Unit 4.3a - Presentation Day 1

Students will be able to:

• Synthesize the information on IMRD format application from course materials, sample papers and interviews with experts and present the results of their analysis in class;
• Share their experience of writing primary research papers;
• Share expert advice for novice writers based on the interviews;
• Discuss similarities and differences in the research process within and across disciplines.

Part 1: Selecting group order

Each group will choose a random number between 1 - 100 the closest group get to choose their presentation place.

Part 2: Student Photograph and Video Consent Form

The instructor will hand out the consent form for video recording. Please fill out the form and choose if you provide

Part 3: Prep time for presentations

In your groups please spent some time preparing for your presentation.

Part 4: Presentations and Q & A

Please open the presentation worksheet and write down one questions for each groups presentation. The instructor will call on several students to ask their questions to the presenting group. Presentation groups: try to keep the presentation portion of their presentation to 15 minutes.

Unit 4 - Overview

Student Outcomes:

As a result of this unit and assignment, students will be able to:

• Identify and explain the function of the four main components of an IMRD paper (introduction, methods, results and discussion);
• Describe and justify variations of the IMRD structure (including Literature Review and Conclusion) within their discipline and across disciplines;
• Analyze the discipline-specific research process;
• Analyze application of the IMRD format to research writing in their discipline;
• Evaluate congruence of expert opinion on discipline-specific writing conventions with published research in their field;
• Create a group presentation analyzing the IMRD format and research process in their disciplines;
• Write a reflective essay on the research process and the use of the IMRD format in their discipline.   

Assignment Description:

The IMRD (Introduction Method Results Discussion) format proposed by Swales (1990, 2004)  is still presented in writing manuals as a foundational pattern for primary-source research articles (e.g, Körner, 2008). However,  variations of IMRD are actually much more widespread (Lin & Evans, 2011) than simple IMRD.

 

Why is it important for students to learn about IMRD variations?  It is very common in academic research articles. Indeed, any  of our students who will later be involved in empirical studies need to be familiar with this format. For the other students their education in academic writing would be incomplete without some knowledge of this important format.

The unit is organized synthetically. Each component and its relationship to the overall IRMD format is presented separately in an inductive fashion for students  themselves to ascertain  the essential characteristics and it culminates in a group presentation andreflective essay in which students will present the discoveries they made based on IMRD papers from their discipline and interviews with experienced researchers

In this unit, students will find a sample IMRD article from their discipline and will watch one or more interviews with an experienced researcher provided by the instructor. Based on these resources, students will complete two assignments in this unit:

1. A group presentation detailing the research process and IMRD format in their discipline;

2. A reflective essay on the research process and IMRD format in their discipline.

Unit 4.3 - IMRD Presentation Workshop

Objectives:

Students will be able to...

• Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between a paper from their field and from other disciplines in terms of structure, process, and style.
• Create suggestions for application based on multiple sources (papers, publication guidelines, interviews with experts and their own experience in the field).
• Present their findings to their students, using presentation skills learned in ESL 500.

Part 1: Group organization

Leave your regular seat and sit with your group members for the remainder of the lesson.

Groups for IMRD presentation:

1. Group: Guo, Ember
2. Group: Jin, Ivy, Irene
3. Group: Menjia, Cyndy
4. Group: Yizhou, Preeti, Aline
5. Group: Jinsheng, Vikram
6. Group: Tina, Keda, Dongwook,

Part 2: Template overview

Follow along as the instructor discusses the template for the presentation. Please remember that
that the main focus is the content and not the design of the presentation.  You be graded on your groups analyses of your papers and interviews and not on public speaking ability.  For this level of education, it is assumed that the students already have formal, academic speaking ability and practice.

When working on your presentations please consider the following:

• Please discuss your IMRD and the specific qualities it has in comparison to the other IMRD in your group.
• presentations should be about 15 mins in length with a short Q & A afterwards.
• please use the template and insert your information in the designated sections
• delete notes for the presentation
• replace questions with answers.

Template (same major), Template (different majors)

Part 3: Presentation prep.

To ensure that you can complete your presentation preparation in class, please roughly follow this timeline.

• 10 minutes - Research Process (slide 4)
• Discuss typical research projects and sources of new research ideas based both on sample papers and interviews. List main points on the slide.
• 30 minutes - Research Paper Format (slides 5-11)
• Based on sample papers, identify patterns in each section (Introduction (Literature Review), Method, Results, Discussion and (optional) Conclusion)
• 10 minutes - Review and Editing Process (slide 12)
• Discuss what researchers shared regarding the review and editing process in the interviews that your group members watched. List main points on the slide.
• 10 minutes -  General Suggestions/Advice (slide 13)
• Discuss suggestions/advice that researchers shared in the interviews. List the ones you find most helpful/important on the slide.
• 5 minutes - References
• List all sources that your group has used for the presentation.

*Once finished please upload your presentation to box.

Templates: Template (same major),   Template (different majors)

Unit 4.2 - IMRD Variation

Objectives: Students will be able to...

• Review and articulate the scientific method.
• Connect IMRD research articles to the scientific method by describing how replication and evaluation of research articles are facilitated.
• Distinguish (through induction) variations of IMRD.
• Compare and contrast specific IMRD variations.
• Demonstrate that the underlying logic in IMRD variations reflects the underlying unitary logic of the scientific method.
• Reflect knowledgeably on whether variations represent discipline specific variations of the same general scientific purpose, or whether variations represent qualitatively (epistemologically) different research procedures.  

Part 1: Warm up Quiz - Socrative

Open the link to Socrative. Input the classroom name as UIUCESLWRITING. Think back to Wednesday’s lesson and answer three questions about IMRDs and the Scientific Method.

Part 2: Video on the scientific method.

Watch a video to review the scientific method. While watching the video please consider a time you have used the scientific method.

Part 3b: Group Work: Continued from last class: “Identifying the IMLRD Components of Sample Papers”

In groups, read one sample article to find the topic and main findings of the article for 5 minutes. Share the information with the class.

sample article 1

sample article 2

sample article 3

sample article 4

Then, in the same group, complete the worksheet and make a short presentation about your answers to the class. Three groups will be chosen at random to present their information.

Part 3b: Complete the same process with another article. Compare the two articles, do they share common feature? Be prepared to discuss your group's comparison with the rest of the class.

Part 4: Review Main Points of Lesson

As a class, elicit basics of the scientific method and IMRD variations and possible reasons for their existence.

Part 5: Preparation for the Workshop/Assigning Homework

Spend the rest of the time by explaining the procedure for the workshop and assigning homework. Instructors need to show students Google templates for group presentations that students will be using in the next class. At this point, instructors also need to form groups (same or different major) for the workshop and final presentation.

Groups for IMRD presentation:

1. Group: Guo, Ember
2. Group: Jin, Ivy, Irene
3. Group: Menjia, Cyndy
4. Group: Yizhou, Preeti, Aline, Tina
5. Group: Jinsheng Dongwook, Keda, Vikram
6. * Might break up group 5 into two groups.

Homework

By next class, complete the following tasks:

-Watch a video with an expert from their field or relevant field and upload the INTERVIEW WITH AN EXPERT WORKSHEET to box.

