Section A
Course Description
Last updated 31 July, 2014
This has been a very good course — fun to teach, with only about 20 students in each section .
It is an important introduction to scientific communication
NSCI 1000: Seminar in Science Section A
This description applies to my general past practice. I retired from the course after 2013
Basic principles
i. Intelligent reading of the scientific literature is essential to science.
ii. Science is done by human beings
iii. Accurate communication is essential in science;
Scientists must be able to write well and to criticize their own writing.
Scientists should be able to speak well in public.
iv. Communication at several levels is important for the scientist
Scientists must be able to write for different audiences – for specialists, for non-specialist scientists and for the general public.
Organisation
The course consisted of 2 ninety-minute classes per week. In addition five plenary seminars by outside speakers formed part of the course. Attendance at all classes and seminars was required.
i. The Professor is to guide the course and set the standards, but not primarily to teach course content.
ii. Group interaction is an essential part of doing modern science, although thinking must still be individual.
iii. Attendance at classes and seminars is required. Regular submission of assignments is required.
Seminars and classes
The course will be structured primarily around a series of three main activities.
1. Five seminars by outside speakers will take place for all first year science seminar students at the same time, in the ‘workshop’ slot, Alternate Tuesdays at 1130.
2. A second major component of the first year science seminar will involve a student project, to be done in teams of three or four. Each student will present a written and oral initial statement and a written and oral final description
3. Finally, some classes and some exercises will provide the students with a broad experience communication in science: the resources available at Carleton, the nature of plagiarism and bad science, editing a paper, writing a paper, all designed to provide the students with the research and communication skills that are useful in academic life.
Grading For more details on the assignments and their grading, see “Assignments” Some assignments will be given detailed comments but no grade.
Seminar Assignments 45% Approximately 1 per week for 10 weeks, ranging from “orientation” exercises to short essays (see tentative schedule below). Many of these assignments are to be graded, and all will be given detailed comment.
Project pre-report both written and oral An outline and sketch of what the project should look like and an oral statement of this. (The final project may differ from this, but this is a first view.) These will be given detailed comment, but will not be graded.
Project Report: Oral 15% To be carried out in groups of 3 – 4 on a topic chosen by the students in the group (and approved by the instructor). Final oral presentations will be carried out late in the course).
Project Report: Written 15%, roughly 10 – 15 pages (double spaced) .
Class Participation 25% To encourage students to participate fully in group discussions, debates etc. This may somewhat subjective on the part of the TA and the Instructor.
There will be no final examination.