GSE899 Research Communication (for MPhil and PhD Students)
About this Unit
Semester 1, 2008
Convenor: Dr Trish Fanning
All students who are enrolled in research degree programs in the GSE are also required to be enrolled in GSE899 for their entire period of candidature.
The aim of this unit is to achieve excellence in communication.
The University is seeking, and increasingly demanding, excellence from students. This is part of the government's move to Quality Assurance in higher education. The structure of this Unit is designed to be part of the QA thrust at Macquarie University. We intend this Unit to be a tacit demonstration of the commitment of the Graduate School to excellence in post-graduate education. On completing your research degree, we expect you to be an effective communicator. This is the aim of GSE 899.
Communication is an essential part of environmental studies, including science, planning, management and education. If we can't communicate our ideas, research results, aspirations, plans, policies or procedures then we are failing as environmental professionals. There are many ways of communicating, but often we have little choice in either the medium to be used, or even the method. Despite this, there are many ways that we can prepare for the inevitable time when we are required to publicly discuss our research. This may be orally, or in writing.
A key part of the Unit is listening critically to seminars presented by your fellow students. By doing this, you become more aware of the elements of good presentation, and the reasons why some are better than others. Thus we expect all students to attend all seminars, to participate in the audience, and to assess each seminar as a piece of communication. A side benefit of participating is that you learn more of what your fellow students are doing, and begin to appreciate the enormous width of environmental research undertaken at the Graduate School. Also, with your background and experience, you may be able to make some contribution to another student's research project.
From a professional point of view, we must be able to communicate our ideas. If we can't, then we are only masquerading as researchers or environmental managers. It may be very satisfying knowing that we understand our particular special piece of the environment better than anyone else, but that is no help to either the environment, nor to the human race! We must be able to communicate our knowledge so that it can be used effectively.
From a personal view point it is important that we make a good impression. We never know when a potential employer may be in the audience, or reading our report or paper. Plus there is considerable satisfaction in knowing that we have done our best, and we have effectively communicated with the audience.
In this unit, we consider some of the key elements of good communication, both oral and written.
Teaching Staff
Convenor: Trish Fanning
Presenters:
Ms Judy Recher (oral communication workshops)
Dr Trish Fanning (writing skills)
Classes
Every student enrolled in a MPhil or PhD research program in the Graduate School of the Environment must present one seminar during every year that they are enrolled. As soon as students have submitted their theses and have a receipt from the Higher Degree Research Unit, they are no longer assessed in this Unit. Thus, they do not have to present a seminar AFTER they have submitted their thesis. Seminar days will be in May/early June and November. You will have time for practice, and everyone is encouraged to practice in small groups. Many students feel more comfortable practicing with the group of students supervised by their own supervisor. You are strongly encouraged to do this.
In addition, there will be compulsory formal classes in speaking, writing and poster presentation for ALL currently enrolled research students unless you have attended formal classes in this unit prior to 2008 and achieved a grade of Cr or better in your seminar in 2007. The classes comprise six workshops on preparing oral presentations and public speaking, one workshop on preparing and presenting posters, and a workshop on writing abstracts and papers and getting your research published. The workshops are interactive, and students are required to participate in all of the activities. See the Schedule of Lectures below.
Unit web page
There is no web page for this unit.
Learning Outcomes
- Educational:
- To achieve excellence in oral communication through participation in skill-building exercises
- To become aware of the practical skills involved in visual and written communication
- To emphasise the importance of these skills in both professional and personal interactions with colleagues, employers and family/friends
- Professional:
- To encourage students to form professional networks with other research students and academic staff
- To expose students to the with wide range of topics covered by environmental research.
Teaching and Learning Strategy
Schedule of Lectures
| Week | Date | Workshop Theme |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Friday 29 March | Communicating your research - what the GSE expects Importance of oral communication Introductions - the beginning of the beginning… |
| 2 | Friday 7 March | Impromptu speaking (off-the-cuff) Evaluating other speakers 4-6 minute oral presentation |
| 3 | Friday 14 March | Speech construction workshop Components of a good seminar? Effective use of body language |
| 4 | Friday 28 March | Your voice says it all Effective use of visual aids - preparation and presentation Overcoming Nervousness |
| 5 | Friday 4 April | Audience Analysis Question Time |
| 6 | Friday 11 April | The End: bringing it all together |
| 7 | Friday 2 May | Practice seminars and question/feedback time |
| 8 | Friday 9 May | Writing Skills Workshop: how to write an abstract; how to write a paper; getting published |
| 9 | Friday 16 May | Posters: Organisation, content, design; some pitfalls and practical advice Pracrice session using PowerPoint to prepare a poster |
| Friday 23 May | Abstracts for GSE898/9 first semester seminars due | |
| Wednesday 28 May | Morning: GSE898/9 Seminar Presentations (E8A341) Afternoon: HDR Progress Interviews (E8A360A) |
|
| Thursday 29 May | Morning: GSE898/9 Seminar Presentations (E8A341) Afternoon: HDR Progress Interviews (continued) (E8A360A) |
|
| SEMESTER 2 Seminar Dates | ||
| Friday 10 November | Abstracts for semester 2 seminars due | |
| Thursday 20 November | Morning: GSE898/9 Seminar Presentations (E8A341) Afternoon: HDR Progress Interviews (E8A360A) |
|
| Friday 21 November | Morning: GSE898/9 Seminar Presentations (E8A341) Afternoon:HDR Progress Interviews (continued) (E8A360A) |
|
All workshops will be held in E8A360A from 10 am to 1 pm unless otherwise advised.
