f.        Learn the conventions of evidence, format, usage, and documentation in their fields.

Requirements:   Students are required to follow conventions of evidence, format, usage, and documentation as given in the ACS Style Guide or as common for technical speaking.

Activities:          Proper formatting of references, chemical structures, chemical reactions, etc. will be presented in the oral presentation, the poster presentation, the written papers, and the library assignments.

Submitted with this proposal is a sample CHEM 360 syllabus, which includes the course description, course outcomes, sample presentation and writing assignments, and sample student critique forms that are ultimately used as grading rubrics.

Welcome To: Chemistry 360 (Chemical Information)

Winona State University, Fall 200_

Dr.  ??

Office: PA 312_ Phone: 457-___

Email: ___@ winona.edu

http://course1.winona.edu/??.htm

Office Hours: Please come see me ASAP if you need help!  You can also reach me by phone, email, or written note.  My official office hours are ?? and other times by appointment.  

Lecture: ?? at ?? in PA 309.

Course Description: A course designed to teach chemical literacy including such skills as learning to find, interpret, and present chemical literature.  Chemical information will be found by on- and off-line searching of databases by computer and by hand-searching print-form reference and primary periodical literature materials.  Students will present chemical information in both written and oral forms. 

Prerequisite: credit or concurrent enrollment in CHEM 340 or CHEM 350. 

Text: The ACS Style Guide, 2nd ed.; Dodd, J. S.; American Chemical Society: Washington D.C., 1997.

References:    Davis, Martha. Scientific Papers and Presentations; Academic Press: San Diego, 1997.

Briscoe, Mary Helen. Preparing Scientific Illustrations, A Guide to Better Posters, Presentation, and Publications, 2^nd ed.; Springer: New York, 1996.

Course Details: Attendance and participation in lecture are required.  Students are expected to comprehensively read all assigned readings and class handouts.  The class will consist of library searching exercises, written assignments and oral presentations.  Assignments will be due during class according the schedule below and will be worth 20 pts, unless otherwise instructed.  A penalty of 10 % of the total possible points per day will be given for late assignments  (ie. An assignment worth 20 points that is turned in one day late can earn a maximum score of 18).

Grading Distribution:                                                 Final Grade Assignments

Library Assignments                              80 pts                           89-100                          A

Journal Writing Assignment                    20 pts                           76-88                            B

Article Presentations Assignment           20 pts                           63-75                            C

Poster Presentation Assignment             40 pts                           50-62                            D

Total:                160 pts                          <50                               F

Tentative Class Schedule:

Completion of this course will include requirements and learning activities that promote your abilities to achieve the following outcomes:

a.       Earn significant course credit through extemporaneous oral presentations;

b.       Understand the features and types of speaking in their disciplines;

c.       Adapt their speaking to field-specific audiences;

d.       Receive appropriate feedback from teachers and peers, including suggestions for improvement;

e.       Make use of the technologies used for research and speaking in the fields; and

f.        Learn the conventions of evidence, format, usage, and documentation in their fields.

The completion of this course will satisfy two credits toward the Oral Communications flag requirement in the University Studies Program.

Course Details/Requirements/Activities:

In order to do well or pass the course, students are expected to:

1.       Give effective oral presentations, [Outcomes a to f],

2.       Prepare and give a poster presentation, [Outcomes a to f],

3.       Prepare an abstract for a chemistry journal article, [Outcomes d, e, f],

4.       Find chemical information using on- and off-line searching of databases by computer and by hand-searching print-form reference and primary periodical literature materials, [Outcome e, f],

5.       Follow formats of presentation and publication style as recommended by the ACS Style Guide, [Outcomes b, c, f],

6.       Critique peer presentations and writing assignments, [Outcomes b, c, d],

7.       Make improvements upon subsequent presentations and writing assignments by recognizing critiques, [Outcomes b, c, d], and

8.       Utilize technology in the preparation and presentation of assignments, [Outcome e].

Information about Journal Writing, Article Presentation, and Poster Presentation Assignments

Journal Writing Assignment, Chemical Information

Write an abstract for the assigned article following the criteria listed below.  The abstract should be typed, double spaced with Times New Roman font size 12.  Bring the abstract to class for peer review.  After the peer review of the abstract, rewrite the abstract using the peer suggestions.  Turn in the rewritten abstract for instructor review.  Using the instructor's feedback, write the final draft of the abstract and turn in the final draft for grading.

