Category: Demystifying academia (Page 2 of 2)

Presentation Q&A sessions (2.10)

April 26, 2024 / khansen

You’ve researched, planned, and delivered a presentation. But how do you handle the question and answer (Q & A) period afterwards? Read on for advice on Q & A time during poster sessions and after presentations.

WHY HAVE Q&A AFTER A TALK?

ACADEMIC DIALOGUE. Giving a presentation is usually unidirectional: the speaker talks and the audience listens. Yet academia is built upon lively discussion as a fundament of learning. So, engaging an audience’s questions and ideas draws more perspectives into the discussion, and provides more opportunity for developing your ideas and your work.

PRACTICE FOR PROFESSIONAL LIFE. Whether you deliver conference presentations in graduate school or give work-in-progress presentations in professional meetings, you’re all but certain to need practice in engaging with an audience. Doing so now gives you opportunities to learn different strategies and to test a variety of approaches.

STRATEGIES FOR ANSWERING

PREPARE IN ADVANCE. As you’re planning your presentation, think about the kinds of questions you might receive. What might non-experts want to know more about? What might experts be likely to ask you about? Also, if you have to cut material from your talk (as many folks do when trying to keep to an alloted time), save that material, including slides if there are any. Have that material handy during your Q&A session, and be ready to use it/display it if you receive a question on it. This will help you feel more in control, and it will help show your audience how thorough you are.

If you’re presenting a poster, know that people might break into your brief poster talk with questions before your talk is finished. So, practice giving your talk while friends or classmates break in with questions at different points in the talk. This will give you practice so that experiencing similar interruptions during the actual event won’t feel unfamiliar.

LISTEN CAREFULLY, ANSWER CONCISELY.It’s important to engage fully with the questions you receive so that your audience can learn and you can receive useful information and ideas from your audience. So, it’s essential to listen carefully to your audience’s questions and comments. If you didn’t hear a question completely, or if you’re not sure that you understand it, you should ask the questioner to repeat themselves, or you could ask “I’m not sure I’m understanding your question fully — could you perhaps restate it?”

When giving your answers, aim to answer the question fully, but also concisely. Additionally, feel free to direct questioners to useful secondary sources if you sense that they want to learn more about the topic.

WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER.Everyone receives questions that they cannot answer at some time, so expect questions of this type — and don’t feel like you’ve done someone wrong if anyone asks you a question to which you don’t know the answer. Ahead of time, prepare what you’ll do when this happens. Some strategies include thanking the speaker for their question and stating how you appreciate that they’ve pointed out an area of further study. Additionally, if the question falls outside the scope of your work, you can politely say so.

WHEN WORKING IN A GROUP

EVERYONE SHOULD SPEAK. If your group divides its talk into different parts, the person to answer should be whomever delivered the part that’s related to the question. But it’s expected that every member of a presentation group should participate in the Q& A.

YOU CAN ADD TO SOMEONE’S ANSWER. As mentioned above, it’s customary for all members of a group to answer questions. But audience members might not have questons about all parts of a talk, so some presenters might not know what to do to participate in the Q&A. Yet you can build onto what a group-mate says to answer a question, adding detail or explaining further.

FURTHER RESOURCES

Hanke, Stacey. “The Best Way to Answer Questions After a Presentation or a Meeting.” Entrepreneur, October 8, 2018.

Webb, Caroline. “How to Nail the Q&A After Your Presentation.” Harvard Business Review. January 24, 2020.

Academic integrity violations (2.9)

April 4, 2024 / khansen

We’ve all heard that academic integrity is something respected and valued at Colby. But what kinds of things violate academic integrity? And what should you do to uphold academic integrity? Read on to learn more.

WHAT’S ACADEMIC INTEGRITY?

NEGLIGENCE vs. DISHONESTY. Academic negligence is a minor unintentional slip-up in academic ethical behavior even though the student should have known better. Colby students should not receive more than one report of academic negligence.

Academic dishonesty is a significant ethical violation, characterized by willful transgression against academic integrity. A finding of academic dishonesty results in up to an F in a course (for a 1st report) and a letter in the student’s disciplinary file for 6 years after leaving Colby. But expulsion from the College can result, as well.

