GE449-01 Objective:

Group Presentations

Jan Apr 2013

The objective of the group presentations is to allow students the opportunity to research a specified topic and to present their findings to the rest of the class in any format they wish. The presentation will constitute 25% of the final mark and will be graded on both presentation and content. In addition, all students in the class will participate in the grading of the presentations. Since there are up to six members in the group, it is anticipated that the work shall be shared equally. Each member in the group will have the opportunity to indicate the percentage participation of their fellow group members in the Group Project; marks will be adjusted to reflect individual participation. All members in the group will be expected to participate in the presentation. This is the only real major assignment in the class other than the interviews, so our expectations are high. Your presentation should do more then just relay facts; it should provide an analysis and interpretation of the relevance to the material covered in class and to the engineering profession. The format of your presentation is completely up to you. Some formats that have been used in the past include: skits, formal PowerPoint presentations, interviews, panels etc. Remember, that whatever format is chosen, it should be interesting and effective at making your points. Content will also be graded and should relate to the topics covered and the objectives of the class. In addition, progress reports will be required during the preparation and research stages. (See the Assignments page on the web site for Progress Report due dates.) Procedure: Select your group members (5 or 6 per group - choice of members is your own). Report the names of your team members according to instructions on the class web site. Sign-up for a presentation date and topic on the sign-up sheet on your instructors door (Section 02, Lynch, 3B11; Section 04, Frey, 3C24). Slots, and topics, are available on a first come - first served basis. You can select a date without selecting a topic, but topics are still on a first come first served basis as well. You may select one of the suggested topics for your presentation date, or propose an alternate topic similar to the suggested themes (see assignment description below). Indicate your topic choice on the sign-up sheet as soon as possible. Upon review of topic choices, your instructor may make suggestions to improve presentability. Presentation Details: Total time for presentation, questions and changeover is 25 minutes. You should limit your actual presentation to 20 minutes maximum. o Your groups ability to provoke some relevant and meaningful discussion will also be reflected in your grade. (i.e. Leave time for discussion and questions.) A brief summary (written, electronic) of your presentation must be forwarded to your Instructor prior to the actual presentation in order that it can be posted on the class web site. If you are using a PowerPoint presentation or overheads (electronic form), these would be acceptable. Content of these presentations will be examinable. Related questions may appear on any of the course examinations.

Denard Lynch

Page 1 of 2

January, 2013

GE449-01

Group Presentations

Jan Apr 2013

Evaluation The student audience will also be required to observe and evaluate all presentations. This evaluation will comprise a portion of the mark for this assignment. Presentations will be evaluated using the categories and levels of performance shown in the chart below: Oral / Visual Effectiveness Quality of Research/ Material Analysis, Interpretation, Recommendations Questions and Audience Response Poor 1 Poor 1 Poor 1 Poor 1 Fair 2 Fair 2 Fair 2 Fair 2 Good 3 Good 3 Good 3 Good 3 V.Good Excellent 4 5 V.Good Excellent 4 5 V.Good Excellent 4 5 V.Good Excellent 4 5

Your contribution to the evaluation process will also affect your own Presentation Assignment mark. Refer to the Class Outline for further details regarding the grading of this assignment. Presentation Topic You may select or propose a topic from the list of suggestions in either of two categories: a) Ethical Issues for Engineers or b) Technologys Influence on Society. The topic should be unique this term, or at least, with special permission, in each Section. Refer to instructions on the class web site for registering your topic and presentation date. a) Select an issue that has ethical implications or interest for engineers. Review and research the parameters which might influence the action or decisions required to resolve any dilemmas which might potentially arise. When selecting a topic consider the following (not an exhaustive list!): What laws, codes or standards of practice are relevant in this situation? What are the moral, ethical or legal considerations? Have there been any real-life cases that may serve as examples? Are there lessons or examples from other professions or disciplines? Are there trends on social behaviour or knowledge that may change perceptions or outcomes in the future? b) Select a technology, technology development or significant technological project (from any point in time), research and assess its effect on a society, culture or community. When selecting a topic consider the following (again, not an exhaustive list!): Was this new technology or new to the area? What need or desire did it fulfill? What problems did it solve or create? Was the impact immediate or delayed? Positive or negative? Social, cultural, physical? Was there enough imaginative forecasting of possible problems? Are there any potential problems that are apparent now? Did it influence or affect cultural development? Did it affect a standard of living? Were there any ethical / moral issues when it was introduced? Were there any later on? What lesson(s) can be learned from this that would help engineers in the future? Denard Lynch Page 2 of 2 January, 2013