Senior Seminar (Mating Systems): Class
Policies and Syllabus
Instructor:
Vikram K. Iyengar
Office Hours: Wednesdays
10:30am – 12:00pm, or by appointment
Phone:
519-8081 (office);
519-5186 (research lab)
email: vikram.iyengar@villanova.edu
(I prefer email messages over voice mail)
Course website: http://webct.villanova.edu/SCRIPT/Fall08_BIO_5100_002/scripts/serve_home
Class
time: Mondays, 12:30pm –
1:20pm John
Barry Hall, Room 211
Required
text: Pechenik,
J. 2007. A Short Guide To Writing About Biology. Sixth Edition,
Longmans. (you should have a copy already –
5th edition is OK)
Course Objectives
Senior
seminar (Bio 5100) is a one-credit course that serves as a capstone
element within the Biology curriculum. The main purposes of the course are to
provide students with an opportunity to present biological information verbally
before a peer audience, to learn how to communicate in the biological field
using both a technical and informal style of writing, and to discuss
information presented. Bio 5100 fulfills
part of the core writing requirement for majors within the Department of
Biology – therefore, all sections of Bio 5100 follow common guidelines
about course goals and organization, although some details and grade weights
vary among sections depending on the topic and the discretion of the
instructor.
A
priority for the course is to provide each student with opportunities to
demonstrate their ability to gather sources on a specific topic at an advanced
level; to read and understand those sources; and to present summaries, in oral
and written formats, of the information. A companion priority is for students
to engage presenters in discussion about the information included within peer
seminars and in assigned readings.
The
theme for this seminar course is Mating
Systems. Student presentations will consist of case-study summaries about
particular species and their mating system. Discussions based on the case-study
presentations will explore associated broader patterns and principles within
the field of animal behavior.
Course Expectations
Students
completing the class will be expected to:
·
Become
familiar with the scientific background (including current sources in the
technical literature) relating to the biology of a particular threatened
species
·
Prepare
and deliver an effective summary of that species’ reproductive behavior, with
particular attention to interesting aspects of its mating system
·
Actively
participate in all class meetings in which they are not the primary presenter,
through involvement in question-and-answer sessions and general discussion
40% Individual
oral presentation (seminar). Student presentations should last about 30
minutes to allow ample time for discussion. Student presenters must use
PowerPoint.
Each student’s seminar should
constitute a summary of the available scientific information pertaining to a
particular species’ mating system and other interesting aspect about its
reproductive biology. Although
there is some latitude in choosing a specific topic for your presentation, I
would like to make sure that you all cover a variety of topics without too much
overlap. I will allow students to choose
topics on a first-come/first-serve basis, with priority given to students who
are presenting in the first half of the semester.
The seminar must be based on at
least three (3) primary articles in the mainstream scientific literature, i.e.,
research reports (with original
empirical data) in journals such
as Animal Behaviour, Behavioral Ecology, Behavioral Ecology and
Sociobiology, Ecology, Ethology,
or Oecologia. At least one article must have been published
after 2003. The presenter must explain to the class the details of at least one research article, relating
directly to the species’ mating system, within their seminar (i.e., background
of the study, methods, results (including presentation of the study’s data),
conclusions of the authors, and broader implications). Each presenter must
obtain my approval for your species/topic at
least two (2) weeks prior to your seminar date. For this, you will need to
show that you have identified and obtained at least one recent appropriate
source.
Each presenter must pass
bibliographic information and a PDF file along to me at least 10 days before their seminar date for one (1) journal
article or other directly relevant source that class peers will be required to
read prior to the relevant seminar.
Presenters should choose a source that will help prepare the class to understand and appreciate the substance of the seminar; it should not necessarily
be one of the central primary sources that the presenter will focus upon within
their seminar (it’s a good idea to save something ‘new’ for the seminar
itself!). Dr. Curry will pass the materials along to the class 1 week prior to
the relevant seminar.
1. Content: How effectively did the
student summarize and synthesize the information?
2. Presentation clarity: How effectively
did the presenter use their voice and visual aids to present conceptual and
factual information to the audience?
3. Knowledge of topic, as reflected by
presentation substance and ability to answer questions on the topic.
10% Presentation
Abstract.
Synopsis of student’s own oral presentation, targeted for an audience of
informed and interested specialists (i.e., the other students in the class and
the instructor). The
abstract should be 200-300 words in length and typed (double-spaced, 12
point). This piece will identify the
title of your talk, along with a synopsis of the primary topic, the evidence,
and a summary of your interpretation/conclusions of your presentation. This abstract should be submitted (via email) to me the day before
your seminar. Each
student will receive feedback from me and from a peer on a draft version of
this abstract, and then resubmit a revised version a week later for final
grading. The final grade for the Abstract will be
based on your final ‘product’ and on how well you dealt with my comments during
revision.