SOME INTEGRITY VIOLATIONS. This list is not exhaustive, but is instead intended to help show the range of behaviors that are violations against academic integrity. So, avoid the following:

Submitting someone else’s work as your own (including work done by classmates/aquaintances/family members, published material, or material found on the internet)
Submitting AI-produced work as your own, and/or not citing AI-generated material even when such material is allowed in assignments
Plagiarizing in any way
Creating work to be submitted by someone else as their own
Giving or receiving answers during an exam or quiz
Using unauthorized notes or materials on an exam or quiz
Looking at someone else’s work during an exam or quiz (with or without their knowledge)
Obtaining or sharing an unauthorized copy of a test in advance of its scheduled dissemination
Using tech inappropriately during assessments or tests, including (but not limited to) accessing Moodle
Working with another student/students on an assignment when that is not expressly allowed
Stealing or destroying the work of other students
Stealing ideas from other students and presenting them as your own
Falsifying or fabricating data, references, or citations
Turning in work created for another class (unless the professor of the current class explicitly says this is OK)
Misrepresenting facts to faculty or administrators
Including into an assignment any material that you did not create without citing its source—including not only text but also images, tables, and figures

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

WHEN IN DOUBT, FIND OUT. Different courses have different guidelines, so it’s imperative to take a good look at the syllabus for each of your courses so that you’ll know what is and isn’t allowed. Also be sure to check assignment instructions, since some professors may have different rules for each assignment.

If you’re still unsure, talk to your professor, either by asking questions in class or by going to their office hours. Also, view the video tutorial/tests from Indiana University linked to the digital version of this poster (via the QR code) to check your plagiarism knowledge.

REMEMBER WHAT’S IMPORTANT. Most students who are tempted to transgress against academic integrity are worried about their grades. So it’s worthwhile to remember that the consequences for dishonesty are far worse than just a bad grade on an exam or project. Planning ahead and keeping in mind that faculty design courses and assignments to prepare you for post-Colby life will help remove that temptation.

FURTHER RESOURCES

Colby College . “Academic Integrity.”

Colby College Library Guides. Avoiding Plagiarism: Academic Honesty. Colby College Student Handbook. “Academic Integrity.”

Durranit, Anayat. “What International Students Should Know About Academic Integrity.” US News and World Report (2023).

Indiana University. “How to Recognize Plagiarism: Tutorials and Tests

Note taking (2.8)

March 13, 2024 / khansen

You might have learned some notetaking skills in high school … but most students haven’t. Use these tips to help you create notes that will facilitate better learning and aid in using your time effectively.

TAKING NOTES IN CLASS

PREVIEW. In the syllabus or class schedule, many professors include topics for each session. Take a look at that to give you a sense of what the plan is for the session. Then, preview the readings assigned for that class session by skimming them. This will help you know what to expect, and it helps you formulate questions to ask during the class session. If your professor provides PowerPoint slides ahead of time, it can help to review those, too — but you can also compare your notes to the slides after class to see if you missed any key points.

CONSIDER THE CORNELL METHOD. This method divides up the note-taking page into different sections, each with a different purpose. In the left margin is the “cue” column, which is a place to record your questions about material and a place to identify the most important points. The bulk of the page is for general notes, and the bottom is reserved for summary. Fill in the summary section directly after each class as a way to check your understanding of the material. See the image below for what this looks like.

WHAT TO WRITE? Don’t write what the professor says word-for-word. Instead, summarize main ideas and key points in your own words. Use phrases and keywords rather than full sentences (you’ll be able to capture more ideas in your notes that way). Keep in mind that anything that the professor writes on the board is good to record in your notes, and insightful comments by classmates are also good to include in your notes.

PAPER OR DIGITAL? Some classes have “no tech” policies for class, meaning that you’ll have to take notes by hand. Handwriting notes is useful for many reasons, actually. For example, chemistry courses include many equations and diagrams, and it’s far easier to handwrite those (that includes recording them with a stylus on a tablet). Writing by hand also lets you create flowcharts, Venn diagrams, timelines, and more to help you draw relationships between ideas.

TAKING NOTES ON READINGS

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? Is there a theme or main idea for the class session during which your class will talk about this reading? Thinking about how this reading connects to the underlying theme of the course, as well as the key ideas of a segment of the course, can help you understand why this reading is important.

USE YOUR CONFUSION. Are there parts of the text that confuse you, or that you don’t understand? Make a note in the margin (digitally, or on paper) to indicate where you got lost (use the cue column if using Cornell-style note-taking). Then, ask about those confusing ideas during class.

FLAG WHAT’S IMPORTANT. Underline or highlight the main ideas. Did the writer convey a particularly well-expressed idea? Underline or highlight that, too — but make sure to leave a note for yourself that indicates why each underlined or highlighted element is important. If you don’t, you’ll have to spend a lot of time re-reading to remember the importance of each item.

MAKE CONNECTIONS. Write notes to yourself in the margins to show how ideas connect to other course texts or discussions. If you don’t see how the ideas in an assigned reading connect to other course ideas, think about what that might mean — does this reading express a contrasting or outlier view on a topic? Do you think you might be overlooking a way that the ideas connect? Record any questions you have about connections, or the lack of them, and be sure to bring those to class.

FURTHER RESOURCES

Alexander Street. “Active Learning: Cornell Notes” (video).