Participation
ALL students enrolled in GSE 899 must present one seminar each year, regardless of whether you are enrolled full-time or part-time for your research degree.
ALL students are required to attend BOTH of the seminar sessions:
- to present their own seminar,
- participate as a member of the audience, and
- evaluate and provide feedback on the seminars of fellow students.
Exemptions from attendance at any of the workshops, or from any of the seminar sessions must be made in writing to the unit convenor at least two weeks prior to the session, and must be endorsed by your supervisor. Failure to comply will result in a Fail (F) for the unit. Failure to present a seminar when required will result in a statement of Unsatisfactory Progress being recorded on your Progress Report Form.
Relationship between Assessment and Learning Outcomes
Assessment is based on
- satisfactory participation in the workshops (if applicable)
- the annual seminar and an associated abstract - all students must attempt both components. Failing to submit any one component will lead to an overall failing grade in the Unit.
Only the seminar and abstract marks will determine your final grade for the unit.
Abstract of seminar (20%) due as per timetable
The abstract is a one page summary of the seminar that will be presented approximately 1 week later. A 50% penalty will apply to abstracts not formatted correctly.
1. Limits, content, etc.
- One (1) A4 page maximum, unlimited words, 1.5 line space, minimum 12 point serif font, left justified, 2.5 cm margin all round.
- Include title of seminar, name of student, degree for which enrolled, and name of supervisor at top of page, left justified.
2. Format
The abstract is to be submitted in two forms (electronic and paper).
- Electronic: by email attachment. Word .doc or pdf file formats only will be accepted.
- Paper: a hard copy of the abstract .
- Submit by the due date to the unit convenor (see above for addresses).
3. Late abstracts
As the abstracts must be collated and copied for distribution before the presentations, no extension will be given. Failure to submit an abstract on time will result in a Fail (F) for the whole unit and you will not be permitted to present your seminar.
4. Criteria for assessment
Each abstract will be assessed using the following criteria:
| Clear statement of the research and the findings or implications | 30% |
| Clear structure | 20% |
| Language/topic suitable for general environmental audience | 20% |
| Standard of literary presentation | 20% |
| Making full use of space available | 10% |
This is set out on the Assessment Sheet which will be attached to each marked Abstract.
How to write an abstract will be discussed in the writing workshop (see Timetable). Continuing students: if you are unsure of the requirements, please attend the workshop. New students: attendance is compulsory.
Seminar presentation (80%)
- Students are assessed on their presentation of a single seminar every year that they are enrolled.
- First seminar: This will also form part of the requirements for satisfactory completion of GSE898 Research Management, and will be required at the completion of the student's first full-time or second part-time semester. It will be a presentation of the student's research plan, and include an outline of the conceptual framework, design, methods and proposed timeline for completing the project.
- Second and subsequent seminars: The seminar will be on a topic of the student's choosing and will be related to or derive from the research topic being investigated by the student. However, it should not take the form of a progress report, encompassing the whole of the research. It should be essentially identical to a paper presented at a conference for environmental professionals (and not just professionals in your field or discipline).
- The month of presenting seminars in previous years is irrelevant.
- Some important points:
- The seminar is a formal examination - treat it as such!
- Each seminar will last 25 minutes: 15 minutes for the presentation, 10 minutes for questions. At the end of 15 minutes, the student will stop presenting the seminar whether finished or not
- It is the responsibility of each student to time themselves during their presentation. The chairperson will only call out warnings at 13 minutes, and stop the speaker at 15 minutes
- All presentations may be supported by a PowerPoint slide show and a computer and data projector will be available for your use
- Presentations must be loaded and checked the day before the seminars: it is your responsiblity to ensure that your presentation works on the laptop provided by the GSE
- Pre-recorded performances are not acceptable, each student must give a "live" seminar
- Marks will be deducted for seminars which repeat a substantial portion of earlier seminars
- Assessment will be by the Unit Convenor, with advice from other academics in the GSE.
