Mathematics 348 :  Oral Presentation & Research Seminar
Spring 2017
Introduction

Professor:        Jeff Johannes                                    Section 1    MF    2:30-3:20p    South 336
Office:            South 326A                    
Telephone:      245-5403
Office Hours:   Monday 3:30 - 4:30p, Tuesday 4:00 - 5:00p, Wednesday 4:00 - 5:00p,  Thursday 8:00 - 9:00p, Friday 10:30 - 11:30a, or by appointment or visit.
Email Address: Johannes@Geneseo.edu
Web-page:        http://www.geneseo.edu/~johannes

Reading
    Occasional handouts and library resources.
  
Purposes
    Reading, writing, and speaking about arithmetic (um, mathematics, that is).

Overview
    This is a most unusual mathematics class, in that you are not responsible for learning any mathematics.  You will be preparing a library research project on a topic in mathematics and presenting several presentations to the class.  We will also discuss several issues related to these performance outcomes.  These may include some of the following:  typesetting in mathematics, bibliographic references in mathematics, and talk styles in mathematics.  This class is about producing products and not about learning mathematics. 

Learning Outcomes
    Students  in Math 348, Oral Presentation and Research Seminar will
    •    develop library research skills in the area of mathematics.
    •    develop critical skills applicable to attending mathematical presentations.
    •    produce a mature oral presentation of a non-trivial mathematical topic.

Grading
    Half of your grade will come from your project.  The other half will come from your presentations.  The following is the ultimate courseweights for each component:
          Project                                                                                     Others
             5% - topic selection                                                                    5% homework presentation
             5% - library assigment                                                               10% each colloquia analyses (2)
             10% - topic presentation                                                            5% participation
             10% - annotated bibliography
             10%/5% - two rehearsals (higher percentage for higher grade)
             20% - GREAT day presentation
             5% - self-evaluation reflection

Project
    Each student is responsible for completing a project.  Your project will include research on a significant mathematical topic of your choice.  You must include reference to at least five resources, two of which must be non-internet resources, one of which must be an MAA Journal (The College Mathematics Journal, The American Mathematical Monthly, or Mathematics Magazine). 

Presentations
    Each student will present several talks using diverse media of different lengths.  For each talk you will also review the other students' presentations.  Talks will be scored using the oral rubric given to you.  You will also use this rubric to assess your classmates' talks.  If you miss your talk, or the review of another student's talk, you will receive no credit for the presentation.  If your talk is too short, your score will be scaled by the fraction of the time that you used.  If your talk is too long, your score will be scaled by 3/4.  

Colloquia Analyses
    Attend a mathematics department colloquium presentation, write a report.  In the report, describe the content of the talk (including a detailed discussion of the mathematics).  In addition to your description of the talk, also write an analysis of the presentation - include both strengths and weaknesses.  Papers are due at most a week after the presentation.  I will gladly look at papers before they are due to provide comments.  The first must be completed before spring break. 

Participation
    It is important that you make every attempt to attend class, since active involvement is an integral part of this course.  If you are present and attending to the presentations of the day, you will receive one participation point that day.  If you also participate to the class as a whole (answer a question, provide suggestions to a presenter, ask an insightful question or offer important relevant commentary) you will receive two participation points for that day.  If you are not engaged in class, you will receive no points for that day.  Attending each day and never speaking in class will earn 80%.  Speaking every other day on which there is an opportunity to speak will earn 95%.  Scores between will be scaled linearly. 

Feedback
    Occasionally you will be given anonymous feedback forms.  Please use them to share any thoughts or concerns for how the course is running.  Remember, the sooner you tell me your concerns, the more I can do about them.  I have also created a web-site which accepts anonymous comments.  If we have not yet discussed this in class, please encourage me to create a class code.  This site may also be accessed via our course page on a link entitled anonymous feedback.  Of course, you are always welcome to approach me outside of class to discuss these issues as well.

Disability Accommodations
    SUNY Geneseo will make reasonable accommodations for persons with documented physical, emotional or learning disabilities.  Students should consult with the Director in the Office of Disability Services (Tabitha Buggie-Hunt, 105D Erwin, tbuggieh@geneseo.edu) and their individual faculty regarding any needed accommodations as early as possible in the semester.

Religious Holidays
    It is my policy to give students who miss class because of observance of religious holidays the opportunity to make up missed work.  You are responsible for notifying me no later than February 6 of plans to observe the holiday.  

Loose Schedule - subject to adaptations.

January 19  Introductions

January 22  Library research meeting (in class - bring laptops)
January 26 Colloquium 2:30p - talk in Newton 214.  

January  29  Library assignment due.  Colloquia Discussion.  Maybe rubric.
February 2 Video analysis (#1, #2) - introduction to the rubric

February 5  Research topic due.  Homework presentations - markerboard (3-4 min)
February 9

February 12  work day
February 16  Project topics presented with question time - opaque projector (5-7 min)

February 19  topics
February 23 

February 26  Finish topics.
March 2        work day. Annotated bibliography due.

March 5       revised title and abstract due - must be resubmitted. 
March 9

March 19  Presentation rehearsal 1 - with computer slides (10-15 min)
March 23

March 26   Presentation rehearsal 1 - with computer slides
March 30

April 2  Peer presentations (2 rooms)
April 6

April 9  Presentation final rehearsal (10-15 min)
April 11 We may need this day for rehearsals, too.
April 13

April 16  Presentation final rehearsal
April 17 GREAT Day presentations (12 min)
April 20  Reflection conversation.

April 23 - no class
April 27 - no class

April 30 Self-evaluation and course reflection due.