TEACHING ALL VOLUMES SUBMIT WORK SEARCH TIEE
VOLUME 1: Table of Contents TEACHING ISSUES AND EXPERIMENTS IN ECOLOGY
Experiments


Guidelines for Stomata Research Proposal:

      At the end of class after the first lab period, you and your partner should submit your research proposal. This document should fit on one page and should contain three sections:

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Guidelines for Data Analysis:

      After you have collected your stomata data you are ready to test your hypothesis. Enter your data in a spreadsheet available in lab (such as Microsoft’s Excel). Find the averages, standard deviations for your data groups. Also, construct a graph summarizing your stomata results.

      Consult with your instructor if you have questions about graphics generation using available software and about exactly what statistical test is best for your data; however, in our experience, data from the vast majority of projects may be analyzed using a t-test.

      We have created a detailed PDF of “Appendix 1: Guidelines for Statistical Analysis" of your stomata data that includes information on basic descriptive statistics and the t-test. Please read these pages carefully and consult with your instructor if things are still unclear.

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Guidelines for Oral Presentations:

  1. You should always compose the written report first, and then distill salient features for your 12 minute oral presentation (with a 3 minute Q/A session).

  2. Oral reports should contain 4 sections each of which serves a specific function:
    • Introduction (3 mins), (Note: CLEARLY STATE YOUR HYPOTHESIS)
    • Materials and Methods (3 mins),
    • Results and Specific Discussion of Them (3 mins), and
    • General Discussion of Results and Future Research Directions (3 mins).

  3. The principal differences between oral reports and written reports are that:
    • oral reports do NOT start with the Abstract, they start with the Introduction,
    • oral reports do NOT detail the methods as extensively,
    • oral reports present the results and offer brief discussions interpreting the results as they are presented, whereas written reports only discuss results in the Discussion section.

  4. You should think very carefully about how to use visuals (overheads, computer projectors, etc.) to convey your findings, and you are encouraged to use presentation development software (such as Microsoft’s PowerPoint [however, select colors that work well together with NO animations or sound effects]).

  5. NEVER read your talk, however, neither should you ad lib. Use a normal speaking voice, address your audience (NOT to the blackboard or projector image), and explain what you asked, what you did, what you found, what it means, and what you would do next to follow up. Rehearse your talks at least three times!

  6. Lastly, you will lead the 3 minute Q/A session after your talk, during which your peers will be asking you questions. Since good questions and their answers are rewarded, your task is to move things along and answer clearly and succinctly. Encourage the more silent students in the class to engage in the discussion.
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Guidelines for Written Reports:

      You have not done science until you have presented your data and interpretations in a way that is usable by your colleagues. Dozens of books have been written on how to write a research paper, how to write a thesis, etc. Although it is true that the style and content of most scientific papers are fairly consistent, it is not true that good scientific writing is dry and dull. Good writing is catalytic to learning and understanding, and your development as scientists (whether or not you choose a career in science) requires proficiency in oral and written communication.

      At the beginning of Week 3 you and your research partner will submit your written report and you will present your research results to your peers in an in-class symposium. Your written report should conform to a standard format for scientific papers that contains the following sections: Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Literature Cited (if any), and an Appendix containing the original data. Each section serves a specific and unique function, the details of which are given in the PDF "Appendix 2: Detailed Guidelines for Stomata Lab Written Reports"

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Guidelines for Data Management:

      Your research team will be given a data disk on which you will keep all of your data, analyses, Tables and Figures, and the current version of your manuscript (you must provide a backup disk). *** WARNING *** beware of swapping disks while running MS-Word or Excel - you might get a lockup and lose all unsaved information. We suggest saving all work on the hard disk (or ram disk) of whatever computer you are using (such as in the “My Documents” folder), and then every 10 minutes while working and when done, use MS Windows Explorer to copy your work to your principal and backup disks on the A: drive. Ask if you are unsure about how to do this. You will turn in your data disks to your instructor when you turn in your report. There should be 3 files on your disk (1) your manuscript in MS-Word, (2) your Tables and Figures in MS-PowerPoint, a nd (3) your data in MS-Excel. Details follow:

     (1) MS-Word manuscript file (*.doc extension):

     (2) MS-PowerPoint presentation file (*.ppt extension):

     (3) MS-Excel date file (*.xls extension):

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Guidelines for Reflective Reviews of Lab Activities:

       No lab activity is perfect and its participants, YOU, are the best judges of what changes need to be made to make things run more smoothly so that you can get the most out of it. In addition, numerous studies have shown that students learn more if they are involved in the teaching process. This activity is specifically designed to meet both objectives: improve the labs and help you get more out of your time and effort here.

       After the completion of this lab activity, we want you to write a brief reflective review. The text should be formatted double spaced, 12 point, 1" margins, and minimum 300 words in length. Your charge is to convey your most pressing concerns regarding the strengths AND weaknesses of the lab activity. In addition, explain exactly how the lab activity should be modified to improve it. Be constructive. For example, if the lab was in your opinion "too long" which particular activities would you omit and why? If an activity in a lab was "a waste of time," why was it so? Re-examine the objectives of the lab on the first page of the lab write-up. What specific lab objective(s) were or were not met, and what specific activity should be used instead that would accomplish these lab objective(s) that were not met? To repeat, your comments must be constructive to be given credit.

      Your critical/constructive review of the lab activity is due at the beginning of the following Wednesday noon hour meeting. Clear, concise, and insightful reviews that demonstrate your reflection and constructive criticism of a lab activity will earn +20 points.

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