Saint John’s UniverSIty, College of Saint Benedict. “Lecture Note Taking.”

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Learning Center. “Effective Note-Taking in Class.”

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Learning Center. “Taking Notes While Reading“.

Class participation (2.3)

October 9, 2023 / khansen

Stalled poster 2.3 (text is pasted below)

You know you should participate in class, but what does it mean to do so? Professors have differing ideas about what constitutes participation, but here are some aspects of it to consider.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE?

ENGAGED ATTENDANCE. Regular, on-time attendance is key. When you’re in class, professors also expect you to keep your attention on class business, so resist the urge to focus your attention on personal matters, other classes, or other distractions. Professors also expect student engagement, including previewing material before class to be able to follow along during class, and showing curiosity in course content.

DISCUSSION CONTRIBUTION. Class discussions are intended to give you practice in talking through big ideas with others, collaborating to construct shared understanding, and exchanging differing points of view. It’s a good idea to link your discussion contributions to the course’s readings and main ideas.

TAKING NOTES. Take notes during class, jotting down ideas that arise in discussions, instructions for completing activities/assignments, key terms that are new to you, and anything that helps you understand the course’s content, skills, or methods being taught.

ASKING PROBING QUESTIONS. Come to class with questions based on course readings or on homework. If your questions help create a stronger understanding of course material, then those kinds of probing questions help show that you are participating.

LISTENING. Paying attention to your professor is important, so try your best to listen attentively to them. But it is also important to listen carefully when your classmates speak, so be sure to listen well to them, too.

IN-CLASS ACTIVITY. If your professor asks students to engage in small group discussions, peer responses, problem solving, or any other activity during class time, devote your full attention to it. This is not the time to check your email, get a snack, or otherwise be inattentive — active learning activities count as participation to most professors.

DISCUSSION BOARD POST/RESPONSE. Many courses have discussion boards on their Moodle site, and starting a discussion with a thoughtful analysis or question can contribute to others’ understanding of course material. Posting responses to others’ posts also allows you to participate in an unhurried way.

WHAT IF PARTICIPATION ISN’T GRADED?

Even if a professor doesn’t assign a participation grade, it’s still important for you to participate in class. Learning is an active enterprise, and if you aren’t engaged, attentive, curious, and questioning during class, you won’t learn as much or remember what you learn as well. You’re at college to develop your intellect, and that’s an activity that demands participation — in fact, that’s why so many professors grade participation!

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT MY PROFESSOR WANTS?

SYLLABUS. Many professors define what they mean by participation in their syllabus. If yours does, pay close attention to what they wrote in the syllabus. If you have a syllabus that does not define participation, follow the suggestions from the first part of this poster.

ASK! If you aren’t sure what “participation” means in a course, it’s likely that other students in the class are similarly unclear on the matter. So it will help everyone if you ask during class for the professor’s expectations about how students should participate in their class.

WHEN ISSUES ARISE. If you experience any barriers in being able to participate fully, be sure to talk to your professor in their office hours about that.

FURTHER RESOURCES

Petress, Ken. “An Operational Definition of Class Participation.” College Student Journal 40.4 (2006).

Millersville University. “Class Participation: More Than Just Raising Your Hand.”

Office hours (2.2)

September 2, 2023 / khansen

Stalled poster 2.2 (text is pasted below)

If you don’t really know what office hours are, you’re not alone! Take the Stalled challenge: go to office hours with each one of your professors at least once this semester!

WHY SHOULD I GO TO OFFICE HOURS?

Most students don’t start college with a clear understanding of the purpose of office hours. Here are some tips to help you make the most of them!

WHAT ARE OFFICE HOURS? Every professor holds weekly office hours so that students know when to find them for one-on-one conversations. Some professors require students to attend office hours, but you should go even if office hours are not required. Some professors may ask you to schedule a time to go to office hours, so be sure to check your course’s syllabus for details (and for the location of your professors’ offices).

BUT WHY GO? Getting to know your professors will make you more comfortable in class — and it helps them know how best to facilitate learning in their courses by better understanding their students.

WHAT SHOULD I TALK ABOUT IN OFFICE HOURS?

You won’t have time to talk about all of these things in one visit, so we suggest picking just one to start.

HOW THE READING RELATES TO THE COURSE.Readings are assigned for particular reasons, so you should ask your professor if you don’t understand how a particular reading relates to course themes. This is also likely to help you if you need to grapple with readings in an essay or other assignment. If you need advice about how to read the course’s texts effectively, talk about that, too!

HOW TO DO WELL.If you’re visiting office hours at the start of a term, ask about the habits or behaviors that help students succeed in the course. You can also ask how to improve your performance on tests, essays/reports, presentations, or any other task. If the professor works in the department in which you are seeking a major or minor, consider asking about how your work in this specific class fits into your work towards your major or minor. You can also ask about what habits successful majors or minors cultivate.

