HECOL 693 Fall 2020
1 HECOL 693: Professional Seminar 31
Department of Human Ecology University of Alberta
Term: Fall 2020 Instructors: Megan Strickfaden, Deanna Williamson Time: Thursday, See below for time Patricia Dolez, Rachel McQueen of each seminar Rhonda Breitkreuz, Adam Galovan Location: Remote delivery: eClass & Zoom
Dates: Sept 10, 24, October 8, 22,
Nov 5, November 26
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
This professional development seminar is one in a series that provides an introduction to graduate study in the Department of Human Ecology, and to career development and professional issues in human ecology. Topics include: funding agencies; preparing and reviewing grant proposals; preparing and reviewing manuscripts for publication; oral presentations; writing for different audiences; and preparing for comprehensive exams. Restricted to doctoral level students in the Department of Human Ecology.
Typically taken in the third semester of the doctoral program.
COURSE OBJECTIVES, ORGANIZATION, and FORMAT
The two goals of HECOL 693 are to:1. To build collegial relationships among graduate students in Human Ecology; and
2. To provide opportunities for students to explore and discuss professional issues related to graduate study and career development.
The course goals and the specific objectives related to each topic will be met through required readings and assignments, material presented in seminars, class discussion, and student presentations. HECOL 693 consists of six 2-hour seminars.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS and CREDIT
● Credit in the course is not automatic. The expectation is that students prepare for, attend, and actively participate in all seminars. Faculty members in Human Ecology recognize that illness and other extreme circumstances sometimes prevent students from being able to attend an occasional seminar.
As such, students can still get credit for HECOL 693 when they are unable to attend due to illness or other extreme circumstances as long as they attend at least four of the six 2-hour seminars, complete satisfactorily ALL ASSIGNMENTS, and are active participants in the seminars. In short, none of the HECOL 693 seminars should be treated as optional. If you are unable to attend a seminar because of illness or other extreme circumstances, it is your responsibility to contact the professor(s) facilitating the seminar, as well as the coordinator for HECOL 693, Deanna Williamson, so that your absence can be recorded as “excused.” If you do not attend seminars for reasons other than illness or other extreme circumstances, you will not get credit for HECOL 693 and will need to attend the missed seminar(s) the following year.
● Research and teaching assistantship (RA/TA) responsibilities are not legitimate reasons for not attending HECOL 693 seminars. It is important that you inform the supervisor of your RA/TA about the HECOL 693 seminar schedule.
● Students are expected to do any assigned readings in advance of the seminars.
1University of Alberta policy about course outlines can be found in 23.4(2) of the University Calendar.
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● Should students not complete an assignment for a HECOL 693 seminar by the due date, it is their responsibility to contact the professor(s) facilitating the seminar to make arrangements for handing in the assignment as soon as possible. Neither the professor(s) facilitating the seminar or the
coordinator for HECOL 693 will follow-up with students. If your assignments are not completed by the end of the term, you will not receive credit for HECOL 693.
PLAGIARISM and CHEATING
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, and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.
CLASS SCHEDULE, TOPIC OUTLINE, READINGS, and ASSIGNMENTS
● September 10, 2:00-3:50: The process of the doctoral program (Deanna Williamson)
Doctoral programs have a number of procedures and milestones that require informed navigation.Students are expected to work closely with their supervisors in managing their progress toward the degree. Ultimately, successful completion is the responsibility of the student. It is very important to be informed about requirements, deadlines, and other logistics.
Objectives of this session are to:
1. become familiar with FGSR and Human Ecology requirements for doctoral programs;
2. solidify your working relationship with your supervisor toward completion of your degree; and 3. develop a timeline for completion of doctoral requirements.
Required readings:
● Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, Graduate program manual.
**Read Sections 1 and 8
● Information for current students from FGSR website re: doctoral studies:
https://www.ualberta.ca/graduate-studies/current-students/doctoral-studies
● Department of Human Ecology. (2019). Graduate program manual.
**Particularly relevant sections: Roles & Responsibilities, Degree Requirements, Ethics Training, Professional Development Requirement, Supervisory & Examining Committees, Written
Presentation of Research, Additional Requirements.
Guiding questions:
1. What are the important milestones in your PhD program?
2. Who has responsibility for these milestones?
3. What do you need to do to ensure successful completion of your degree?
Assignment:
The assignment for this class is to develop a detailed timeline for completion of your degree. The timeline should indicate all important milestones, with annotations about forms that need to be completed, tasks (such as writing your dissertation proposal), deadlines, and plans for meeting these requirements. This timeline should be set up in consultation with your supervisor. It will be part of your record and available to you, your supervisor, and the graduate coordinator.
