Description for FRF 101O - Communicating Science

FRF 101O/Communicating Science

Course Description and Objectives

About FRF 101

The Freshman Foundations course requirement was developed and implemented by the Wilkes faculty as part of the Core Curricularm revision instituted in fall 2001. FRF 101 courses are aimed at first-semester freshmen. They are intended to ease students' transition into Wilkes, and provide skills and insights not normally taught in content-area courses. Each course must contain meaningful content to provide a worthwhile experience to its student population..

FRF 101 courses are taught by professors who volunteer to offer those courses. Implementation of the FRF 101 requirement is overseen by a committee of three faculty members to who review course proposals and provide various forms of support to professors who offer such courses.

Common objectives of all FRF 101 courses:

Having taken an FRF 101 course at Wilkes University, students will be able to:

Identify and apply the following critical thinking processes to course content: analysis, inference, evaluation, openness (willing to listen and empathize), and metacognitive (self-monitoring).
Demonstrate bibliographic skills to accomplish course assignments.
Review learning strategies to improve academic performance.
Participate effectively as a member of a collaborative learning group.

FRF 101O - Communicating Science addresses a variety of topics related to the acquisition, manipulation, and dissemination of technical information.

A Brief History

FRF 101O developed from a course called "Technological Survival" that was required of all students majoring in Engineering, Pharmacy, and Environmental Science at Wilkes in the early and mid-1990s. Due to an organizational restructuring of the university in 1999, that course was dropped following the fall semester of 1998. The course evolved into ICS 220 - Communicating Science, that was taught in fall 2000. Based on the success of that course, a slightly revised version was offered the fall of 2001 (as FRF 101S), and again in fall 2002.

Objectives

Students will gain proficiency in, and a better understanding of:

the use of personal computer software packages pertaining to word processing, imaging, and data manipulation

the use of the Internet as a vehicle for rapid communication and as a resource for science-based information

the nature of the scientific literature

bibliographic search techniques

interpreting and drawing inferences from data

communicating technical information to the general public

the nature of the science programs at Wilkes

how to be an outstanding student

how to interact effectively in a group situation

Target Population

FRF 101O is targeted toward first-semester freshmen majoring in the "technical disciplines" at Wilkes, including Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, GeoEnvironmental Science, Mathematics, and Computer Science. Students in other majors are welcome, based on their interest in course content.

Curricular Context

FRF 101O is being offered to satisfy two curricular objectives:

To give incoming science-oriented freshmen experiences and skills not normally provided in the typical set of courses that those students take.

To serve as one of several Freshman Experience courses being offered at Wilkes for the fall semester, 2002.

CI Requirement

The course instructor is applying to have the course listed as fulfilling the Computer Intensive (CI) requirement. Students will be notified if the course successfully becomes listed as a CI.

Return to Homepage for FRF 101O

This page posted and maintained by Kenneth M. Klemow, Ph.D., Biology Department, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766. (570) 408-4758, kklemow@wilkes.edu.

Objectives	Students will gain proficiency in, and a better understanding of:
	the use of personal computer software packages pertaining to word processing, imaging, and data manipulation the use of the Internet as a vehicle for rapid communication and as a resource for science-based information the nature of the scientific literature bibliographic search techniques interpreting and drawing inferences from data communicating technical information to the general public the nature of the science programs at Wilkes how to be an outstanding student how to interact effectively in a group situation

Target Population	FRF 101O is targeted toward first-semester freshmen majoring in the "technical disciplines" at Wilkes, including Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, GeoEnvironmental Science, Mathematics, and Computer Science. Students in other majors are welcome, based on their interest in course content.

Curricular Context	FRF 101O is being offered to satisfy two curricular objectives:
	To give incoming science-oriented freshmen experiences and skills not normally provided in the typical set of courses that those students take. To serve as one of several Freshman Experience courses being offered at Wilkes for the fall semester, 2002.

CI Requirement	The course instructor is applying to have the course listed as fulfilling the Computer Intensive (CI) requirement. Students will be notified if the course successfully becomes listed as a CI.