Abstract Criteria

1.       Problem or purpose stated

2.       Theoretical or experimental plan indicated

3.       Principal findings summarized

4.       Major conclusions pointed out

5.       Concise, self-contained and complete

6.       Typically 1 paragraph between 80-200 words

7.      Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation

Article Presentation Assignment, Chemical Information

Goals:  To give you practice at reading and orally presenting chemical literature

Assignment: 

1.       Use the article from a journal in the chemistry collection in the WSU library that you chose for the Electronic Library Assignment (Question 5)

2.       Prepare a 5-minute Power Point presentation that includes the following:

a.       Statement of the research goals

b.       Background information (may require further literature searching)

c.       Major findings in the article, conclusions, and future research directions

3.       You must also be prepared to answer a minimum of two questions from the audience, one from the instructor and one from the speaker preceding you.  This should take no longer than 5 minutes.

4.       Consult the ACS Style Guide Chapter on “Making Effective Oral Presentation” and the journal article by Huddle, P.A. “How to Present a Paper or Poser” Journal of Chemical Education, 2000, 77, 1152-1153.

5.       Evaluation will be based on both peer and instructor assessments.

Article Presentation Peer and Instructor Assessment, Chemical Information

Note: Expectations are derived from class discussion

Name of Presentor:__________________________  Name of Evaluator:____________________________

Circle a number between 1 and 10 (10 being the best) and provide a written explanation of your choice

Criterion 1: Presenter’s Attributes

Voice, eye contact, and body language

            Expectations: Clear, loud, fluxuations in tone, words spoken at good pace, pause words avoided (i.e. ah, hmm, like, ok), transitions are smooth from one slide to another.  Plenty of eye contact with audience during talk, avoided reading notes or slides. Relaxed expressions, seemingly interested in topic, gestures not overly distracting, gestures or pointers used to highlight important information.

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

Criterion 2: Slide Attributes

Writing and Pictures

            Expectations: Clearly seen, eye pleasing, not overcrowded, abbreviations defined, technical jargon defined and limited, graphs/pictures understandable or defined

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

Criterion 3: Information Presented

Statement of Research Goals and Background

            Expectations: Attention grabbing, clearly stated research goals; background interesting, clear, organized, concise, and thorough for understanding the topic; abbreviations and technical jargon defined.  References provided when necessary (typically at bottom of each necessary slide)

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

Major Findings, Conclusions, and Future Directions

            Expectations: Information presented in an interesting, clear, organized and concise fashion with appropriate pictures and diagrams.  References provided when necessary.  Concluded with a concise summary of presentation (not overly redundant).

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

Questions

            Expectations: Reasonable attempts made to answer questions

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

Poster Presentations, Chemical Information

General Idea:  Each of you will present a poster based on a paper relevant to a WSU Chemistry Professor's research.  You will present the poster as if it were your research (ie. "we did" or "we saw" in your dialogue).  The posters will be peer and instructor graded during the poster session. 

Good Posters: Clearly state the research problem and the conclusion reached; use a minimum of words and panels, a readable font, and clearly labeled graphs and diagrams; and look simple, neat, and pleasing to the eye.  It is highly recommended that you read your book and the hand-outs for further suggestions.

Poster Layout:

1) Your poster needs to fill a 4 feet high by 6 feet long space including the title.

