Directed Study Senior Resesarch

COURSE SYLLABUS
On Demand
Senior Research Directed Study
NSC 49901-03
School of Science

Professor:  Dr. Linda Sigismondi
Phone:      740 245-7484
Email:       lindas@rio.edu
Office:      Kidd Hall 100B
Office Hours: MWF 2:30-3:20, Th 1:30-3:20

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Each student will be involved in an inquiry-based research project that involves lab or field data collection, statistical analysis, interpretation of results and presentation of findings in oral and/or written format.

PREREQUISITES: Senior standing with a major/minor in Biology, Chemistry, or Environmental Science

CREDIT HOURS:  1 - 3

TEXTBOOK AND OTHER REQUIRED MATERIALS:
• Lab Notebook
• Access to computer with word processing (MS Word, Pages), Spreadsheet (Excel, Numbers) and presentation (PowerPoint, Keynote) software

PROGRAM OUTCOMES: The following outcomes have been adopted for the environmental science degree program for which this course is required:

• Explain, using appropriate terminology, the major concepts in environmental science including major environmental problems, their causes, consequences, and potential solutions.
• Explain the fundamentals of scientific inquiry, interpret the results of scientific investigations, and draw reasonable conclusions from data.
• Explain, using appropriate terminology, the basic principles of biology, chemistry, and geology.
• Explain, using appropriate terminology, the basic principles of the social sciences including economics, government and sociology.
• Explain, using appropriate terminology, the major environmental laws in the United States.
• Function successfully in an environmental science internship.

COURSE OUTCOMES:  The following outcomes have been adopted for this course.  All outcomes listed below have direct relevance to course material.  Upon completion of this course students are expected to:

• Be able to design and carry out a lab or field-based research project.
• Be able to analyze data from a research project using spreadsheets and appropriate statistics.
• Be able to present research findings in oral and written form.

GRADING POLICIES/TESTING/ASSIGNMENTS/ATTENDANCE/EXPECTATIONS

Grade Calculation:

    
A = 93-100%, A- = 90-92, B+ = 88-89, B = 83-87%, B- = 80-82, C+ = 78-79,
C = 73-77%, C- = 70-72, D+ = 68-69, D = 63-67%, D- =60-62, F =below 60%

Notebook:  Submitted at midterm and at end of semester.  The notebook serves as a daily research log and entries should indicate date, time, a brief description of what was done that day and all raw data collected.

Literature Review:  Due at midterm.  This should include a list of at least 25 relevant articles in scientific format.  For each item, write 2-5 sentences summarizing the main information.  The list should be in alphabetical order by the last name of author.

Final Paper:  Due by 4:00 P.M. on the last day of final exams.  The paper should include:

• Abstract - one - two paragraphs that concisely state the purpose, hypothesis, overview of method, results, and conclusion.  Write this after writing the rest of the paper but put in the beginning of the paper.
• Introduction - This section should be 2-3 pages.  It should review the literature and end with a statement of purpose and hypothesis for research.
• Methods - This section describes step-by-step what you did including brand names and model numbers where needed. 
• Results - Includes one or more paragraphs summarizing the data and referring to appropriate summary graphs and tables.  Research should also include statistics such as Chi-Square, t-test, or ANOVA.
• Discussion - Restate purpose and hypothesis, explain whether you accept or reject hypothesis and why, discuss implications and ideas for future research
• References - list only those works cited in paper and all works cited in paper in APA format.
• Grading Rubric

Note:  This is a senior paper and quality is expected.  Papers with more than 5 spelling/grammatical errors will be returned to the student to correct even if it results in an incomplete in the course.

Presentation:  A poster presentation or seminar presentation at a departmental seminar or regional conference is strongly encouraged and will positively contribute to the grade in the course.

ACADEMIC POLICIES:

ADA POLICY: If a student wishes to be identified as having a physical, mental, or learning disability, that may or may not require reasonable accommodation(s), he/she must register with the Office of Accessibility.  These registered students should identify themselves to their instructors and provide a written statement from the Accessibility Office that indicates the appropriate accommodations.  The process of a student self-proclaiming the need for accommodation should occur as early in the semester as possible.  The Office of Accessibility is located in Rhodes Hall, Room 116, University of Rio Grande and the phone number is 245-7339.

FERPA:  The University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College are committed to fully respecting and protecting the rights of students under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).  These rights generally include the right to inspect, review and seek amendment to the student's education records and the right to provide written consent before personally identifiable information from education records is disclosed.  Under FERPA, students have the right to file a complaint with the US Department of Education concerning alleged failures to comply with FERPA.  Please see the Student Records Confidentiality/Rights Under FERPA section of the Student Handbook for details and more information.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:  Standard university policies, as described in the Student Handbook, apply.

WITHDRAWAL: Refer to Student Handbook

Last Updated:  January 8, 2013