5% Annotated
Bibliography. List
of all sources forming the basis for the oral presentation, with a sentence for
each about its contribution or relevance. Use the formatting style of the
journal Animal Behaviour. Topic must be chosen such that the speaker
includes (and covers in the presentation) at least one primary literature
reference published after 2003, plus at least two additional directly relevant
primary literature sources (papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals).
10% Non-technical
Summary of another student’s presentation. Synopsis of the substance of
someone else’s oral presentation, written for a general literate audience (i.e., educated people who are not specialists in the discipline). This a brief non-technical summary should be
about 2-3 pages in length and typed (double-spaced, 12 point). This summary should summarize the main
question(s) posed by the Presenters as well as the major points of the
presentation. Do not simply recite the
topics presented; rather this piece should present some specific substantive
details of selected topics associated with the general subject. In this regard,
it will resemble an article such as one might find in Science News or the
Science section of The New York Times. You do not need to include any formal
citations. To avoid the typical crunch
at the end of the semester, these technical summaries will be due two weeks
after the presentation.
10% Role as
Discussion Leader (DL) for another student’s presentation. The DL will serve as moderator
for the relevant class meeting; she/he will introduce the speaker and then
manage the question-and-answer session after the presentation. The DL also
should prepare questions for the class (more than the presenter) pertaining to
the substance of the presentation and the associated assigned reading. Our
target for general Q & A will be about 10 minutes, followed by about 10
minutes of discussion led by the DL.
20% Participation
in other discussions
(besides own and the one for which student is Discussion Leader). Evaluation
will be based on involvement in Q & A sessions and evidence, during general
discussion, that student has read reading(s) assigned prior to each week’s
presentation. Each student will also be asked to provide editorial comment
on at least one peer’s presentation and on at least one (different) peer’s
Abstract.
5% Evaluation
of Department of Biology weekly seminar. Each student is required to
attend at least one (1) departmental seminar.
Seminars usually take place on Thursdays at 5:00pm, and the schedule
will be posted at http://www.villanova.edu/artsci/biology/news/seminars.htm.
Each student attendee will be required to complete a form evaluating the
effectiveness of the seminar (clarity of presentation, use of technology,
etc.). If possible, students should plan
to attend the seminar(s) that are most closely related to our topic. If a
student attends and evaluates more than one seminar (on any topic), I will
based your grade for this piece of the course on your ‘best’ evaluation (most
thorough and insightful), while also taking the extra participation into
account, to a small extent, during final grade determination.
I expect all students to adhere strictly to the College’s principles of
academic honesty throughout this course. I regret to say that I have had to
enforce these policies and fail students in courses for violation of these
principles of academic (and scientific) integrity. Be sure that you know all of
the relevant definitions and policies. This includes all aspects of
submitting written assignments: take
careful notes as you review literature sources (including complete bibliographic information), save records of your work (don’t submit
an assignment without keeping a record for yourself), acknowledge all sources, and use the computers
appropriately. Also, the work you do for this course should be only for this
course; submitting the same work for multiple classes (without the explicit agreement of instructors from all courses involved) is a violation of
College policies. The College’s policies pertaining to all Academic Integrity
issues will be strictly adhered to and the appropriate penalty will be assessed
at the discretion of the instructor.
There will be no exceptions to this policy.
I
can only give you all the credit you deserve if I can tell how much of the work
is uniquely yours. Obviously, do not attempt to copy—or even to paraphrase
nearly verbatim—material directly from any other source. Even if you were to
give a reference for a source you cited this way, you still would be falling
short of my expectations for the assignment, because the words would not be
your own. Read your sources, work
towards an understanding of their
content, and then restate the
essentials in your own words … with
appropriate acknowledgment of the source. Try to write so that the reader can
reasonably infer where every piece of
information and every idea came from.
If an idea is yours, say so using active
voice and first person: “I think that
the analysis of Jones (1992) is flawed because…” Where the material instead
comes from somewhere else (i.e., something you didn’t know before you started
researching your topic), you must
make it clear where you got the information through the use of text citations.
Pechenik (2004) provides additional helpful advice about writing so that your
sources are acknowledged fully, and so that your writing is clear, simple, and
concise. Use his book!
Notes
about using the Internet for help with papers
The Internet can be a valuable source of information and help for writing
assignments … but it can also provide you
with useless trash. You have an obligation to try to assess whether
information from the Web or another electronic source is any good. In general, I advise you AGAINST relying on
Web sites for information to cite in your papers (except for sites that
provide electronic versions of scholarly journal articles). However, you may
want to use the Internet to find information that helps you get started toward a topic (e.g., by
participating in an on-line bulletin board, or by asking questions of a
practicing scientist via email).
Below is an outline of the factors I will take into consideration in
assigning your final grade on papers and lab exercises, with a comparable
grading scale applied to other assignments.
