This document provides guidance to students on completing their final write-up and presentation for a research seminar course. It offers tips for the final paper such as establishing context, focusing on salient points, and using sub-headings. Potential pitfalls to avoid are discussed, like not reading beyond the target article or treating limitations as grounds for dismissal. Guidelines for the presentation recommend focusing on critique and evaluation rather than re-description, addressing the most interesting findings, and involving all group members. Students are asked to submit their final paper and PowerPoint presentation digitally.

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GCRD 6353:
Research Seminar
in Curriculum
Studies
Becoming Critically Informed Consumers of Peer
Reviewed Published Research

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Where are you currently at?

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Final write-up: Hints and tips
 Remember to establish the context of
your discussion (you have to write as
though the reader does not have the
target article in front of them)
 Focus on the most salient things (don’t
cover everything in the template)
 The write-up requires reading beyond
your focus article; be sure to signal this
extra reading in your paper

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Final write-up: Hints and tips
 Tenor of paper is academic; includes
paying attention to in-text citation and
APA referencing conventions, and
bibliographic conventions etc.
 Include sub-headings to help structure
your paper effectively
 Leave time for your group to work on the
full draft--your paper should have one
“voice”

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Some pitfalls to avoid
 Not reading enough beyond the focus article
 Re-description alone; must include analysis and
evaluation
 Not discussing things enough
 Treating your paper as a question-response type of text
 Being too literary (e.g., avoid including life narratives for
each focus article author).
 Treating limitations as grounds for the dismissal of a
study

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Two samples….

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The presentation itself
 6 groups @ 40 minutes each = about 4 hours plus
changeovers and breaks etc.
 Aim at 30 min of talk and leave10 min for discussion; be
sure to generate provocative questions for your audience
 Bring your PowerPoint presentation on a thumb/flash/jump
drive (along with back-up copies)
 Presentation should focus on your critique and evaluation
of the research design of the study, not on re-describing the
study
 Address the 3-4 most interesting things you found in your
critique—don’t take everyone through your entire paper
 Not everyone has to speak, but everyone must be involved
in designing the final presentation

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Recap on final assignment
components to be submitted by
or at the final session
 A digital copy of your final paper;
including all group members’
names and email addresses; email
it to me:
micheleknobel@gmail.com
 A digital copy of your PPT
presentation

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A “good” powerpoint…
 Has on average only 4 points per slide
 Summarizes key points being made
 Doesn’t include big chunks of text
 Isn’t read from the screen
 Makes use of good contrasting
colours
 Doesn’t have gratuitous
images, video clips or sounds

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Course website
https://sites.google.com/site/ourmsvu
pages/summer1-2013
There are 3 exemplars of typical final
papers posted here.