http://moodle.ucl.
ac.uk/course/view.php?id=337) (note that because this is a research bibliography there is no
guarantee that all items are available in UCL libraries—please consult the course co-ordinator
in cases of difficulty).
Session 1: Simulation modelling in archaeology: history and future prospects
An introduction to simulation modelling in archaeology in which we will consider: a) what
problems it has been used to address; b) how it has been used and c) the steps in creating and
using a simulation.
Practical There is no practical this week, beyond ensuring that all participants have an
account in the Institute of Archaeology AGIS laboratory.
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Essential reading
M. W. Lake. Numerical modelling in archaeology. In D. R. Brothwell and A. M. Pollard, editors, Handbook of Archaeological Sciences, pages 723–732. John Wiley & Sons, 2001.
Additional reading
M. S. Aldenderfer. Computer simulation for archaeology: an introductory essay. In J. A.
Sabloff, editor, Simulations in Archaeology, pages 67–118. University of New Mexico,
Albuquerque, 1981.
N. Gilbert and K. G. Troitzsch. Simulation for the Social Scientist. Open University Press,
Buckingham, U.K., 1999. [INST ARCH AH GIL].
Ian Hodder, editor. Simulation Studies in Archaeology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1978.
T. A. Kohler. Putting social sciences together again: An introduction to the volume. In T. A.
Kohler and G. J. Gumerman, editors, Dynamics in Human and Primate Societies: AgentBased Modelling of Social and Spatial Processes, Santa Fe Institute Studies in the Sciences
of Complexity, pages 1–44. Oxford University Press, New York, 2000.
T. A. Kohler and S. E. van der Leeuw. The Model-Based Archaeology of Socionatural Systems.
School for Advanced Research Press, Santa Fe, 2007.
S. J. Mithen. Simulating prehistoric hunter-gatherers. In N. Gilbert and J. Doran, editors,
Simulating Societies: The Computer Simulation of Social Phenomena, pages 165–193.
UCL Press, London, 1994.
J. A. Sabloff, editor. Simulations in Archaeology. University of new Mexico, Albuquerque,
1981.
Session 2: Agent-based models and human decision-making
An introduction to agent-based modelling and discussion of how it has been used to model past
human decision-making.
Practical
Demonstration of an agent-based simulation (Sugarscape).
Essential reading
T. A. Kohler, J. Kresl, C. Van West, E. Carr, and R. H. Wilshusen. Be there then: A modeling approach to settlement determinants and spatial efficiency among Late Ancestral
Pueblo populations of the Mesa Verde region, U.S. Southwest. In T. A. Kohler and G. J.
Gumerman, editors, Dynamics in Human and Primate Societies, Santa Fe Institute Studies in the Sciences of Complexity, pages 145–178. Oxford University Press, New York,
2000.
M. W. Lake. MAGICAL computer simulation of Mesolithic foraging. In T. A. Kohler and G. J.
Gumerman, editors, Dynamics in Human and Primate Societies: Agent-Based Modelling
of Social and Spatial Processes, pages 107–143. Oxford University Press, New York, 2000.
[ANTHROPOLOGY B 36 KOH].
M. W. Lake. Being in a simulacrum: Electronic agency. In Andrew Gardner, editor, Agency
Uncovered: Archaeological Perspectives on Social Agency, Power and Being Human, pages
191–209. UCL Press, London, 2004. [INST ARCH AH GAR].
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S. J. Mithen. Thoughtful Foragers: A Study of Prehistoric Decision Making. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1990. [INST ARCH BC 100 MIT]. Chapter to be advised.
Additional reading
Andre Costopoulos. Evaluating the impact of increasing memory on agent behaviour: Adaptive
patterns in an agent-based simulation of subsistence. Journal of Artificial Societies and
Social Simulation, 4, 2001. http://www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/JASSS/4/4/7.html.
J. Ferber. Multi-Agent Systems: An Introduction to Distributed Artificial Intelligence. AddisonWesley, Harlow, England, English edition, 1999. [COMP SCI M11 FER].
N. Gilbert. Emergence in social simulation. In N. Gilbert and R. Conte, editors, Artificial
Societies: The Computer Simulation of Social Life, pages 144–156. U.C.L. Press, London,
1995.
N. Gilbert and K. G. Troitzsch. Simulation for the Social Scientist. Open University Press,
Buckingham, U.K., 1999. [INST ARCH AH GIL].
H. Randy Gimblett, editor. Integrating Geographic Information Systems and Agent-Based Modeling Techniques for Simulating Social and Ecological Processes. Santa Fe Institute Studies
in the Sciences of Complexity. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2002.