To complete this assignment:
● Complete assigned readings.
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● Meet with your supervisor to discuss important milestones and how you will work with your supervisor to achieve them. (Note: Early September is a very busy time. Give your supervisor as much advance notice as possible about your request for a meeting).
● Develop a timeline with annotations as noted above.
● Submit the timeline using the assignment tool on eclass by September 8 .
● Bring a copy of your timeline to the seminar on September 10 for discussion.
● September 24, 2:00-3:50: Preparing for comprehensive exams (Rhonda Breitkreuz) In this session, we will discuss the purpose, timing, and format of the comprehensive exam, the process for preparing for and writing the exam, and the evaluation process.
Objectives:
1. to provide students with information about the purpose of the comprehensive exam.
2. to explain the process for writing the comprehensive exam, as well possible outcomes of the exam.
3. to provide students with information about strategies to prepare for and write a successful exam.
Required Reading:
● Department of Human Ecology Graduate program manual, available on the Department website and eclass.
Assignment:
Come with your questions about the comprehensive exam and how to prepare for it.
● October 8, 2:00-3:50: Preparing for candidacy exams (Rachel McQueen)
A key milestone in the doctoral program in Human Ecology is the oral candidacy exam. The purpose of this seminar is to review and discuss:
●
the rationale and function of the candidacy exam;●
the timing within the program and format of the candidacy exam (including the kinds of questions commonly asked in the exam);●
strategies for preparing for, and doing, a candidacy exam;●
the evaluation criteria used by faculty in assessing student success;●
possible exam outcomes and options for students if they do not achieve a pass; and,●
student questions about the exams.Required readings:
In preparing for the seminar and in developing your questions, you should review FGSR guidelines and policies around candidacy exams that can be found in the FGSR Graduate Program Manual at the following link: https://www.ualberta.ca/graduate-studies/about/graduate-program-manual
Read the following:
a. Section 8.7 Doctoral Degrees (just read the short general section under the heading Program Requirements). The link directly to the manual is here.
b. Section 8.2 The Role and Structure of Examining Committees. The link directly to the manual is here.
c. Section 8.3 Conduct of Examinations (read subsections “Common Examination Protocols” and
“Conduct of Thesis and Candidacy Examinations”). The link directly to the manual is here.
In addition, review the Department of Human Ecology Tip Sheet on Candidacy Exams that is posted on e- class. Bring a hard copy or an electronic copy of the tip sheet to class.
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Assignment:Students should prepare a list of their questions or concerns about candidacy exams and come prepared to discuss these at the seminar. A portion of the seminar will be devoted to answering/discussing specific questions/concerns of students. Students should prepare 2-3 questions/concerns each and email these to Rachel McQueen [[email protected]] by Monday October 5, 2020.
● October 22, 12:00-1:50: Surviving your dissertation (Adam Galovan)
This session will focus on the process of writing a doctoral dissertation. In particular, the objectives of this session are to:
● introduce students to the overall process;
● understand the steps involved in the process; and
● examine the strategies that will facilitate the successful completion.
Required readings:
● Department of Human Ecology, University of Alberta. (2019). Graduate program manual.
Retrieved from https://cloudfront.ualberta.ca/-/media/ales/programs/graduate/current- students/graduate_program_manual_august-2019_hecolv2.pdf.
In particular, read sections entitled “The PhD Proposal,” “PhD Dissertation Research,” and
“Undertaking Masters and PhD Research.”
● Completing your dissertation without tears. Retrieved from https://www.albany.edu/ceasweb/dissertation.pdf
● Croxall, B. (2013). Mentoring is a fantasy. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/mentoring-is-a-fantasy/49119.
*Please also read the comments posted below the article.
Recommended resources
Silvia, P. (2007). How to write a lot: A practical guide to productive academic writing. Washington, DC: APA.
Rudestam, K.E., & Newton,R.R. (2007). Surviving your dissertation: A comprehensive guide to content and process. 3rd ed. Los Angeles: Sage.
ð Available on Google Books
http://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&lr=&id=yhpWm7e1Om8C&oi=fnd&pg=PP7&
dq=Surviving+Your+Dissertation&ots=-
rffcMSI0R&sig=LTsQFZw7psjWUkVurxxUSKfPFY4#v=onepage&q&f=false ð Read the part entitled “Overcoming Barriers: Becoming an Expert While Controlling
Your Own Destiny,” pages 205 to 225.
Assignment
1. Take a look at two to four dissertations written by your supervisor’s former students and/or found in 302B HEB. If you look at dissertations in 302B, try to find dissertations written by students in the same discipline/research area as you. The purpose of reviewing dissertations is to get a sense of the key characteristics, components, and structure of dissertations. Make note of similarities and differences among the dissertations you review, and any questions you would like to discuss during the session.
