Exam 2015, questions and answers PDF

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Examiners’ commentaries 2015

Examiners’ commentaries 2015 GY2164 Economic geography

Important note

This commentary reflects the examination and assessment arrangements for this course in the academic year 2014–15. The format and structure of the examination may change in future years, and any such changes will be publicised on the virtual learning environment (VLE).

Information about the subject guide and the Essential reading references Unless otherwise stated, all cross-references will be to the latest version of the subject guide (2011). You should always attempt to use the most recent edition of any Essential reading textbook, even if the commentary and/or online reading list and/or subject guide refers to an earlier edition. If different editions of Essential reading are listed, please check the VLE for reading supplements – if none are available, please use the contents list and index of the new edition to find the relevant section.

General remarks Learning outcomes At the end of this course and having completed the Essential reading and activities you should be able to: •

explain the importance of economic geography in analysing the ways societies and economies work

•

explain and apply key concepts and theoretical approaches in economic geography

•

discuss and critically evaluate these concepts and theoretical approaches

•

apply these concepts and theoretical approaches to key social and economic issues in the context of economic globalisation

•

discuss policy options for overcoming inequality and uneven development in the globalising world.

Introduction These general remarks are repeated largely for candidates new to the course. Most of these points have been made in Examiners’ commentaries in previous years and in other commentaries. With new candidates signing up for the course each year, they are well worth repeating. However, it is curious (to examiners at least) how candidates seem to think that the specific comments on questions are more important or useful than the general ones. The general comments provided here on how to approach the examination remain still, by far, the most important advice that can be given and you really must read them and follow the advice given.

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GY2164 Economic geography

Format of the examination The examination paper for this course is three hours in duration and you are expected to answer three questions from a choice of 10. All of the topics covered in the syllabus and subject guide are examined and all learning outcomes listed above may appear on the examination paper in one form or another. It is therefore essential that you prepare well for your examination.

How to prepare for the examination Put simply, if you have followed the subject guide all the way through and have completed all the reading and activities, then you stand a good chance of doing well in the examination. However, even if you have done all this, it does not automatically mean that the examination will be a success. The examination is your chance to show that you have gained knowledge throughout the course and that you have a critical understanding of processes around you. It pays not to underestimate the examination and to prepare well for it. My first piece of advice is to revise thoroughly and carefully. Certainly, everybody has different ways of doing this and you need to find a revision technique that works best for you. When I was an undergraduate student I revised for examinations by going through my notes, re-reading key texts and preparing concise summaries of all topics involved. I wrote these summaries on small cards – one per topic – often in a bullet-pointed form and often including key diagrams or figures. The format itself encouraged me to think about the most important concepts, definitions, facts and arguments related to the particular topic or theme. This process of selection and compression helped the learning and revision process enormously. The small size of these cards allowed me to carry them with me all the time and revise at any opportunity, even when travelling on a busy bus or tram. My second piece of advice is to sit a ‘mock’ examination at home or arrange for a time at your teaching institution where you can take it as if you were taking the real examination. It is a really useful thing to do and there is no substitute for it. Indeed, a couple of times when I was an undergraduate, I revised thoroughly and was certain that I could cope with anything but, when confronted with the examination questions, I realised that I couldn’t write all that much. I thought I knew everything, but I didn’t. Working through past examination papers is the best way to avoid such situations. Choose three questions from the subject guide or the Examiners’ commentaries, give yourself three hours and try to see what you can do. If you are struggling, then more preparation and revision may be needed. If, on the other hand, you feel it is going well you can always repeat a ‘mock’ examination with a different set of questions. Try the questions that you ‘like’ but also those that you would consider more ‘difficult’. You never know what will come up on the examination paper. The more you prepare, the better. What you need to keep in mind when revising and preparing for your examination is that it is there to check how far you have gone in reaching learning outcomes. So you need to ask yourself the following questions: can I explain the importance of economic geography in analysing the ways societies and economies work? Can I explain and apply key concepts and theoretical approaches in economic geography? Can I discuss and critically evaluate these concepts and theoretical approaches? Can I apply these concepts and theoretical approaches to key social and economic issues in the context of economic globalisation? Can I discuss policy options 2

Examiners’ commentaries 2015

for overcoming inequality and uneven development in the globalising world? You may notice that these key questions correspond to particular chapters and themes covered in the subject guide. For example, the importance of economic geography in analysing the way societies and economies work is explicitly discussed in Chapter 1. This does not mean, however, that examination questions will necessarily follow individual chapters and sections. You need to keep your mind open and be prepared to use material from across the whole syllabus. Real life does not come in chapters and some questions do not have easy answers. What you will need to demonstrate in the examination, however, is that you have a sound knowledge and critical thinking skills to tackle any problem or question.