D. O’Sullivan and M. Haklay. Agent-based models and individualism: Is the world agent-based?
Environment and Planning A, 32:1409–1425, 2000.
Session 3: Specialisation and cooperation
An introduction to recent ideas about the origins of specialisation and cooperation in human
societies and how they have been modelled.
Practical
Repast ENN.
Essential reading
R. Alexander Bentley, Mark W. Lake, and Stephen S. Shennan. Specialisation and wealth inequality in a model of a clustered economic network. Journal of Archaeological Science,
32:1346–1356, 2005.
J. S. Lansing. Anti-chaos, common property, and the emergence of cooperation. In T. A. Kohler
and G. J. Gumerman, editors, Dynamics in Human and Primate Societies: Agent-Based
Modelling of Social and Spatial Processes, pages 207–224. Oxford University Press, New
York, 2000.
Stephen Shennan. Genes, Memes and Human History: Darwinian Archaeology and Cultural
Evolution. Thames & Hudson, London, 2002. Chapters 8 and 9.
Additional reading
Robert Axelrod. The dissemination of culture: A model with local convergence and global
polarization. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 41(2):203–226, 1997.
Samuel Bowles and Herbert Gintis. Homo reciprocans. Nature, 415:125–128, 2004.
Robert Boyd and Peter J. Richerson. Group beneficial norms can spread rapidly in a structured
population. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 215:287–296, 2002.
Herbert Gintis, Samuel Bowles, Robert Boyd, and Ernst Fehrd. Explaining altruistic behavior
in humans. Evolution and Human Behavior, pages 153–172, 2004.
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B. A. Huberman and N. S. Glance. Evolutionary games and computer simulations. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 90:7716–7718, 1993.
Martin A. Nowak and Karl Sigmund. Evolutionary dynamics of biological games. Science, 303:793–
799, 2004.
Session 4: Networks, power laws and the small-world phenomenon
An introduction to recent ideas about the the importance of network structure for understanding
human social and commercial life and how it may explain why many phenomena have a power
law distribution (e.g. why there are few very large firms and many small ones).
Practical Investigation of baby name, pastoralist and long barrow data. Calculation of clustering coefficient of network.
Essential reading
A. L. Barabasi and R. Albert. Emergence of scaling in random networks. Science, 286:509–512,
1999.
R. A. Bentley. Scale-free network growth and social inequality. In R. A. Bentley and H. D. G.
Maschner, editors, Complex Systems and Archaeology, pages 27–42. University of Utah
Press, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2003.
R. A. Bentley and S. J. Shennan. Random copying and cultural evolution. Science, 309:877–
879, 2005.
H. D. G. Maschner and R. A. Bentley. The power law of rank and household on the north pacific. In R. A. Bentley and H. D. G. Maschner, editors, Complex Systems and Archaeology,
pages 47–60. University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2003.
Duncan J. Watts and S. H. Strogatz. Collective dynamics of ‘small-world’ networks. Nature,
393:440–442, 1998.
Additional reading
Robert L. Axtell. Zipf distribution of U.S. firm sizes. Science, 293:1818–1820, 2001.
William Cook and Paul Ormerod. Power law distribution of the frequency of demises of US
firms. Physica A, 324:207–212, 2003.
I. Hodder. Simulating the growth of hierarchies. In C. Renfrew and K. L. Cooke, editors,
Transformations: Mathematical Approaches to Culture Change, pages 117–144. Academic
Press, New York, 1979. [INST ARCH AH REN].
G. A. Johnson. Organizational structure and scalar stress. In C. Renfrew, M. J. Rowlands,
and B. A. Seagraves, editors, Theory and Explanation in Archaeology, pages 389–421.
Academic Press, New York, 1982.
Duncan J. Watts. Small Worlds: The Dynamics of Networks Between Order and Randomness.
Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1999.
Session 5: Approaches to demography
A survey of approaches to modelling demography.
Practical
Spreadsheet implementation of difference equation and Leslie Matrix model.
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Essential reading
A. J. Ammerman and L. L. Cavalli-Sforza. The wave of advance model for the spread of agriculture in Europe. In C. Renfrew and K .L. Cooke, editors, Transformations: Mathematical Approaches to Culture Change, pages 275–294. Academic Press, New York, 1979.
M. Begon, M. Mortimer, and D. J. Thompson. Population Ecology: A Unified Study of Animals and Plants. Blackwell Science, Oxford, 1996. [BIOLOGY B 5 BEG]. Chapter 3.
