AFNS 601 –A3: Seminar - Plant Science Course outline, Fall 2020
Instructor: Dr. Habibur Rahman, Office: 4-16G Agriculture/Forestry, Phone: 780 492-3869, E-Mail: [email protected]
Seminars: Traditionally, this course is offered through seminars on Tuesday at 14:00 - 15:20 hrs; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the course will be delivered remotely using Zoom. Therefore, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the eClass and Zoom.
Some of the useful web links for this are given below, however, additional useful information of the eClass can be found on the eClass web site.
Learning eClass: https://eclass.srv.ualberta.ca/course/view.php?id=2187 Remote learning: https://www.ualberta.ca/information-services-and-
technology/services/software-hardware-vendors/technology-requirements.html Zoom for
students: https://support.ctl.ualberta.ca/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/Vie w/422/23/using-zoom-for-students
https://www.ualberta.ca/centre-for-teaching-and-learning/teaching- support/learning-environments/remote-teaching/preparation/zoom.html
To attend the classes using Zoom, you need to have a computer, microphone and webcam. While joining the classes using Zoom, please mute your
microphone unless you have a question to ask. You can also raise your hand in zoom to ask a question. You need to learn how to share your screen while delivering your seminar.
No password will be required to attend the class.
Course weight: 1*
Office hours: By appointment.
Course description This seminar course covers a variety of research areas in the discipline of Plant Science. Through participating in this seminar series, you will not only get exposed to the extended area of your research, but you will also be exposed to many other areas within your broadly defined discipline. Acquiring knowledge from a broader area is extremely important in your professional development.
Course objective The graduate student seminars are designed to improve student
communication skills, advance their skills of understanding and analyzing the research results of other researchers, and provide a forum for discussion of various research topics. This seminar course focuses on the following aspects.
• Improvement of your communication skills
• Improvement of your interaction with other professionals
• Develop ability to provide constructive criticism
Requirements MSc students must enrol for one semester (usually in their second year) and PhD students for two semesters (usually in first and third year). Seminar presentations will be delivered by the graduate students in the course and invited speakers.
If the schedule allows, a PhD student must give two seminars during each of the two semesters he/she is registered. An MSc student must give at least one seminar during the semester he/she is registered, but two may be required depending on class size and composition.
The topic of the seminars will be discussed in the first class.
The schedule of the talks will be determined in the first class.
Students should submit their seminar topic by September 15th. Students should consult with their supervisor and/or the instructor with regard to the selected topic.
Abstracts All students must submit an abstract of the seminar presentation at least 8 DAYS prior to the scheduled seminar date. The abstract will be distributed by the student email to two other class members who will edit and critique the abstract using “track changes” in Microsoft Word, then return it to the author within 2 days. The presenter will use these comments to revise their abstract and post it on eClass 3 days prior to the seminar. The abstract should include a title and be between 200-300 words. Each student will review at least two abstracts during the course. Please be sure to cc: [email protected] on all email
correspondence between students regarding abstract development and revision - this allows instructor to evaluate the original abstract, its revision and the editing and comments provided by reviewers.
Posting the abstract on eClass prior to the seminar is important as it will enable students who are unfamiliar with the topic to do some background reading.
The seminar presentation will be followed with a question/answer and review of the presentation to provide constructive feedback.
All presentations need to be posted on eClass before the seminar, and they will be deleted at the end of the term.
Chairing and setting up the room All students must chair a seminar. The chairperson will be responsible for introducing the speaker, inviting and accepting questions from the audience, keeping the presenter to the predetermined time limit and thanking the speaker.
The chairperson and speaker should communicate, preferably by email, before the seminar to ensure that the chairperson gets the required information for presenting the speaker.