During the examination After all this hard work you may feel that you are ready. However, there are simple things that you need to remember when sitting the actual examination. My advice is that you: •

Read all the questions carefully and make sure that you understand what they are about. Remember that the questions do not necessarily correspond to a single topic – some could cover more than one topic from the syllabus since the different topics are not self-contained. Often, to provide a good answer, you need to draw on knowledge that spans the entire syllabus.

•

Select three questions that you think you may be able to provide the best answer to.

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Read these three questions again to make sure that you are 100 per cent certain what each one is about. The fact that a topic sounds familiar does not necessarily mean that you can write anything about it.

•

Pay attention to words like ‘describe’, ‘explain’ or ‘discuss’. There is a big difference in what each requests you to do (see the section ‘Understanding what the question is asking for’ in Strategies for success where these distinctions are explained).

•

Some questions include a request to do this or that ‘with reference

to’ some concept, theory or example(s). Make sure you demonstrate that you understand well the given concept or theory and that you use the most pertinent example or examples. •

Some questions have two (or more) parts. For example, the question can ask you to both ‘describe and explain’ a certain process or phenomenon. Make sure that you address equally all parts of such a question. In this case you need to first ‘describe’ it and then ‘explain’ it. You may lose a lot of points if you don’t do both, because your answer will be considered incomplete.

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Before writing your answer, make a plan. Note key points and prepare a structure for your essay.

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Make sure that your answer addresses the question asked and not another that you have seen on a past examination paper or that you would prefer to answer.

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Write clearly and concisely. Writing concisely is part of the skill that you need to do well in examination.

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Write legibly. Your handwriting must be such that other people (examiners) can read it. There is no point writing anything if the examiners will not be able to read it. Illegible material cannot be marked. 3

GY2164 Economic geography

•

Include a short introduction – briefly restating what the question is about, outlining how you are going to answer it and indicating what your answer is going to be. When I say short introduction, I mean short. Two or three sentences will suffice.

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Don’t forget to include a conclusion – summarising the key arguments and restating your answer. Three or four sentences can do the job if you write concisely.

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Make sure that you pay equal attention to all three questions selected.

•

Last, but not least (and related to the point above), you need to have an excellent time management in the examination. This is a very important point and will be discussed in more detail in turn.

Planning your time in the examination To be able to do all the above you really need to plan your time well during the examination. You only have three hours. That may sound like a lot but, in reality, time will fly. The examination is a stressful experience in its own right – and even more so, if you are running out of time! Without

good time management, no matter how much you know and how much revision you have done, you will not perform well. At the beginning, you need to read through the questions and select the ‘right’ ones. Do not rush this; you need to be absolutely clear that you understand the questions – especially those you want to answer. Set an equal amount of time for each of the three questions you are answering. Doing the first question fantastically well, but failing to address the remaining two, because of lack of time, can be disastrous for your final mark. Within each question, you also need to spend some time planning your answer, writing it and then finally checking it at the end. Keep a close look at your watch when doing this.

What are the Examiners looking for? There is nothing more pleasant for the Examiners than reading excellent examination scripts and awarding excellent marks. Equally, there is nothing more depressing than marking poorly argued and poorly written essays. Make sure that the Examiners will be pleased to read yours. The Examiners are guided by the general marking and assessment

criteria. While answering the questions actually set, you need to demonstrate, among other things: a thorough understanding of the subject; extensive range and consistent accuracy of information and knowledge; and a fluent argument demonstrating independent thinking or critical insight. If you add evidence of study outside the prescribed range of the programme, alongside an outstanding presentation, structure and standard of English, you are heading for first class honours. You should always strive for excellence. On the other hand, if you demonstrate an unacceptable standard, a lack of basic understanding of the subject, insufficient or inaccurate knowledge of the subject, or an inability to develop a reasoned argument you will fail the examination. To avoid disappointment, follow the Key steps to improvement (see below).

Important note: The Examiners are not just looking to see how much you know about the subject. If they were, then questions would just say: ‘Tell us everything that you know about X or Y’. No, examiners are

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looking for something else. They want to try to find out whether you have understood the material. They do this by asking you a specific question. So make sure that your answer addresses the question asked and not another that you have seen on a past examination paper or that you would prefer to answer.

Key steps to improvement •

Follow the subject guide.

•

Do as many activities described in the subject guide as you can.

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Read all Essential reading. The subject guide also gives you plenty of suggestions for Further reading but feel free to go beyond that. The more you read the better.

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Revise thoroughly and carefully.

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Sit a ‘mock’ examination.

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Follow the examination advice given above.