S. J. Mithen. Simulating mammoth hunting and extinction: Implications for the Late Pleistocene of the Central Russian Plain. In G. L. Petersen, H. M. Bricker, and P. Mellars,
editors, Hunting and Animal Exploitation in the Later Palaeolithic and Mesolithic of Eurasia. Archaeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association No. 4, 1993.
S. J. Mithen and M. Reed. Stepping out: A computer simulation of hominid dispersal from
Africa. Journal of Human Evolution, 43:433–462, 2002.
J. Steele, J. Adams, and T. Sluckin. Modelling palaeoindian dispersals. World Archaeology,
30:286–305, 1998.
Session 6: Introduction to programming in Java
You will learn the basics of Java programming, including use of an appropriate integrated
development environment (IDE).
Practical
Java programming.
Essential reading
Russel Winder and Graham Roberts. Developing Java software. Worldwide series in computer
science. Wiley, Chichester, second edition, 2000. [COMPUTER SCIENCE D 20
JAV:WIN]. Sections: 2.1–2.7; 3.3; 3.6; 3.7; 3.8.1–3.8.4.
Session 7: Programming an agent-based model in Java
You will learn more about Java programming, focusing on aspects of the language commonly
used when developing agent-based models.
Practical
Java programming.
Session 8: Programming an agent-based model in Java continued
You will refine the model developed in week 7, including the addition of a basic graphical display.
Practical
Further programming.
Session 9: Programming a spatial agent-based model with Repast
You will learn the basics of how to program an agent-based model using the Repast toolkit.
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Essential reading
Self-Study Guide for Java-Based Repast (RepastJ) http://www.econ.iastate.edu/tesfatsi/
repastsg.htm.
How to Build a Repast Model - 2 http://repast.sourceforge.net/repast_3/how-to/model.
html.
Additional reading
The Repast website http://repast.sourceforge.net/repast_3/index.html.
Session 10: Further programming with Repast
You will learn to program a simulation model in which agents move around in a world represented by a GIS map.
Practical
Repast programming.
Essential reading
Spaces Overview (http://repast.sourceforge.net/repast_3/how-to/spaces.html).
How to Use GIS Data with Repast (http://repast.sourceforge.net/repast_3/how-to/Gis_
How_To.html).
Additional reading
R. H. Gimblett (ed.) Integrating Geographic Information Systems and Agent-Based Modeling
Techniques for Simulating Social and Ecological Processes. Oxford University Press, New
York, 2002. [INST ARCH AH GIM].
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Basic texts
Key texts for this course are:
Bentley, R. A. and Maschner, H. D. G., editors, 2003. Complex Systems and Archaeology. Salt
Lake City, Utah: University of Utah Press. [INST ARCH AH BEN]
Gilbert, N. and Troitzsch, K. G., 1999. Simulation for the Social Scientist. Buckingham, U.K:
Open University Press. [INST ARCH AH GIL]
Gimblett, H. Randy, editor, 2002. Integrating Geographic Information Systems and AgentBased Modeling Techniques for Simulating Social and Ecological Processes. Santa Fe Institute Studies in the Sciences of Complexity. New York: Oxford University Press. [INST
ARCH AH GIM]
Kohler, T. A. and Gumerman, G. J., editors, 2000. Dynamics in Human and Primate Societies.
Santa Fe Institute Studies in the Sciences of Complexity. New York: Oxford University
Press. [ANTHROPOLOGY B 36 KOH]
Winder, R. and Roberts, G., 2000. Developing Java software. Chichester: Wiley (second
edition). [COMPUTER SCIENCE D 20 JAV:WIN]
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Course reading list
Please see the reading listed in the lecture summaries.
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Assessments
This course is assessed entirely by coursework consisting of the two assignments described here.
1. One 2500 word essay (50%) giving you an opportunity to demonstrate your theoretical
understanding of an important issue in archaeological computer simulation. You should
choose one of the following questions:
• For what purposes has computer simulation been used in archaeology (or anthropology) and how do you expect it to be used in future?
• Does agent-based modelling provide a vehicle for exploring agency in the past? You
may wish to consult papers in Agency in Archaeology 1 and Agency Uncovered 2 to
see how archaeologists are using the idea of agency.
• How might the idea of emergence be of use to archaeologists? Discuss with reference
to at least one case study.
• Drawing on appropriate examples, discuss the benefits of integrating GIS and agentbased modelling?
• What relevance, if any, do the power law and small-world phenomena have for archaeology?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of analytical versus simulation approaches
to understanding past demography?
• What can we learn from simulation experiments about the origins of cooperation
and/or specialisation?
