Difference between revisions of "20.109(F24):Assignments"

Overview

You will complete three experimental modules over the course of the semester. The modules differ in both conceptual and technical content and in the ways that your learning will be assessed. Although your laboratory work will be done as partners, most assignments will be submitted individually (as summarized below) and should reflect your personal understanding. Please review the 20.109 statement on collaboration and integrity for details concerning academic honesty in our class. You are highly encouraged to ask the teaching team any questions you have about what constitutes appropriate collaboration.

Individual assignments (~60% of final grade):

• Most homework, laboratory notebooks, and quizzes
• Research talk
• Journal club presentation
• Research article

Team assignments (~40% of final grade):

• Some homework, laboratory notebooks, and quizzes
• Data summary (draft and revision)
• Research proposal presentation

We appreciate that time management can be difficult and that learning takes place on many time-scales. However, assignments turned in at wildly different times create additional logistical burdens for the teaching team. Therefore, late assignments (both homework and major assignments) will be penalized 1/3 of a letter grade for each day late and will not be accepted after 7 days.

We provide equal access to subject 20.109 for students with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Please see the teaching faculty as soon as possible regarding needed accommodations.

If you find yourself in a situation where issues outside of the class are impacting your performance (for example, if you have a personal or medical issue), consider visiting Student Support Services ("S cubed"). The deans in S³ will verify your situation, and then discuss with you how to address the missed work. We will not excuse coursework or provide extensions without verification from S³.

Major assignments

Further information for each of the major assignments is provided at the link in the table below.

Assignment	% of final grade	Description
Research talk	5	The Research talk is a short, verbal presentation focused on a key experiment from Mod1. The goal of this assignment is to learn how to clearly and cohesively describe an an important aspect of your science to someone not familiar with your project.
Data summary	15	The Data summary is a detailed, written outline that presents all of the experimental work completed in Mod1. The goal of this assignment is to tie the data from the experiments into a cohesive narrative. To give the narrative context, important background information and relevant implications are also part of the assignment.
Journal article presentation	15	The Journal article presentation is a formal, verbal presentation of a published, peer-reviewed article related to the content in Mod2. The goal of this assignment is to research the experimental methods and results reported by the authors, then present the information to scientifically knowledgeable audience that is unfamiliar with the paper. Relevant background information is also part of the presentation to ensure the audience is able to follow the experimental work.
Research article	20	The Research article is a formal, written manuscript that presents all of the experimental work completed in Mod2. The goal of this assignment is to craft a narrative that is similar in format and quality to a published paper.
Research proposal presentation	20	The Research proposal presentation is a technical, verbal presentation of a novel research idea. The goal of this assignment is to use biological engineering strategies / tools / technologies to solve a need.

Other assignments

In addition to the major assignments listed above, the following will contribute to the final grade:

Homework assignments (15% of final grade)

Homework assignments are intended to keep you on pace for completing the major assignments. Each homework is designed to help you prepare a portion of one of the more complicated assignments. This allows you to practice your skills and receive feedback on your work in a more low-stakes manner.

Participation (5% of final grade)

Participation is based on three components of the class: (1) attendance in lecture, and (2) engagement during group discussions, and (3) being an active audience member during presentations. Attendance is key to understanding the overall scope and important concepts relevant to each module. By understanding the lecture content, you will be better equipped to participate in group discussions focused on publications that are relevant to the each module and be able to formulate thoughtful, scientifically-driven questions during peer presentations.

Quizzes (5% of final grade)

Quizzes serve two purposes: (1) to refresh your memory about the long-term project you are completing, and (2) to provide you with an opportunity to show your technical knowledge decoupled from your communication skills. The questions are based on content from both lecture and laboratory prelabs within each module.