2) No abstract is necessary

3) Title Panel (3 lines):

a) Poster title (NOT THE SAME AS THE PAPER)

b) Authors (List your name first and underline it (you are presenting) then list the other paper authors as they appear in the paper.

c) Provide paper reference: (Journal title (italics) year (bold), volume (italics), pages (ie. 457-467).

4) Background and Introduction (1-2 panels)

5) Purpose or statement of problem (1 panel)

6) Experimental or Theoretical Approach; Data and Results; Interpretation (length will vary)

7) Conclusion and "Take-Home Message"

8) References (Use superscript numbers within poster to refer to numbered references. Use format from J.Am.Chem.Soc.).

Poster Presentation:  You will be assigned 5 posters to evaluate.

Suggestions on how to prepare and give a poster presentation

A poster is one of two common methods used at meetings and conferences for communicating the results of recent scientific investigations.  It contains information typical of scientific papers: background, purpose methods, results, interpretation, and conclusions.  Poster differ from slide talks: they rely mainly on nonverbal, visual means of communication; have a fluid, variable audience; and provide unlimited time for a personal interaction.  In terms of information, a poster provides a forum for reporting a contained body of work, a single experiment (or related sets), or something with a straightforward question and clear, clean-cut conclusion.

One of the biggest difficulties people face when putting together a poster presentation is using too much narrative.  A poster conveys meaning to a viewer not only through words, but through data, graphs, charts, tables, colors, structures, and its organization.  Always keep your audience firmly in mind as you prepare your poster presentation.  Think about things that capture your interests and those that would "turn you off" to a subject.  This will assist you in making an excellent poster.

For those of you who will do or are doing research, you will most likely end up presenting your research so here are some hints about preparing for posters.  As you perform your research, keep a folder labeled "POSTER".  In that folder, collect potentially useful graphs, charts, pictures, structures, and other information that can be used to put together a poster.  If you take some time to make things look good before the final few days, the actual poster construction will be a piece of cake.

1.       Know what your size limitations are at the beginning. 

2.       Make a modular poster.  One design options uses letter sized panels that can be easily arranged and backed on colored posterboard (9.5" ´ 12").  This will easily fit in your briefcase or satchel, occupy reasonable space, and look professional.

3.       The poster provides detailed information about your work/project, but does not give every single piece of information.  You must judiciously select the parts that tell the viewer a story that makes sense!  Typically, a poster includes the following components:

a.       Title/Author panel or banner

b.       Abstract

c.       Background and Introduction

d.       Purpose or Statement of Problem

e.       Experimental or Theoretical Approach

f.        Data, Results, and Interpretations

g.       Conclusions/Take Home Message

h.       Acknowledgments

i.         References (may be included or separate)

4.       Display the poster title in large letters across the top of the poster or in the first panel.  It must be readable from a distance (1 to 1.5 inch letters). Be sure to include your name, collaborators, and the address of the institution in somewhat smaller font underneath the title.

5.       Begin organizing your poster around the hypothesis and the data/results; refer back to your research and POSTER folder.  Pick out items that support the conclusions you wish to draw from the work and relay to the viewer.

6.       Practice leading a person through your poster.  If it doesn't flow well, consider changing the organization and/or content of your poster.  Poster talks are much less formal than seminars.  Try not to have a set script, instead allow room for conversation with your audience while you are describing your poster.  Be prepared for questions.  Practicing the poster presentation with peers is a good way to get prepared for questions.

Peer and Instructor Evaluations for Poster Presentation, Chemical Information

Note: Expectations are derived from class discussion

Poster Presenter Name: ______________________________

Please be fair and honest in your assessment.  Under each presentation area is a list of important factors to be considered.  In the comments section, circle all of the prewritten comments that apply.  You may also add additional comments under the grade or on the back.  In the grade section, circle the number that most appropriately reflects the overall quality of that presentation area.  You may circle an individual grade or you may circle two grades indicating somewhere between the two (ie. circling an 5 indicates a solid A grade or circling an 4,5 indicates an A-, B+ grade).