ARSC 3700: McNair Scholars Seminar: Research Design

Multidisciplinary online course guiding science communication and academic writing as McNair students design and carry out a formal investigation. Instructor of record, 10 students.

Responsibilities

Drafted weekly modules for self-guided learning, hosted weekly office hours, graded assignments (including providing feedback on statements of purpose, conference abstracts, and research posters), conducted regular check-in’s over Zoom with students.

Syllabus Description

In this course, we will focus on the overall strategy used to communicate the results of your research. In designing and implementing your research study, or implementing elements of a research study that your faculty mentor may have designed, your goal will be to follow a logical plan that involves collecting, interpreting, analyzing, and discussing data all for the singular purpose of answering your research question(s). Assignments in the course are developed to improve your ability to communicate your research design clearly, succinctly, and accurately in multiple formats, from graduate application research statements, conference presentation abstracts and poster presentations, and networking with research faculty in your research experience and in graduate school programs via emails, elevator pitches, and interview settings. Multiple drafts and iterations of your talking points will be needed with opportunities to practice your writing and speaking to effectively communicate your research to a broad audience.

This course is an important element of your McNair Scholars Summer Research Internship. Because the purpose of the McNair Scholars Program is to prepare you for competitive application to graduate school and to gain skills needed to be successful in a doctoral program, you will work closely with your faculty mentor to complete summer research for a minimum of 20 hours per week over the course of the summer session D and engage in scholarly activities supported through this course.