[Adapted
from materials distributed in Writing Across the Curriculum seminar, Villanova
University, April 1994, directed by D. Anselmi, B. Wall, and D. Zannoni,
Trinity College.]
Grade: C
Paper satisfactorily (but minimally) meets
expectations of the assignment. It directly addresses a question or issue
relevant to the scope of the course, with adequate reliance on appropriate
biological literature sources. It presents a logical argument with a clear
statement of your central objectives; develops an argument that incorporates
accurately reported information from primary literature sources; and reaches a
clearly explained conclusion that follows logically from that argument. The
argument is developed by an organized sequence of main points and supported by
specific details and examples. The text is readable and relatively free of
errors in syntax, grammar, spelling, usage, punctuation, and requested format.
Grade: B
Paper fulfills all of the requirements of a
“C” paper and, in addition, presents a central argument that is well thought
out and shows careful analysis of hypotheses and evidence in the biological
literature. The argument demonstrates original and critical thought in
synthesis and analysis. Points of interpretation are soundly and thoroughly
argued. Supporting evidence is strong and extensive. Text contains few errors.
Grade: A
Paper fulfills all of the requirements of a
“B” paper and, in addition, presents an argument that is outstanding in its
clarity, logic, rhetorical skillfulness, and originality. It demonstrates that
you have a thorough understanding of the paper’s topic and an ability to apply
and communicate that understanding through excellent writing.
Grade: D
Paper makes an attempt to address the issue
or question posed, but has one or more serious problems: it lacks a central
thesis; it fails to develop a consistent, logical, well-organized argument;
details are inaccurate or few; the text is difficult to read because of
multiple errors.
Grade: F
Paper contains no central question or
problem, or it makes no attempt (or a fake attempt) to address a stated
question. The paper fails to develop an argument of any sort. The text is
filled with errors. The paper shows little or no indication that the author
attempted to meet the expectations of the assignment, or to follow directions.
A paper that contains any plagiarized material, that fails to incorporate adequate
acknowledgment of all sources, or that otherwise violates the standards of
academic integrity established by the University, Department, and instructor will receive a grade of “F” — and
trigger disciplinary procedures that can result in failure (F) for the entire course … and even expulsion from
the University.
Writing an abstract for a seminar
is in some ways different than writing one for a research report because your
talk is inherently a review with some references to the primary literature,
rather than only a presentation of results from original research. The style
differs a bit, because a review emphasizes scientific generalizations drawn
from a base of evidence, rather than the results from one particular original
study.
However, the purpose of an abstract should be the same in either case: it should state the ‘core’ of the
scientific information contained in your oral or written presentation. Consequently, the emphasis in an abstract
for the kind of presentation you are giving should be on what biological patterns and mechanisms you
described and synthesized in your talk, and on the conclusions you reached (your “take-home messages”) based on the
information you reviewed.
None of us will have had the
opportunity to read your abstract before
you give your talk. Therefore, it should not be phrased in the
future tense (e.g., “I will describe…”). Rather, it should emphasize the main
points of the presentation that already happened. The reader is concerned
mainly with the “guts” of the talk, as emphasized above. For this application,
write your abstract in the present tense so that it thoroughly describes
the context, objectives, information base, and conclusions in your talk—in a
way that encapsulates everything you said for later “consumption.”1
Emphasize patterns and relationships that are generally true. Note, however, that if you refer to things
that other scientists did or measured (as opposed to the relationships they
stated as conclusions), then you would be correct in using past tense. Use
declarative statements, and be as concise yet as informative as you can.
One thing you should never
include in any kind of abstract – even though you will see it in the published
literature – is a final statement that goes something like, “The significance
of these results will be discussed.”
or “The significance of these
results were discussed.” Such a line does not pique my interest. With the possible exception of a
“teaser”-type abstract (trying to get people interested in coming to a talk
before it’s given), such a statement adds nothing to the abstract’s information
content. Avoid it like the plague!!
|
Date |
Agenda |
Lecturer |
DL |
Summary
Writer |
Abstract
Reviewer |
|
Aug
25 |
Course Overview |
Dr. Vik |
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Sept
1 |
No
Classes – Labor Day |
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Sept
8 |
Intro to Sexual Selection |
Dr. Vik |
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Sept
15 |
Intro to Mating Systems |
Dr. Vik |
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Sept
22 |
Student Presentation 1 |
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Sept
29 |
Student Presentation 2 |
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Oct
6 |
Student Presentation 3 |
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Oct
13 |
No
Classes – Fall Break |
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Oct
20 |
Student Presentation 4 |
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Oct
27 |
Student Presentation 5 |
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Nov
3 |
Student Presentation 6 |
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Nov 10 |
Student Presentation 7 |
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Nov
17 |
Student Presentation 8 |
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Nov
24 |
Student Presentation 9 |
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