This course teaches the basics of writing informative essays through more comprehensive peer learning, questioning, and short-essay writing to senior graduate students. It is clear that English is important for those pursuing careers in the physical and life sciences, engineering, and other specialized disciplines. Therefore, in this course, students will be asked to assess, explain, or summarize various scientific concepts by writing detailed essays in English.
Students will develop their technical writing skills and will understand how to apply them to their chosen specialties.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) Analyze experiments and communicate their observations in clear, concise English.
2) Be able to assess a scientific concept in clear, concise English.
3) Be able to explain a scientific concept in clear, concise English.
4) Be able to summarize a scientific concept in clear, concise English.
General technical writing, assessing an idea, explaining a concept, summarizing results
✔ Specialist skills | Intercultural skills | ✔ Communication skills | ✔ Critical thinking skills | Practical and/or problem-solving skills |
At the beginning of each simulation class, students will be given a virtual experiment to analyze via whatever means they wish, as long as they collaborate and ask questions. At the end of each simulation class, students will be given a question about the virtual experiment that they will need to answer in the following class. Following each simulation class specific types of essays will be discussed, and students will be expected to write various-length essays in English based on the question asked in the previous simulation class.
Course schedule | Required learning | |
---|---|---|
Class 1 | Review of technical writing for physicists | Review the basics of writing an informative essay. Explain the importance and properties of the introduction, body, and conclusion. |
Class 2 | Simulation One | Analyze an experiment through peer-learning and questioning. |
Class 3 | Assessing a scientific idea or concept - I | Assess simulation one by writing a 50-word English essay. |
Class 4 | Simulation Two | Analyze an experiment through peer-learning and questioning. |
Class 5 | Explaining a scientific idea or concept - I | Explain simulation two by writing a 75-word English essay. |
Class 6 | Simulation Three | Analyze an experiment through peer-learning and questioning. |
Class 7 | Summarizing a scientific idea or concept - I | Summarize simulation three by writing a 100-word English essay. |
Class 8 | First-half review | Review in more detail how to write an informative essay. Discuss the importance and properties of the introduction, body, and conclusion. |
Class 9 | Simulation Four | Analyze an experiment through peer-learning and questioning. |
Class 10 | Assessing a scientific idea or concept - II | Assess simulation four by writing a 50-word English essay. |
Class 11 | Simulation Five | Analyze an experiment through peer-learning and questioning. |
Class 12 | Explaining a scientific idea or concept - II | Explain simulation five by writing a 75-word English essay. |
Class 13 | Simulation Six | Analyze an experiment through peer-learning and questioning. |
Class 14 | Summarizing a scientific idea or concept - II | Summarize simulation six by writing a 100-word English essay. |
Class 15 | Second-half review | Review in more detail how to write an informative essay. Discuss the importance and properties of the introduction, body, and conclusion. |
None
As needed, appropriate course materials and references will be made available before class via OCW-i.
Students will be assessed on their ability to express themselves in written English.
Simulation write-ups : 100%
Students must have successfully completed PHY.P410 or have equivalent knowledge.
Before coming to class, students should read the course schedule and check what topics will be covered. Required learning should be completed outside of the classroom for preparation and review purposes.