What you should not do is ask how to get an A in the class. Different people need different things to achieve high grades, and your class performance will be better if you focus on how best to learn rather than how to achieve a specific grade.

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR WRITING. Different disciplines have different ideas and guidelines about what constitutes good writing. So, consider asking your professor for writing advice before your first writing task in their course is due. If you have specific questions about any feedback your professor provided on draft or final versions of your writing, bring a copy of your work with their comments.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION. If you need a letter of recommendation, go talk to your professor. Tell them what the letter is for, what the letter should emphasize, and, if it’s been a while since you took a course with them, remind them about what course(s) you were in. Pro tips: give them the most recent version of your resume at the same time, and give them at least 2-3 weeks advance notice.

WHAT’S NOT GOING WELL. If you find something in the course material confusing, if you don’t understand the parameters of an assignment, or if you are experiencing personal difficulties that affect your schoolwork, talk to your professor in person during their office hours. It’s helpful to talk face-to-face to discuss these things, which can be harder to do effectively via email, phone, or other communication channel.

ABOUT THEM! Ask about their research, or ask about what got them into their field. You might find a professor with whom you’d like to do research, and you might even be surprised at what you learn!

FURTHER RESOURCES

Cornell University Learning Strategies Center. “How to Use Office Hours.”

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Learning Center. “Using Office Hours Effectively

How to read syllabi, and how & why to email professors (2.1)

August 12, 2023 / khansen

Stalled poster 2.1 (text is pasted below)

You receive a syllabus for each of your classes — but do you know how to read a syllabus so as to understand what you’re expected to learn? And do you have questions about emailing your instructors? This edition of Stalled is here to help you!

HOW TO READ SYLLABI

UNDERSTAND THE COURSE GOALS. Have you seen “learning objectives” on a syllabus before? These are the skills and content knowledge that the professors expect you to achieve by the time the course ends. These are the goals that the class tasks are built to help you reach, so think about how you can showcase those skills and knowledge bases in your assignments and other contributions to class.

Every course syllabus is different, so make sure to read each one carefully, but here are some of the most common elements and why they’re important.

KNOW WHAT YOU’LL DO IN CLASS. Many syllabi include schedules so that you know what will happen during the different class sessions. This can help you prepare for class (and can serve as a starting point for creating study guides for exams).

WHAT TYPE OF COURSE IT IS. The assignment types can help you understand what type of course you’re in: is the course based on completing readings and participating in discussions? If so, you’ll need to stay on top of the reading assignments. Is the course problem-set and exam based? Then you’ll need to ensure that you build the skills necessary to complete problems and also understand the difference between different kinds of problems.

GRADE CALCULATION. What are the graded elements of the course? Are some assignments/elements worth more than others in the calculation of the course grade? If so, that can give you a hint as to what the instructor sees as important. If dates for exams or assignments are provided, put those in your (digital or paper) calendar. In particular, put the dates of all final exams in your calendar as soon as you can. Don’t have a calendar? Use Google Calendar!

FURTHER RESOURCES

University of California, Berkeley. “6 Ways to Use Your Syllabus for Success.”

University of Waterloo Writing and Communication Centre. “Reading Your Syllabus For Success.”

HOW & WHY TO EMAIL PROFESSORS

Email is a key way to communicate with faculty, and professors have expectations for emails. Here’s what you need to know!

NAMES MATTER. In conversation and in written communication, it’s a good idea to address faculty as “Doctor” or “Professor” (respectful titles for a terminal-degree-holder who teaches at the collegiate level). If they want you to call them something different, they’ll let you know.

End with your full name, since several students may share the same or similar first names. If you’re speaking face-to-face, introduce yourself by name the first time you talk (and maybe the next few times, too, since professors have lots of students!).

BE CONCISE. Your professor is an intellectual mentor to you, which places you in the role of mentee. One of the things that that means is that you should be mindful of their time, plan and prepare what you’ll discuss (either via email or in person), and aim to be clear and concise. So: no long-winded sob stories — get straight to the point, and your profs will appreciate that you’ve shown respect for their time.

WHY EMAIL? Speaking to your professor face-to-face is often preferable so that you can have a discussion about issues like how to strengthen your work in a class or how to develop your skills and knowledge in the course subject.

However, when emergencies arise or something happens before you can meet your professor in their office hours, email is the best way to reach them (unless they have specified a different mode of communication). Email professors when you have an illness that will prevent you from attending class, for example.

FURTHER RESOURCES

Columbia University School of Professional Studies. “How to Talk to Faculty.”

Wood, Sarah. “7 Guidelines for College Student-Professor Interactions.” U.S. News and World Report (July 5, 2022).