Capstone guidelines
Contents
Capstone guidelines¶
A “Presentation of Learning” in which you either go solo or pair up with a partner to prepare materials to demo your favorite lab from the semester (whether you will be doing the actual live demo of the experiments will depend on availability of resources, etc). You will have 2 hours to do your actual experiments/demos (but I can prepare animals for you ahead of time). You will prepare individual write-ups of the materials in addition to presenting them in a 5 min “data blitz”.
Components:
Live Demo¶
On Monday Dec 5 during the normal class time
An in-lab practical in which you will set up the equipment (and animals as needed) and run your experiment. Show off your skills. This event will be open to anyone that wants to come visit lab that day and take a tour of what you have been hard at work doing. You will record data that day, but you will not have to analyze the results quantitatively. The focus is more on demonstration of your learning and sharing your experimental ideas and interests. You can have any draft Figures or other materials from your write-up printed out to help you explain what you expect to accomplish in your experiment.
Write-up¶
Due Dec 9
The write-up is in the format of a well-rounded scientific communication including the following sections: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion (and References). Good quality Figures with Captions should be included throughout. Graded for academic merit.
Introduction¶
Background information. For example: concepts and anatomy that is needed to interpret the results. Any results from the first in-class experiment that led you to follow up with your proposed experiment. Your predictions for the results of your proposed experiment and the logic/reasoning behind those predictions (including explanation of any relevant concepts that a reader would need to know in order to follow your logic).
Materials and Methods¶
For example, what kind of recording method, what electrode placement. Reasoning for the methods choices.
The methods section can be broken up into sub-sections for clarity.
Results¶
Data from previous labs can be used as examples. Diagrams and “mock data” plots that you predict for your proposed experimental exploration.
Discussion¶
What your results mean in the context of more general neuroscience or biomedical concepts.
References¶
APA style.
Data Blitz¶
Due Dec 9
5 minutes. A recorded video presentation providing an overview of the main points and highlights from your experiment. Graded for clarity and breadth.