This course is designed to provide students with the opportunity to develop reading, writing and presentation skills that are now critical in career development and advancement in science. BIOL8291 will be taught as a series of workshops emphasizing scientific writing and communicating to a scientific audience through written work, oral and poster presentations. The course is tailored to provide peer-review and instructor feedback via in-class workshops and online assistance in order to improve the presentation skills of individual students. We also spend time exploring the range of research labs at the ANU, in particular, those investigating biological questions of personal interest to students.

Topics covered will include:

• Engaging in the peer-review process with classmates
• Preparing and presenting interesting scientific oral presentations
• Writing techniques applied to both popular and scientific outlets
• Planning a research project incorporating effective experimental design and statistics
• Preparing a scientific poster based on ANU research and participating in a poster symposium
• Effective use of ANU resources, including library, academic skills and career centre

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Demonstrate writing and referencing skills to communicate to scientific and general audiences.
2. Critically read and interpret scientific journal articles in the fields of biology, biotechnology and neuroscience.
3. Prepare and deliver oral presentations on scientific research.
4. Prepare a scientific poster and present findings at a poster symposium.
5. Critically analyse ANU scientific seminars.
6. Analyse, critique, and reflect on your own work as well as others in the peer-review process.

Research-Led Teaching

BIOL8291 is based on preparing students for university-level research analyses, application and communicating this information. Students independently investigate their own research interests, read and critique work done by lead researchers of biological laboratories at the ANU, and learn to write, present and communicate science to a variety of scientific and general audiences. Students are encouraged to contact lab leaders to discuss the research projects and outcomes that they are investigating in this class.

Required Resources

All documents and resources are provided online and listed via wattle throughout the course.

Recommended Resources

Recommended student system requirements 

ANU courses commonly use a number of online resources and activities including:

• video material, similar to YouTube, for lectures and other instruction
• two-way video conferencing for interactive learning
• email and other messaging tools for communication
• interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities
• print and photo/scan for handwritten work
• home-based assessment.

To fully participate in ANU learning, students need:

• A computer or laptop. Mobile devices may work well but in some situations a computer/laptop may be more appropriate.
• Webcam
• Speakers and a microphone (e.g. headset)
• Reliable, stable internet connection. Broadband recommended. If using a mobile network or wi-fi then check performance is adequate.
• Suitable location with minimal interruptions and adequate privacy for classes and assessments.
• Printing, and photo/scanning equipment

For more information please see https://www.anu.edu.au/students/systems/recommended-student-system-requirements

Staff Feedback

Students will be given course assessment feedback from instructors, demonstrators and peers in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Science Communication & Critical Thinking
2	Science Writing / ANU Research	Research Article Selection
3	Academic Skills/ Endnote Library	Scientific Writing Summary 1
4	Experimental Design & Statistics	Statistics Worksheet Submission
5	Scientific Presentations	JC Presentation Outline
6	Journal Club Oral Presentations	Student JC Presentations assessed in class and Journal Club Critique and Reflection
7	News & Views Writing
8	ANU research supervisor selection	Revisions of Scientific Writing
9	Scientific Poster Presentations	News & Views
10	Poster Discussion	Final posters
11	Career information session
12	Student Poster Symposium	Student Poster Symposium (assessed in class), Seminar Logbook, and Capstone Reflection

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Learning Outcomes
Scientific Writing (10%)	10 %	1,2
Journal Club Presentation (25%)	25 %	2,3,6
News and Views (25%)	25 %	1,2
Poster Presentation / Symposium (25%)	25 %	1,2,4
Seminar Logbook (10%)	10 %	1,2,5
Capstone Reflection on Course Learning Outcomes (3%)	3 %	1,6
Experimental Design and Analysis Worksheet (2%)	2 %	2,6

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

This class is highly interactive, where students discuss research, writing and presenting in small groups and provide constructive feedback to peers. Students are expected to participate in each class and workshop through peer-review and discussions with their classmates.

Examination(s)

This course has no formal “exams”, but instead, students are assessed through several writing, presentation and reflection assignments.

Assessment Task 1

Scientific Writing (10%)

Write a one-page summary of a publication selected by the instructor, aimed at a general scientific audience. Students receive feedback from their assignment (first draft 10%) and then incorporate feedback in a revision of the summary (revision 5%).

Due: Week 3

Assessment Task 2

Journal Club Presentation (25%)

Choose a recent biology publication and prepare a Journal Club presentation and slides (20%), aimed at a non-specialist, biology audience. Students will prepare a 15-minute powerpoint presentation and deliver it to the class. The presentation will summarise the main research aims, experimental methods, and results, as well as give a strong background and insight into the significance and implications for broader research. There is also an JC Outline (2%), Critique (2%) and Reflection (1%) as additional parts of the assessment.

Due: Week 6

Assessment Task 3

News and Views (25%)

Write a “News and Views” style article based on the publication chosen at the start of the semester, which highlights the main findings and broad research context presented to a general scientific audience.

Due: Week 9

Assessment Task 4

Poster Presentation / Symposium (25%)

Prepare and present a research poster for an in-class scientific poster symposium using the biology publication selected at the beginning of the semester. This assignment is assessed as the poster content (20%) and the oral presentation at the poster symposium (5%).

Due: Week 11

Assessment Task 5

Seminar Logbook (10%)

Write a one-page summary with a critique/reflection for six biology research seminars attended during the semester. You will include details of the research as well as a reflection on the research and presentation style for each of the six summaries.

Assessment Task 6

Capstone Reflection on Course Learning Outcomes (3%)

Submit a reflection on your experience throughout this course, giving some details and examples of the class learning outcomes.

Assessment Task 7

Experimental Design and Analysis Worksheet (2%)

Complete a prepared worksheet from the Experimental Design Workshop.

Due: Week 4

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

No submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date will be permitted. If an assessment task is not submitted by the due date, a mark of 0 will be awarded.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Students in this course have the benefit of being assessed by demonstrators who provide extensive constructive feedback which are returned so the student can incorporate feedback in improving subsequent assignments.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

There are no resubmissions of assignments in this course.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students