Module overview
This module will support the student's Masters project work, and is centred around existing seminar series and other activities within the School of Biological Sciences and other Academic Units. It exposes students to current research and aims to enforce critical thinking, plus will ensure that students can communicate their own research effectively to different audiences, both to scientific colleagues and to the lay public, using a variety of delivery methods.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Critically evaluate research seminars and publications.
- Synthesise key research findings, drawing on seminar content as well as the relevant literature.
- Communicate ideas effectively and professionally by different means, to both the scientific community and the general public.
- Present their own current research to different audiences.
Syllabus
The exact content will vary between the different integrated Masters programmes, and will also vary from year to year, depending on invited speakers. Students will attend research seminars given by current researchers (postgraduate, postdoctoral and academics) from the University of Southampton, as well as external speakers.
Students will also embed themselves in a research journal club, learning how to critically analyse publications, before orally presenting a paper that is linked to their own research area. They will also present their own research in this forum or at other scientific group meetings to get formative feedback on their own progress. They will construct and peer review figures based on their own data, again as formative assessment.
The summative assessments will consist of the following:
1) A 1000 word summary of one of the research seminars attended, which links to their research field or techniques used.
2) Presentation of a recent paper linked to their research project in a journal club forum.
3) An exhibit based on the student's research project that is designed to convey the concepts and importance of their work to the general public.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Students will attend 15 research seminars throughout the academic year and embed themselves into a journal club and research group meetings that will be ongoing in the field of their project.
Lectures and workshops will be provided on: critical analysis of scientific publications and presentations; construction of scientific figures for presentation and publication; and conveying scientific concepts to the general public.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Seminar | 15 |
| Workshops | 5 |
| Independent Study | 130 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
Matt Carter. Designing Science Presentations.
Assessment
Formative
This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.
Oral presentation
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback: Oral feedback from audience members
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: No
Oral presentation
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback: Oral feedback from audience
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: No
Draft piece
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback: Electronic feedback
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: No
Seminar Participation
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback: None necessary
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: No
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Individual Oral Presentation | 25% |
| Report | 25% |
| Exhibition | 50% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Individual Oral Presentation | 25% |
| Report | 25% |
| Exhibition | 50% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal