BIOLOGY Graduate Student oral communication skills rubric

(Scale of 1-5, where 5 is the highest)

SCORE / HYPOTHESIS AND/ORSTATEMENTOF
PROBLEM / METHODSAND
CONTROLS/COMPARISON / RESULTS / CONCLUSION AND FUTUREWORK
1 / • The hypothesis/statement ofproblem was
inappropriateor was missing
• Little or nobackgroundinformationwas
includedorconnected
• Goal of projectwas notstated / •Methods sectionmissing
•Serious lackofcontrols of discussion of controls / •Results arenotyetavailable or
reproducible
•Presentationof datawas missing / •Conclusions were missing
•There was no connectionwith the hypothesis
2 / • Aquestionable hypothesis/statement of
problem waspresentedandwas not necessarilysupported
• Somerelevantbackgroundinformationwas included, butnot connected
• Goal of projectwas notclear / •No discussion of choiceof
methods
•Controls orcomparative groups not
adequately described;some appropriate controls or groups were missing / •Somedata werelacking not fully
sufficientto address the hypothesis
•Presentationof datawas included, butunclearordifficult to comprehend / •Conclusions were given
•Little connectionwiththe hypothesis was apparent
3 / • Aquestionable hypothesis/statement of
problem waspresented
• Background informationwasrelevant,but connections were not made
• Goal of projectwas stated understandably / •Little commentonwhy the
methods werechosen andothers
notchosen
•Adequatediscussionofcontrols or
comparativegroups;some significantcontrols or comparative groupswere lacking / •Adequateamounts of
reasonably gooddata were
presented to address the hypothesis
•Presentationof datawas not entirely clear / •Reasonableconclusions were
given
•Conclusions were not comparedto the hypothesis andtheir relevancewas not discussed
4 / • Alogical hypothesis/statement ofproblem
was presented
• Background informationwasrelevant,but connections were notclear
• Goal of projectwas stated clearly; showed
relevancebeyondproject / •Goodexplanationofchoiceof
methods
•Clear discussionofcontrols or comparativegroups;mostcontrols or comparative groups were included / • Sufficientamounts ofgood data
werepresented toaddressthe
hypothesis
• Presentationof datawas clear andlogical / •Reasonableconclusions were
givenandsupportedwith
evidence
•Conclusions were compared to hypothesis, buttheir relevance
was notdiscussed
5 / Alogical hypothesis/statement ofproblem
was presentedclearly
Background informationwas
relevantandsummarizedwell. Connections to previous literature and broader issues were clear
• Goal of projectwas stated
clearlyand concisely;showedclear
relevancebeyondproject / •Thoroughexplanationof why
particularmethods werechosen
•Clear discussionofcontrols or
comparativegroups;all appropriate controls or comparativegroups were included / •Substantial amounts of high
quality data were presented sufficientto address the hypothesis
•Presentationof datawas clear, thorough,and logical / • Reasonableconclusions were
givenandstrongly supported with evidence
• Conclusions were compared to hypothesis andtheir relevance ina widercontextwas discussed
SCORE / OVERALLPRESENTATIONHANDLING
QUESTIONS / POSTERBOARDORPOWERPOINTPRESENTATION / UNDERSTANDINGINTERDISCIPLINARYSCIENCES
(OPTIONAL)
1 / •Doesnotdemonstrateanyknowledge oftheresearchproject
•Readsfromtheposter(slideorscript)
allthetime
•Doesnotusetheavailablevisualaid toenhancepresentation
•Doesnotunderstandquestions
•Presentationisveryconfusing / •Someoftheexpectedcomponentsarepresent,but poorlylaidoutandconfusingtofollowintheabsenceof thepresenter.
