Assignments

Assignments consist of presentations on assigned papers, daily synopses of these presented papers, and a 10-15 page research paper (optional for undergraduates, required for graduates).

Before class each student is to prepare a synopsis of the two articles that will be presented that day. Each synopsis should be a paragraph summarizing the article followed by two substantive questions for discussion. Please hand your synopses to the TA at the end of each class. This exercise is intended to make you sufficiently familiar with the articles to permit an intelligent discussion after each presentation.

Guidelines for Presentations

Assignment for the Undergraduate Students

Class Presentations

  • Read and re-read your assigned journal article
  • Outline your talk as follows:
    • Purpose of study (hypotheses, questions)
    • Participants
    • Methods
    • Results
    • Interpretation
    • What experiment(s) should follow?
  • Use Microsoft® PowerPoint® or overheads
  • Limit your presentation to 10 minutes
  • Define new terms
  • Be critical as appropriate, i.e., don't just read and regurgitate - think
  • A 5 minutes discussion will follow

Assignment for the Graduate Students

Part 1 - Paper

  • 10-15 page paper

Part 2 - Class Presentations

  • Read and re-read your assigned journal article
  • Outline your talk as follows:
    • Purpose of study (hypotheses, questions)
    • Participants
    • Methods
    • Results
    • Interpretation
    • What experiment(s) should follow?
  • Use Microsoft® PowerPoint® or overheads
  • Limit your presentation to 10 minutes
  • Define new terms
  • Be critical as appropriate, i.e., don't just read and regurgitate - think
  • A 5 minutes discussion will follow