Text books There is no text book
Evaluation and grading The seminar course will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
i) Class attendance: A registered graduate student must attend at least 75% of the classes during the semester.
ii) Submission of seminar topic and abstract by the due date.
iii) Editing abstracts: Each student must edit a minimum of two abstracts, and provide constructive comments and criticism.
iv) Use of allotted time for presentation: approx. 15-20 minutes, and this will follow with discussion and question/answer for about 5 minutes.
v) Chairing a session: Must chair a minimum one session.
vi) Participation in class discussion: All registered students need to participate in discussion and complete evaluations of all presentations that they attend.
vii) Evaluation of the seminar: The quality of the seminar will be evaluated by the instructor.
The students giving the seminar must make an appointment with the instructor and get feedback on the seminar – this can be in person following COVID-19 safety procedures or using Zoom or phone. If this is not done the student will not be considered to have completed the course.
All students will use the evaluation sheet to provide feedback to other students. This provides an opportunity for students to practice providing constructive criticism. Scores on these evaluations will not influence the success of a student in the class.
In addition to the above-mentioned seminar, students also need to deliver a ‘mock
presentation’ for about 5-10 minutes. The ‘mock presentation’ can be of any acceptable topic, such as their life, culture, travel, etc.
The seminar course will be graded as Pass or Fail. Failure in any one of the above-mentioned evaluation criteria will constitute FAIL.
The Grade will be assigned at the end of the semester.
Presentation format All presentations should be in PowerPoint format. Those wishing to use other formats are responsible for ensuring the format can be presented using their
computer/laptop and the appropriate software.
Cell phone/smart phone policy The use of cell phones, smart phones, etc. during class is not allowed.
Academic Integrity
“The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at www.governance.ualberta. ca) and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an
Code of Student Behaviour
“All students at the University of Alberta are subject to the Code of Student Behaviour, as outlined at: University Governance > Code of Student Behaviour. Please familiarize yourself with it and ensure that you do not participate in any inappropriate behavior as defined by the Code. Key components of the code include the following statements.
30.3.2(1) No Student shall submit the words, ideas, images or data of another person as the Student’s own in any academic writing, essay, thesis, project, assignment, presentation or poster in a course or program of study.
30.3.2(2)c No Student shall represent another’s substantial editorial or compositional assistance on an assignment as the Student’s own work.”
Students should speak with the course instructor about any questions or concerns about the code. Students should be particularly aware of the code as it pertains to internet and library research, use of previous class notes, reclamation plans of former students and interviews or discussions with others.
Professionalism and Classroom Rules of Engagement
Students are advised to attend all seminar classes that will be delivered by using Zoom, arrive on time, and stay in class during the whole class-hour. During class, students are expected to be engaged, respectful, and actively participating in class discussions. During classes over Zoom, electronic devices and other items must only be used for classwork. Students are not allowed to distract or impede upon the learning of others.
Copyright Statement
“All original course materials prepared by the instructor are considered to be the intellectual property of the instructor (unless otherwise noted), and are protected by law under Canada’s Copyright Act. “Course materials” include slides, presentations, handouts, lecture notes, recorded lectures, and any other materials distributed or made available to students by the course instructor. Permission is given for individual students to use these materials for their own study purposes in this course. Students must not publish, post on a public Internet site, sell, rent, or otherwise distribute any course materials without the instructor’s express permission.”
NOTE:
“Policy about course outlines can be found in Course Requirements, Evaluation Procedures and Grading of the University Calendar.”
“Audio or video recording, digital or otherwise, of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as a part of an approved accommodation plan. Student or instructor content, digital or otherwise, created and/or used within the context of the course is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the content author(s).”
2020 AFNS 601- Plant Science Tentative Class Schedule
September 1 Course overview and introduction; how to give a presentation September 8 How to give a presentation, and how to write an abstract September 15 Student “mock” presentations
September 22 Student “mock” presentations September 29 Student “mock” presentations October 6 Student presentations
October 13 Student presentations October 20 Student presentations October 27 Student presentations November 3 Student presentations
November 10 No class: Remembrance Day and Reading week November 17 Student presentations
November 24 Student presentations December 1 Student presentations