•Thetextishardtoread,messyandillegible,and containsmultiplespellingortypographicalerrorsvery poorbackground
•Thefiguresandtablesarepoorlydone
•Visualaidsarenotused / Studentviewstheproblemorresearchquestionfroma singlediscipline:
•Methodsdevelopedwithina singlediscipline
•Analysescommonlyusedwithina singlediscipline
•Discoveryresultsfromknowledgewithina discipline
•Discoveryadvancesa singlediscipline
•Discoveryimpactsa singlediscipline
2 / •Demonstratesapoorknowledgeof theresearchproject
•Readsfromtheposter(slideorscript)
mostofthetime
•Doesnotusetheavailablevisualaid toenhancepresentationeffectively
•Hasdifficultyansweringquestions
•Presentationisunclear / •Someoftheexpectedcomponentsarepresent,but layout isuntidyandconfusingtofollowintheabsenceof thepresenter
•Thetextishardtoreadduetofontsizeorcolorand inconsistentlyfreeofspellingortypographicalerrors; thebackgroundmaybedistracting
•Thefiguresandtablesarenotrelatedtothetext,orare notappropriate,orarepoorlylabeled
•Photographs/tables/graphsarelimitedanddonot improveunderstandingoftheproject / Studentviewstheproblemorresearchquestionfromanotherdiscipline:
•Methodsdevelopedinanotherdiscipline,butcommonlyusedinyour discipline
•Analysesdevelopedinanotherdiscipline,butcommonlyusedinyour discipline
•Discoveryresultsfromknowledgewithina discipline,butinfluencedby differentdiscipline
•Discoveryadvancesa singlediscipline,butbroaderinfluenceis recognized
•Discoveryimpactsa singlediscipline,butbroaderinfluenceisrecognized
3 / •Demonstratessomeknowledgeofthe researchproject
•Readsfromtheposter(slideorscript)
someofthetime
•Usessomevisualaidstoenhancethe presentation
•Hassomedifficultyanswering challengingquestions
•Presentationisgenerallyunclearand inconsistent / •Mostoftheexpectedcomponentsarepresent,but layoutisconfusingtofollowintheabsenceofpresenter
•Thetextisrelativelyclearandlegible,butinconsistently freeofspellingortypographicalerrors;thebackground maybedistracting
•Thefiguresandtablesarenotalwaysrelatedtothetext, orappropriate,orarelabeledincorrectly
•Photographs/table/graphsdonotimprove understanding / Studentconnectstheproblemorresearchquestionusingmorethanone
establisheddiscipline:
•Methodsdevelopedinanotherestablisheddisciplinebutconnectedto yourdiscipline
•Analysesdevelopedinanotherestablisheddisciplinebutconnectedto yourdiscipline
•Discoveryresultsfromknowledgeconnectingmorethanestablished discipline
•Discoveryconnectsmorethanoneestablisheddiscipline
•Discoveryimpactsmorethanoneestablisheddiscipline
4 / •Demonstratesagoodknowledgeof theresearchproject
•Speaksclearlyandnaturally;makes eyecontact
•Usesvisualaidstoenhancethe presentation
•Answersmostquestions
•Presentationisclearforthemost part,butnotconsistently / • Allexpectedcomponentsarepresent,butlayoutis crowdedorjumbledandsomewhatconfusingtofollow intheabsenceofpresenter
• Thetextisrelativelyclear,legible,andmostlyfreeof spellingortypographicalerrors;thebackgroundis unobtrusive
• Mostofthefiguresandtablesareappropriateand labeledcorrectly
• Photographs/tables/graphsimproveunderstanding / Studentintegratestheproblemorresearchquestionfrommorethanone
discipline:
•Methodsdevelopedinmorethanonedisciplineareintegrated
•Analysesdevelopedinmorethanonedisciplineareintegrated
•Discoveryresultsfromknowledgeintegratedfrommorethanone discipline
•Discoveryintegratesmorethanonediscipline
•Discoveryimpactsmorethanonediscipline
5 / •Demonstratesaverystrong knowledgeoftheresearchproject
•Speaksclearly,naturallyandwith enthusiasm;makeseyecontact
•Comfortablyusesvisualaidsto enhancepresentation
•Answersdifficultquestionsclearly andsuccinctly
•Presentationisconsistentlyclearand logical / • Allexpectedcomponentsarepresent,clearlylaidout, andeasytofollowintheabsenceofpresenter
• Thetextisconcise,legible,andconsistentlyfreeof spellingortypographicalerrors;thebackgroundis unobtrusive
• Thefiguresandtablesareappropriateandconsistently labeledcorrectly
• Photographs/tables/graphsimproveunderstandingand enhancethevisualappeal / Studentusesmorethanonedisciplinetoradicallychangesunderstandingof
animportantorexistingconceptorpracticeortoprovidepathwaystonew
frontiers:
•Methodsusingmorethanonedisciplinearenovel
•Analysesusingmorethanonedisciplinearenew
•Discoveryresultsfromknowledgeinmorethanonediscipline transformingthatdiscipline
•Discoveryintegratesmorethanonedisciplinecreatinga newdiscipline
•Discoveryimpactsmorethanonedisciplinebycreatinga newparadigm orfrontier