2. One report of project work (50%) designed to demonstrate basic skills in computer-based
modelling using Repast. Further details will be made available once you have gained some
programming experience.
Submission dates
1. Essay: Monday 23 February;
2. Report: Monday 11 May.
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Citing of sources
Coursework should be expressed in a student’s own words giving the exact source of any ideas,
information, diagrams, etc. that are taken from the work of others. Any direct quotations
from the work of others must be indicated as such by being placed between inverted commas. Plagiarism is regarded as a very serious irregularity which can
1
Marcia-Anne Dobres and J. Robb, editors. Agency in Archaeology. Routledge, London and New York, 2000.
Andrew Gardner, editor. Agency Uncovered: Archaeological Perspectives on Social Agency, Power and Being
Human. UCL Press, London, 2004.
2
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carry very heavy penalties. It is your responsibility to read and abide by the requirements for presentation, referencing and avoidance of plagiarism to be found in the Coursework
Guidelines document at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/handbook/common/cfp.htm (or
in your MA/MSc Handbook).
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Submission of coursework
The coursework must be stapled to a completed blue coversheet (available from the web (http:
//www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/intranet/forms/index.htm), from outside Room 411A or
at Reception) and submitted to the course co-ordinator’s pigeon hole via the red essay box
at Reception by the appropriate deadline. Late submission will be penalised unless permission
has been granted and an Extension Request Form (ERF) completed. Please see the Coursework
Guidelines document at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/handbook/common/submission.
htm (or your MA/MSc Handbook) for further details on the required procedure.
Some of the assessed work for this course will require you to include illustrations, such as
maps, graphs and screenshots of software. Please ensure that these are carefully presented.
General guidance is available at: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/handbook/common/
illustrations.htm. All illustrations should have informative captions. Where appropriate,
maps should include indicators of scale and orientation, as well as a legend (key) based on
sensible ranges of data values. Graphs should include informative labels for the X- and Y-axes.
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Submission of coursework to Turnitin
In addition to submitting your coursework as described above, it is now a requirement that you
submit it electronically to the Turnitin system (http://www.submit.ac.uk/static_jisc/ac_
uk_index.html). The Turnitin ’class ID’ for this course is 89876 and the enrolment password
is IoA0809.
Students who fail to submit their coursework to Turnitin will not receive the mark for the
work in question until they have done so (although they will receive written feedback in the
usual way). The maximum mark for work that has not been submitted to Turnitin prior to the
meeting of the Board of Examiners will be a bare pass.
In advance of submitting your coursework for marking you may, if you wish, run your work
through the system in order to obtain a report on the originality of the wording and then
make any necessary adjustments prior to final submission. Please email the Turnitin Advisers
(ioa-turnitin@ucl.ac.uk)
It is important to recognise that the final decision about whether work contains plagiarism
rests with academic staff. Consequently, the presence or absence of matches in a Turnitin report
does not, by itself, provide a guarantee that the work in question either contains or is free from
plagiarism.
Detailed instructions on the use of the system will be supplied separately.
19
Keeping copies
Please note that it is an Institute requirement that you retain a copy (this can be electronic)
of all coursework submitted. When your marked essay is returned to you, you should return it
to the marker within two weeks. You may like to keep a copy of the comments if you are likely
to wish to refer to these later.
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Communication
If any changes need to be made to the course arrangements, these will normally be communicated
by email. It is therefore essential that you consult your UCL e-mail account regularly.
21
Dyslexia and other disabilities
If you have dyslexia or any other disability, please make your lecturers aware of this. Please
discuss with your lecturers whether there is any way in which they can help you. Students with
dyslexia are reminded to indicate this on each piece of coursework.
22
Health and safety
Students enrolled on this course are particularly reminded of the measures that should be taken
to reduce possible discomfort arising from the extended use of computer workstations. See the
advice provided on the web at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/efd/safety_services_www/guidance/
dse/index.htm.
23
Feedback
In trying to make this course as effective as possible, we welcome feedback from students during
the course of the year. All students are asked to give their views on the course in an anonymous questionnaire which will be circulated at one of the last sessions of the course. These
questionnaires are taken seriously and help the Course Co-ordinator to develop the course. The
summarised responses are considered by the Institute’s Staff-Student Consultative Committee,
Teaching Committee, and by the Faculty Teaching Committee.
If students are concerned about any aspect of this course we hope they will feel able to
talk to the Course Co-ordinator, but if they feel this is not appropriate, they should consult
their Degree Tutor, the Academic Administrator (Judy Medrington), or the Chair of Teaching
Committee (Dr. Sue Hamilton).