Group Research (20%)
Focusing on the specific circulatory parameter that will be provided, your group (6-7 students) will need to develop a question and a corresponding experimental approach to answer “your” question. To accomplish this, groups will assess changes in various arterial pressure and heart rate parameters with an automated blood pressure cuff to account for the role these controllers play in circulatory changes. Peer assessment (2%) will be as described below.
Seminar Presentation and Discussion (SPAD 20%)
Working in small groups (2-3), students are expected to read an original paper and present its findings to the rest of the group, emphasizing how the data collected in each study fits into the conceptual framework being developed in the course. As part of this assessment another group (2-3) will be assigned to be the “Discussants”, responsible for managing the discussion following a presentation, including managing the flow and consolidation of questions. Maximum of 30 min presentation followed by 20 min discussion (led by 2-3 discussants). Timing is important, as there must be time for active discussion!
Presentations are evaluated with respect to critical assessment of the paper AND on the clarity of teaching the concepts relevant to understanding/integrating the material.
- Clarity of background presented (and overall knowledge)
- Critical assessment of overall research area and the experimental findings
- Ability to integrate material into overall understanding of CV regulation
- Overall clarity of presentation
- Ability to answer questions
Each of presenting students is responsible for ALL aspects of the paper (i.e. not just parts you assigned each other). The paper will be handed out one week prior to the presentation.
ALSO each student MUST is responsible for submitting a mark for each presenter (out of 100%) after the seminars are completed. As this grading is part of your course participation, please take this peer assessment seriously. The average of these marks will be used to adjust the marks given by faculty.
Responsibility of Non-Presenting Students: The other non-presenting students (but not the Discussants) need to upload/submit questions about the paper (e.g. Helix, OneDrive, Dropbox) before noon on the day of the presentation to allow the discussants sufficient time to consolidate/organize the submitted questions. Be prepared as you may still be asked to present your question. The questions need to be about issues such as gaps in knowledge, discrepancies in interpretation or methodological flaws; not just a simplistic “what is a particular method?”
Midterm Exam - Group Presentation (15%)
Students will work in small groups to critically assess the results of a hypothetical short term experiment. Using knowledge gained in the course up to the time of the exam, students will need to discuss and present figures regarding the time course of changes of various control systems and tissue responses that occur between the onset of a perturbation and the “steady-state” in response to a described scenario. Students will present their answers in groups as a recorded presentation (e.g. voice over PowerPoint or video) to the rest of the class and to the instructor.
Final Exam – Written (40%)
Building on the mid-term exam, students will use information learned in lectures, during independent study, in papers and in the project as well the conceptual framework developed throughout the course to answer the question. In the essay a student will need to discuss the time course of changes of various control systems and tissue responses that occur between the onset of a perturbation and the “steady-state” in response to a detailed experimental scenario lasting weeks. Students will be expected to compose an organized but comprehensive response in 1500 words or less.
Peer Assessment (5%)
You will complete a peer assessment following all group projects. The values given to you by your peers will be averaged to obtain this grade.