Higher Practical Project and Seminar

GENERAL OBJECTIVES:

Students should be able to:

1. Select, with the help of lecturers, a laboratory based topic for investigation.

2. Decide, with the help of a lecturer, on an experimental investigation in that area.

3. Carry out a literature review of the topic, paying particular attention to the area selected for investigation.

4. Prepare a seminar on the proposed investigation

5. Give the seminar and defend the proposed investigation when questioned by the participants in the Seminar

6. Perform, under the supervision of lecturing staff, the experimental investigation over the course of the Semester. Drawing conclusions and making suggestions for developing the research as the work proceeds

7. Write a full project report in scientific format consisting of: (i) A free standing Abstract, (ii) Introduction, (iii) Methods (or Experimental), (iv) Results, (iii) Discussion, (iv) References.

8. Prepare a seminar on the investigation, the results found, the conclusions drawn and proposals for further investigations.

9. Give the seminar and defend the investigation when questioned by the participants in the Seminar

Students are able to

1. Understand the process of carrying out a research project and seminar.

2. Explain the characteristics of a good project/research investigation

3. List the different components of a research/project work

4. List the factors considered in selecting a project/research problems

5. Select a topic for investigation 

With help from the lecturer students:

1. Understand the topic and areas suitable for experimental investigation.

2. Select the area of the topic and design experiments for the investigation

1. Read relevant books and papers

2. Make relevant notes

3. Understand how the proposed investigation complements the existing literature

1. Students understand how to prepare for presenting a seminar.

2. Students prepare for the seminar

1. Student gives a seminar on the proposed topic

2. Student answers questions from the audience

3. Student adjusts proposed project in light of comments made during the seminar

1. Students can work under GLP conditions, keeping notebook and writing up experiments in a second lab notebook (both notebooks hard bound)

2. Students begin to draft their report beginning with the Introduction then methods then results and, at a late stage their conclusions

1. Students complete and submit a full project report in the layout of a Scientific report.

2. Students Write an Abstract that stands alone and does not refer to the body of the report

3. Students know the report consists of an Introduction, Methods (or Experimental), Results, Discussion and References. (The Results and Discussion may be combined as Results and Discussion).