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"CW: Course Project" Case

Case Description

Professor Pat is preparing his/her senior capstone course for Physics. The course is reading and writing-intensive and has as its primary objective the ability to communicate (through writing and speaking) key science-related issues to an audience of both scientists and non-scientists.

When assigning the major course project (a research paper worth 30% of students' final grades), what should Pat do?

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Case Responses

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Response 1.
Pat should just pass out the assignment. Most students will understand, and confused students will make an appointment for a conference.
Response 2.
Pat should spend some class time discussing the assignment and answering students' questions. Additionally, Pat should build writing activities into class time and require short writing assignments as homework each day leading up to the project's due date.
Response 3.
Pat should spend some class time discussing the assignment and answering students' questions. Additionally, Pat should provide samples of past student projects (either in print or digital format). She could also show the class excerpts of sample papers on PowerPoint slides or overhead transparencies.