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Read through the Examiners’ commentaries on past examination questions. These will give you a good feel about what is expected for different types of questions, and will help you to understand the depth and breadth of answer which is being sought by the examiners.

Examination revision strategy

Many candidates are disappointed to find that their examination performance is poorer than they expected. This may be due to a number of reasons. The Examiners’ commentaries suggest ways of addressing common problems and improving your performance. One particular failing is ‘question spotting’, that is, confining your examination preparation to a few questions and/or topics which have come up in past papers for the course. This can have serious consequences. We recognise that candidates may not cover all topics in the syllabus in the same depth, but you need to be aware that examiners are free to set questions on any aspect of the syllabus. This means that you need to study enough of the syllabus to enable you to answer the required number of examination questions. The syllabus can be found in the Course information sheet in the section of the VLE dedicated to each course. You should read the syllabus carefully and ensure that you cover sufficient material in preparation for the examination. Examiners will vary the topics and questions from year to year and may well set questions that have not appeared in past papers. Examination papers may legitimately include questions on any topic in the syllabus. So, although past papers can be helpful during your revision, you cannot assume that topics or specific questions that have come up in past examinations will occur again.

If you rely on a question-spotting strategy, it is likely you will find yourself in difficulties when you sit the examination. We strongly advise you not to adopt this strategy.

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GY2164 Economic geography

Examiners’ commentaries 2015 GY2164 Economic geography – Zone A

Important note

This commentary reflects the examination and assessment arrangements for this course in the academic year 2014–15. The format and structure of the examination may change in future years, and any such changes will be publicised on the virtual learning environment (VLE).

Information about the subject guide and the Essential reading references Unless otherwise stated, all cross-references will be to the latest version of the subject guide (2011). You should always attempt to use the most recent edition of any Essential reading textbook, even if the commentary and/or online reading list and/or subject guide refers to an earlier edition. If different editions of Essential reading are listed, please check the VLE for reading supplements – if none are available, please use the contents list and index of the new edition to find the relevant section.

Comments on specific questions Candidates should answer THREE of the following TEN questions. All questions carry equal marks.

Question 1 How far would you agree that as a sub-discipline, Economic Geography can play a major role in explaining the causes of the ongoing global economic crisis?

Reading for this question Subject guide, Chapter 3 and Epilogue, including recommended reading.

Approaching the question This question looks simple, but it requires some thought. It is a common mistake to treat a question such as this as an invitation to write anything and everything about economic geography as a subject (or sub-discipline). And in some ways a broad knowledge of the subject is indeed required, because the question cuts across the entire syllabus. However, it is important to note that the question is related to the ongoing global economic crisis and specifically the causes of it. Therefore, you will need to mobilise your knowledge of economic geography concepts or approaches that has something to say about this. In particular, you may wish to highlight those concepts and approaches that link the crises in capitalist economies with geography. For example, can insights into ‘circuits of capital’, ‘capital switching’ and ‘spatial fix’ be useful in considering the current crisis? Have a close look at Chapter 3 of the subject guide. Also the Epilogue of the subject guide is a good starting point to start thinking about the crisis and how economic geography can help us to understand its different dimensions. There is no doubt that this is one of the most important issues for the discipline and you should be able to come up with some relevant arguments. There is no 6

Examiners’ commentaries 2015

‘correct’ answer here, but the way you answer this question (and how well you demonstrate your familiarity with the relevant concepts) will give examiners a good indication what you have learned in this course and how well you are able to apply this knowledge to the real world – which is one of the key learning outcomes of this course.

Question 2 ‘Due to economic globalisation, space and place no longer matter for firms.’ Discuss.

Reading for this question Subject guide, Chapters 1, 3 and 4, including recommended reading.

Approaching the question This may look like an easy question to answer (one could easily dismiss the statement as ‘hyperglobalist’) but to answer this question well you need to pay attention to several things. First of all, it is important to notice that you need to ‘discuss’ the statement. This means that you have to weigh arguments for and against the given statement. A good answer will use both theoretical arguments (i.e. relevant theories and concepts) and available evidence to back such theoretical statements (in the form of good examples). With regard to the statement itself, there are several important details to be noticed. First, the question relates to ‘firms’ but it does not specify the type of firms. This is important, because it is hard to see that there is one answer for all firms in all sectors, regardless of the type of business they are in, the size of the firm (e.g. SME versus multinational corporation) etc. Secondly, the question relates to the importance of ‘space’ and ‘place’. It is important and a good answer will need to explain well what ‘space’ and ‘place’ actually are (see Chapter 1 of the subject guide) and in what ways space and place matters to firms (see Chapter 3). Finally, your answer will have to consider how economic globalisation has affected th...