- Find and upload one or more primary research papers from their field that they will be using for their group presentations;

Interviews Materials:

Interview Worksheet:

Interview with an Expert Worksheet

Video Interviews:

Music (Dr. Guido Sanchez)

Education (Dr. David Huang)

Civil Engineering (Dr. Rahim Benekohal)

Human Nutrition (Dr. Graciela Padua)

Electrical and Computer Engineering (Dr. Scott Carney)

Economics (Dr. Jose Vazquez-Cognet)

Landscape Architecture (Dr William Sullivan)

Computer Science (Dr Philip Brighten Godfrey)

Library and Information Science (Cindy Ingold)

Biochemistry (Dr Lici A. Schurig-Briccio)

Physics (Celia Elliott)

Literature (Dr Eric Calderwood)

Math Education (Dr Sara Theule Lubienski)

Crop Sciences (Dr Darin Eastburn)

Animal Sciences (Dr Hans Stein)

Unit 4.1- IMLRD

Objectives: Students will be able to:

• Identify and describe the main components of an IMLRD paper.
• Explain the purpose, contents, and structure of four sections of an IMLRD paper: Introduction, Method, Literature,Results, and Discussion.
• Analyze specific sections of the four main components of sample IMLRD papers

Part 1-  Overview of the Unit

Read and review the assignment information and rubric for Unit 4.

Part 2 - Warm-up Discussion

In groups, answer the questions presented.

• What is primary research and secondary research and how are they different?
• What is the scientific method (how is primary research done)? How is the research method recorded in a written form?
• Have any of you written a primary research paper before?

Part 3 - Matching Headings with Components + Sample Paper

In pairs or groups, match the headings and function strips and put them in order to understand the purposes of each section of the IMLRD paper.

In pairs and groups, read the short sample IMLRD paper and fill out the blanks by labeling sections in order and provide their rationale. You need to find an appropriate title for the sample paper.

Part 4 - Explicit Instruction

Follow along the powerpoint as I discuss the contents of an ILMRD.

Part 5- Identifying the IMLRD Components of Sample Papers

In groups, read one sample article to find the topic and main findings of the article for 5 minutes. Share the information with the class.

sample article 1

sample article 2

sample article 3

sample article 4

Then, in the same group, complete the worksheet and make a short presentation about your answers to the class. Three groups will be chosen at random to present their information.

Unit 3.7 - Wordiness & Abstracts

Writing concisely mini lesson

Students will be able to:

• Define "writing concisely," which should be taken to mean: using exactly the number of words necessary to express ideas, no more
• Determine the justification behind writing concisely
• Edit sample writing to be more concise
• Revise their own writing to be more concise

Individual conferences availability poll - Doodle Poll

Part 1: Inductive group work and discussion

Open the INDUCTIVE WARM UP WORKSHEET.  In groups or pairs, compare the various sets of  two passages. Which do you prefer? Do they both convey the same meaning? How does the author eliminate wordiness in the shorter passages? Be prepared to discuss your discussion with the class.

Part 2: Explicit lecture (EXPLICIT LECTURE POWERPOINT)

Follow along as the instructor provides explicit instruction on how to avoid wordiness. Provide answers to the various sections that have questions and take notes on sections you still do not understand or desire clarification from the instructor.

Part 3: Group/Pair practice analysis and editing

Open the GROUP/PAIR PRACTICE WORKSHEET. In groups or pairs, analyze each passage and rewrite the section in a more concise manner. Refer to the instructor's lecture on different ways to avoid and eliminate wordiness from writing. Be prepared to share your rewritten sections with the rest of the class.

Abstracts mini lesson:

Students will be able to...

• Recognize the importance of writing an effective abstract
• Recognize that the structure and style of abstract writing varies across different disciplines
• Write a concise and appealing abstract whose structure reflects the organization of the research paper

Part 1: Class discussion

Please discuss these questions in your groups. Be prepared to share your insights and answers with your classmates.

• What is the purpose of abstracts?
• What information would you include in your abstract?
• What is the difference between summaries and abstracts?
• What is the difference between introductions and abstracts?

Part 2: Explicit instruction. - powerpoint lecture

Please open the powerpoint and follow along. If at any point you do not understand a slide or concept(s), feel free to raise your hand and ask the instructor.

Part 3: Abstract reverse outline

In groups, open the reverse outline worksheet. In a separate google doc, analyse the two abstracts. Use the materials discussed in the powerpoint to create the structure of your reverse outline.