ENV-630(c) / 1 credit

Teacher(s): Altshuler Ianina, Zhang Kenan

Language: English

Remark: Next time: spring 2025. This credit count towards the transversal skills credits.


Frequency

Every year

Summary

Seminar course which allows students to attend, critically examine, and review civil/environmental seminar. - Practice transferable skills, including active listening and broad scientific critical thinking - Presentation and communication skills

Content

This seminar course is valued at 1 credit and requires students to fulfill either of two options:

 

Option 1 - Attend 14 seminars of which at least 50% need to be either EESS or CESS seminars. Evaluation: Fill out and submit written constructive and critical feedback on the seminars through a designated form, serving as a guide for seminar evaluation.

 

Option 2 - Attend 7 seminars of which at least 50% need to be either EESS or CESS seminars. Give an oral seminar at either the EESS or CESS seminars. Evaluation: Fill out and submit written constructive and critical feedback on the seminars through a designated form, serving as a guide for seminar evaluation. Students will also be evaluated on the quality of the oral presentation.

 

For both options: Active participation, including posing questions to the speakers, is expected. In-person attendance for student when the seminars are held on their respective campus (or when Sion/Neuchâtel students attend/TA Lausanne-based classes). In instances where in-person attendance is not feasible, students must join the seminars via Zoom (with the camera on). Registration for the course would be in the semester where the student anticipates finishing the course requirements. This feedback will be collected and assessed by the seminar coordinator. In instances where EDCE/CESS students are the speakers, anonymised feedback (i.e., the designated evaluation form) may be shared with them.

 

The designated evaluation form that the students will need to fill consists of the following questions:

 

---------------------------------------------

 

Title of the presentation:

 

Speaker:

 

1) What was the topic of the presentation?

 

2) What knowledge gaps was the speaker aiming to address?

 

3) Were the visuals effective at conveying the message (figures, tables, graphs, photos)? (give an example)

 

4) Was the flow/organization of the presentation logical and effective (explain)?

 

5) What was the take-home message of the seminar?

 

6) Which parts of the seminar were more difficult to understand (give an example)?

 

7) Write one question for the speaker.

Learning Prerequisites

Required courses

Prior to starting the course, you are allowed to attend up to 7 seminars at EPFL which will count towards completion of the course requirements. After you register for this course, you can submit the evaluation forms (see above) for each seminar that you attended before starting the course.

 

This is to give you more flexibility in being able to complete the course requirements.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the student must be able to:

  • - critically examine and review scientific seminars - identify what makes an effective scientific seminar

Resources

Moodle Link

In the programs

  • Exam form: Project report (session free)
  • Subject examined: EESS - CESS Seminar Course - option 1 (SPRING)
  • Courses: 14 Hour(s)
  • Exercises: 14 Hour(s)
  • Type: optional

Reference week

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