BIOL 5700Communications Skills

Hal Whitehead

http://myweb.dal.ca/hwhitehe/BIOL4062/communcla_2008.htm

Purpose

• To give you information about life as a graduate student and a practicing biologist

Tentative Timetable

• 5 Sept: Introduction for new graduate students (Paul Bentzen)

• 12 Sept: – Communications class– Introduction to graduate programmes in Biology– Administrative arrangements– Getting help– Departmental tour

Tentative Timetable• 19 Sept:

– “Normal” progress for graduate students– ATC's (introduction)– Supervisors and supervision– Talking and lecturing

• 26 Sept (Michelle Paon):– Orientation to the library's research resources

• 3 Oct (Michelle Paon):– Workshop on RefWorks bibliographic management software

Tentative Timetable• 10 Oct (Marty Leonard):

– Writing scientific papers

• 17 Oct:– Success as a graduate student and scientist– Student communication presentations– 4-min FISH talks

• 24 Oct: – Getting money: research grant proposals– Student communication presentations– 4-min FISH talks

Tentative Timetable

• 31 Oct: Student communication presentations• 7 Nov:

– Present research grant assessment evaluations– Student communication presentations

• 14Nov: Present and discuss ethical scenarios• 21 Nov: Present and discuss ethical scenarios• 28 Nov (Richard Wassersug):

– Presenting science to scientists and the public

Tentative Timetable WINTER TERM

• 16 Jan: The ATC exam

• ~13 Feb: ATC practice

• ~13 March: ATC practice

• ~1 May: ATC practice

Choose one

Assignments

1. 4-min FISH talk 5%

2. Summary and evaluation 20%

3. Communication talk 15%

4. Research grant proposal 20%

5. Ethical issues 15%

6. Attend and evaluate seminars * 15%

7. ATC proposal presentation 10%

65% or more (plus complete assignment 6) to pass

BIOL5700: Seminar evaluation Name:_____________________________

Date:___________ Seminar Series / Organization:___________________________________Title:_________________________________________________________________________Speaker:______________________________________________________________________Summary:

Evaluate scientific content:

Evaluate presentation:

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BIOL5700: Seminar evaluation Name:____J oe Bloogs_______________

Date:__13 Oct___ Seminar Series / Organization:____Biology Seminar Series_________Title:_______On elephant dung__________________________________________________Speaker:____Bob Pachyderm_____________________________________________________Summary:

Elephant dung is a wonderful source of scientific information. Scientists can obtain the DNA ofthe elephants themselves, and of their food, as well as information on hormones, parasites, andfeeding rates. This gives a much clearer picture of their lives, and allows the testing of a rangeof hypotheses.

Evaluate scientific content:

Bob P. was generally very convincing in explaining the value of elephant dung, although I think heglossed over some of the biases that are involved in faecal hormone analysis. Otherwise superb!

Evaluate presentation:

Slides were generally clear, and pictures of elephant dung great, but Bob P. mumbled a lot, wentovert-time, and rambled.

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