Today’s class is about working on our brief project proposals. We’ll go through the proposals together, and start working on them. The deadline (it is a strict one) is next week, October 6th.
Your brief project proposals are important because they are the first milestone on this course. They are a way of you saying “This is where I think I want to go”, and a way of consolidating your initial research and reading. They will also be used to allocate you a faculty advisor.
Having said this, you are not committed to pursuing the research you set out in your BPP. The nature of research is that it changes and adapts as you go along. So you may decide after feedback that you want to change direction, and that’s just fine.
Remember that your BPP is precisely that: brief. There is an art to brevity, and I’m going to be strict about the 2-page limit. If you go over two pages, then you will be marked down. The discipline of presenting your research in this format will be useful, and will help you focus more precisely on what you are doing.
This week, both sesssions are compulsory. We’ll work giving peer feedback on the BPPs. You will be put into groups, and you will submit the feedback on canvas by the end of the class. This will go to part of your grade for the proposal. If you do not attend, there will be no make-up work, because this is essential group work that you need to engage in to get the grade.
Rubric
First, I’ll take you through the rubric. Then I’ll get you started working through your proposal in groups, to allow you to discuss.
Homework:
Complete a draft of your BPP, and cut and paste the contents (do not upload or link to the document, or you will not get the grade) into the discussion board before 12pm on Thursday, ready for the next class.