- As part of the learning exercise, students in the audience are also required to complete Assessment Forms on each seminar. The objective is to sharpen your skills of listening to seminars and to focus your attention on the key components of seminar presentations and contents. The completed assessments will be read by the Unit Convenor and then passed to the presenter of each seminar. These assessments will not form part of the formal assessment and allocation of grades. This form is designed to help both the presenter and the listener. It is based on evaluation guides used by Toastmasters International. The objective is to make listeners more aware of the key elements of a good presentation, and for listeners to advise presenters of their reactions to the seminar. Be honest! The key is to be positively critical: offer helpful suggestions, don't just submit a blank sheet with numbers on it!
- Assessment criteria cover content, presentation technique and suitability for a general environmental audience. This is deliberate; we expect an appropriate level of expertise in presentation. Obvious lack of rehearsal, using poor visuals, droning, too many "hums" and "ers", etc. are not acceptable. Similarly, a highly professional presentation which is essentially devoid of any substantive content is not acceptable. We will accept a wide range of variations in style, but the key criterion is that the performance must be professional.
- Finally, your presentation must be intelligible to an educated audience of environmental professionals from a wide range of disciplines. Narrowly focussed seminars replete with jargon, and designed for professional conferences in your field will not attract high marks, regardless of presentation and content.
How to present a seminar will be discussed in the formal workshops (see Timetable). Continuing students: if you are unsure of the requirements, please attend the workshops. New students: attendance is compulsory.
When all else fails...
You can read about it, and listen to other people talking about it, but sooner or later you will have to actually do it yourself. There is no substitute for practising. So, when all else fails, remember the three things that determine a good seminar performance:
Practise, practise, practise?
It also helps if you remember the five Ps which apply to both seminars and writing:
Proper planning prevents poor performance
Download GSE899 Assessment of Abstract form
Required and Recommended Texts/Materials
Plagiarism
The University defines plagiarism in its rules: "Plagiarism involves using the work of another person and presenting it as one's own." Plagiarism is a serious breach of the University's rules and carries significant penalties. You must read the University's practices and procedures on plagiarism. These can be found in the Handbook of Postgraduate Studies or on the web at: http://www.student.mq.edu.au/plagiarism/
The policies and procedures explain what plagiarism is, how to avoid it, the procedures that will be taken in cases of suspected plagiarism, and the penalties if you are found guilty. Penalties may include a deduction of marks, failure in the unit, and/or referral to the University Discipline Committee.
The GSE recommends that students familiarise themselves with the information contained on the Georgetown University Honor Council website which discusses plagiarism in an easy to understand and comprehensive manner.
University Policy on Grading
Academic Senate has a set of guidelines on the distribution of grades across the range from fail to high distinction. Your final result will include one of these grades plus a standardised numerical grade (SNG).
On occasion your raw mark for a unit (i.e., the total of your marks for each assessment item) may not be the same as the SNG which you receive. Under the Senate guidelines, results may be scaled to ensure that there is a degree of comparability across the university, so that units with the same past performances of their students should achieve similar results.
It is important that you realise that the policy does not require that a minimum number of students are to be failed in any unit. In fact it does something like the opposite, in requiring examiners to explain their actions if more than 20% of students fail in a unit.
The process of scaling does not change the order of marks among students. A student who receives a higher raw mark than another will also receive a higher final scaled mark.
For an explanation of the policy see:
http://senate.mq.edu.au/rules/Guidelines2003.doc or
http://senate.mq.edu.au/rules/detailedguidelines.doc
Student Support Services
Macquarie University provides a range of Academic Student Support Services. Details of these services can be accessed at http://www.student.mq.edu.au.
Advice for Students with Disabilities/Health Conditions
The Equity Support Unit (ESU) provides support and assistance to students with a disability/health condition in aiming to ensure that they do not experience disadvantage in reaching their academic potential. Service provision is determined on a case-by-case basis following an assessment of a student's needs and the provision of supporting documentation. Service provision is also dependent on the availability of resources.
To register with ESU, download an Advice of Disability/Health Condition form from http://www.reg.mq.edu.au/academic-index.html. This form must be completed annually, irrespective of whether a disability/health condition is temporary, long-term or permanent. Students wishing to request support services from the ESU should make an appointment to see a Disability Advisor immediately after enrolling at Macquarie University.
Phone: (02) 9850 6494/7497
Fax: (02) 9850 6063
TTY: (02) 9850 6493
Email: equity@mq.edu.au
In person: Level 2, Lincoln Building (C8A), Macquarie University
Website: http://www.sss.mq.edu.au/equity