BSC 4931-U04 Senior Seminar
Spring 2011, Tuesdays 9:30-10:45, OE 102
Course Description - a one-credit seminar that is taken in the senior year of the B.S. program in Biology or Marine Biology. The course teaches skills in conducting scientific research and public speaking, and in preparing for job seeking. The general topic for a research paper is the history of Florida's marine or terrestrial flora or fauna.
Course Objectives - to carry through scientific research from investigating a topic to writing a paper about it and presenting a talk to the class; and to write a curriculum vitae (resumé). The main purpose of the course is to develop skills that are critical for a successful professional career, using biology as the target area of interest.
Learning Outcomes - ability to search the scientific literature (both electronic and paper) on a topic, write a paper in the scientific style, give an oral presentation of the results, and field questions from the audience; basic skills of critiquing a scientific presentation and graciously accepting constructive criticism from your audience; increased understanding of what makes a good curriculum vitae.
Prerequisites - senior standing, which is equivalent to having earned 90 credits or more.
COURSE OUTLINE
| DATE | LECTURES | ASSIGNMENT DEADLINES |
| Jan. 11 | Introduction to the course; selection of research topics | |
| Jan. 18 | Electronic/database resources for researching topics - meet in GL 245. Last day to drop a course without paying a fine. | Title of topic |
| Jan. 25 | Choice of topics: 2-minute discussion with each student, with all students present | |
| Feb. 1 | How to research your topic | General outline |
| Feb. 8 | Writing resumés and preparing for job interviews | |
| Feb. 15 | How to write a science paper | Resumé |
| Feb. 22 | Selection of presentation dates. How to give a science talk | |
| Mar. 1 | How to give a science talk, continued | Detailed outline |
| Mar. 8 | How to critique a science talk; information on ETS Major Field Exam | |
| Mar. 15 | Spring Break - no class | |
| Mar. 22 | Presentations | |
| Mar. 29 | Presentations | |
| Apr. 5 | Presentations | Papers from Mar. 22 presenters |
| Apr. 12 | Presentations | Papers from Mar. 29 presenters |
| Apr. 19 | Presentations | Papers from Apr. 5 presenters |
| Apr. 26, 9:30-11:45 | ETS Major Field Exam in Biology: 2-hour timed exam in the GL 266 computer lab (Green Library) | Papers from Apr. 12 presenters |
| May 3 | Submit papers in PC 435 by 9:30am (shove under door) | Papers from Apr. 19 presenters |
Instructor: Dr. Laurel Collins, Department of Biological Sciences, and Department of Earth and Environment. Email (preferred): collinsl@fiu.edu, telephone (305) 348-1732. Office hours: T 8-9:30, F 1:30-3:00, room PC 435. If you have a conflict with regular office hours, please email or call to make an appointment.
Course Readings: There is no assigned textbook. Readings from books will be distributed in class. Suggested reading: A Short Guide to Writing About Biology, 5th ed., 2004, Jan A. Pechenik, 302 p.
Course Policies: Attendance is mandatory, and part of your grade depends on it (see below).
Honesty: Florida International University is a community dedicated to generating and imparting knowledge through excellent teaching and research, the rigorous and respectful exchange of ideas, and community service. All students should respect the right of others to have an equitable opportunity to learn and honestly demonstrate the quality of their learning. Therefore, all students are expected to adhere to a standard of academic conduct, which demonstrates respect for themselves, their fellow students, and the educational mission of the University. All students are deemed by the University to understand that if they are found responsible for academic misconduct, they will be subject to the Academic Misconduct procedures and sanctions, as outlined in the Student Handbook. In addition, any student found in violation of these academic standards, including any amount of plagarism, will earn an automatic F and be reported to the Deans Office, no exceptions. Please see FIU's policy on academic honesty, as shown in the Academic Affairs Policies and Procedures Manual (http://academic.fiu.edu/polman/sec2web.htm#two-forty-four).
Cell phones: Their use, including texting, is prohibited during class. Please silence your phone at the beginning of class. If you leave the class to take a call, do not return to class that day.
Course Content and Grading: Grades are based on the activities shown below. All written assignments are submitted as hard copy by the beginning of class on the dates shown in the course outline (above). Late submissions lose points, prorated. Missed presentations are only rescheduled with written proof of a serious illness or accident. The order of the class presentations is determined by Dr. Collins according to groupings of similar subjects. Information on each activity is given in the table below and in class. There is only one exam, which is during the final week of the course. If you miss the exam, there is no makeup exam available (because the exam is administered to all students at once in a designated computer lab).
| Activity | % of Grade | Description |
| Attendance | 13% | 1% per class meeting after first (introductory) class, with one permitted absence |
| Title of topic | 2% | Write the (tentative) title of your review topic on a sheet of paper. There will be no duplication or significant overlap of topics, so the topic must be approved before the outline is written. Late submission loses 1% per week. |
| General outline of paper, 1 page | 5% | Write a one-page outline of your paper in hierarchical format with double-spaced lines, 1-inch margins, left-justified, 12-point font. Late submission loses 1% per week. |
| Resumé | 3% | Write your resumé using the guidelines given in class. Late submission loses 1% per week. |
| Detailed outline of paper, 3 pages | 5% | Write a two-page outline of your paper in hierarchical format with double-spaced lines, 1-inch margins, left-justified, 12-point font. Include at least 10 citations in the outline. The third page gives a full reference for each citation, written as shown in class. The references must be from the primary scientific literature. Late submission loses 1% per week. |
| Paper | 37% | Write a paper that is 10-12 pages excluding figures, tables and REFERENCES. Format: double-spaced lines, 1-inch margins, left-justified, 12-point font, 1 blank line between paragraphs, section titles (ABSTRACT, etc.) centered and in caps. The references must be from the primary scientific literature. Submit the paper as hard copy in class, and email a Word version. Late submission loses 1% per day. |
| Oral presentation | 30% | Compose and present a 12- to 15-minute Powerpoint presentation that focuses on the highlights of your paper. Students will complete anonymous critiques of each presentation immediately afterwards; talks will be assessed on their content, organization, visual aids, timing, composure, use of language, connection with the audience, etc. These evaluations will be given to the student in the following class. |
| ETS exam | 5% | This exit exam, written and graded by the Educational Testing Service, is required by the state for all biology majors. It is a 2-hour, multiple-choice, online test that covers the major areas of biology. Results are available as soon as you complete your exam. Links for more information: detailed description and sample test questions. |
Final grades are based on the following total points: A = 93-100%, A- = 90-92%, B+ = 87-89%, B = 83-86%, B- = 80-82%, C+ = 77-79%, C = 73-76%, C- = 70-72%, D+ = 67-69%, D = 63-66, D- = 60-62%, F = 0-59%.