2. Talk with two or three doctoral students (in Human Ecology or other programs) who are currently writing their dissertations or recent PhD graduates about their experiences (what worked well, challenges etc.). How do their experiences and suggestions for success compare to information in the required reading from Columbia University and the required reading by Croxall (2013)?
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● November 5: 2:00-3:50: Reviewing conference submissions (Patricia Dolez)
Serving as a peer reviewer of conference submissions is an important professional service responsibility of an academic. This seminar will introduce students to the conference submission review process and tips for being an effective reviewer. The specific objectives are for students to:
1. examine and discuss:
a. the purpose of peer review in academic conferences;
b. the roles and responsibilities of peer reviewers (of conference submissions);
c. the strategies for providing high quality reviews; and
d. ethical guidelines associated with reviewing conference submissions.
2. review two conference submissions.
Required readings:
● Bernstein, M. (2008). Reviewing conference papers. Retrieved from http://www.markbernstein.org/elements/Reviewing.pdf.
● Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists Conference Scientific Program Committee (n.d.). Guide to CAOT Abstract Review.
**available on eClass
● Mann, S. (2009). Reviewing a CS conference paper.
**available on eClass
Guiding questions:
1. What is peer review?
2. What is the purpose of peer review – in general – and as part of academic conferences?
3. What are the roles and responsibilities of peer reviewers of conference submissions?
4. What are some specific strategies for providing high quality reviews?
5. What are key ethical considerations and matters associated with reviewing conference submissions?
Assignment:
Drawing on the required readings, you will review two conference submissions in preparation for the seminar (series of abstracts available to choose from on eClass).
❖ Send your review of the two conference submissions selected (identify them with their title) by email to Patricia Dolez ([email protected]) by Nov 4, 4pm.
❖ Be prepared to discuss your experiences with the review process during the seminar (e.g., how you approached the task, what you found challenging, uncertainties that you might have had).
● November 26, 12:00-1:50: Diverse approaches to knowledge mobilization & media training (Adam Galovan & Megan Strickfaden)
Dr. Galovan and Dr. Strickfaden will discuss their experience and ideas related to knowledge mobilization and interacting with members of the media.
The goal of knowledge mobilization is to share research with the public and other stakeholders in ways that are accessible. Knowledge mobilization is also important for grant writing, design research proposals, working in teams, and to get research out into the world. Another component of knowledge mobilization may also include outreach via media (e.g., print, radio, or broadcast news). Finally, researchers must also consider how they present themselves to the public via a personal website, social media, etc.The
objectives of this session are to:
● introduce students to various aspects of knowledge mobilization;
● discuss the differences between academic communication and public communication;
● consider best practices in interaction with members of the media;
● understand key principles for developing a professional online identity.
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Required Readings:● Stephens, C. (n.d.). Plain language online training. Retrieved from http://lisibilite.net/PlainTrain/Digest.html
● At least two (2) articles of your choice from https://plainlanguage.gov/resources/articles/
● Rodgers, P. (2017). Plain-language Summaries of Research: Writing for different readers.
Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.25408
● Venngage-Visualize your ideas (2018) The Nine Types of Infographics [TIPS & EXAMPLES]
(9:21 minutes). Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN8_85gKOTc
● Albers, M.J. (2014) "Infographics: Horrid chartjunk or quality communication," 2014 IEEE
International Professional Communication Conference (IPCC), Pittsburgh, PA, 2014, pp. 1-4, doi:
10.1109/IPCC.2014.7020344. (https://ieeexplore-ieee- org.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/document/7020344)
● Dunlap, J. & Lowenthal, P. (2016) Getting graphic about infographics: Design lessons learned from popular infographics. Journal of Visual Literacy, 35(1), 42-59. https://www-tandfonline- com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/doi/full/10.1080/1051144X.2016.1205832
Assignment:
1. Read two (2) recent University of Alberta press releases of your choice from https://www.folio.ca/
that discuss recent University of Alberta research.
Note: Most, but not all, articles at www.folio.ca discuss recent research; be sure you are reading a research-related press release.
2. After reading each press release, follow the link from the press release to the academic research article the press release describes and review the academic article.
3. After reading both the press release and the article, be prepared to discuss what you noticed about how the U of A media professionals summarized the research to distribute to the media and public.
Guiding questions:
1. How can scholars effectively share information and research with the public, stakeholders, and the media?
2. What are the differences among various communication approaches? Which are the most appropriate in different situations?
3. What are some ways scholars can establish a professional online identity?