Course Description
Research methods with an emphasis on presentation and instructional techniques.
Athena Title
Proseminar in EHS
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in EHSC 6010
Prerequisite
Permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
1) To learn the use of a presentation software package, such as PowerPoint. 2) To research and give a 30-40 minute oral presentation on the proposed thesis or dissertation research. 3) To learn to write a concise and effective technical abstract for the presentation. 4) To learn how to peer review oral presentations.
Topical Outline
The course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be necessary. Course Requirements: 1) Mandatory attendance! Roll will be taken at the beginning of each class. Each absence will result in a reduction of 1 letter grade (i.e., from "A" to "B"). Excused absences will be noted only if accompanied with written documentation. Please give instructor sufficient prior notification of any excused absences. 2) Presentations: Each student will make one presentation during the quarter. Each presentation should last 30-40 minutes, followed by a 10-15 minute period for questions. 3) Seminar topic: Each student will present his/her proposed research plan. The presentation will be developed under the advisement of the student's major professor. The presentation should include a review of the literature pertaining to the thesis/dissertation project, an overview of the approach of the proposed project, objectives, hypotheses, experimental design and summary of the methods to be used. Students must submit their proposed seminar title to the instructor 2 weeks prior to their seminar date. 4) Required materials: a. Abstract: Seminar speakers must submit a 300-400 word abstract to the instructor by noon on the day before their seminar. Copies of the abstracts will made available to the class and EHS faculty on the morning of the seminar. b. Visual aids: The use of computer-generated visual aids is required for each presentation. Speakers should prepare slides using a presentation graphics program such as PowerPoint. During the presentation slides can be shown using a slide projector, the computer projection system, or a combination of the two media. Each student is responsible for reserving and setting up any necessary equipment prior to his/her seminar. c. Bibliography: On the day of the presentation, each student must turn in a bibliography citing all reference materials used for the presentation. A minimum of 6 sources must be used for each talk. 5) Grades: a. Reviews: Each presentation will be evaluated by the instructor and each nonpresenting student in the class. Review forms are available on the EHS server "dropbox" and must be emailed as an attached file to the instructor. b. Grades: Grades will be based equally on student presentations (based on instructor's and peer reviewers' comments) and class participation, including written reviews and questions asked. 6) Tentative schedule: Week 1: Organizational meeting Week 2: Powerpoint demonstration (if needed) Weeks 3-15: Student presentations