KLA473-477 Honours Agricultural Science: seminar
Developed by Joanna Jones and Moira Cordiner
Jo did the first draft of this sheet based on resources on the assessment website plus some parts of an existing sheet that had no criteria. She then worked with Moira
to create a partial draft that was presented to the School Teaching and Learning (T&L) committee for feedback. The subsequent draft was trialled with students and
some staff in a workshop in which a model of a First Class standard seminar was provided. The workshop draft was enthusiastically used as a model by lecturers for
oral tasks in third and fourth year units. Feedback from the workshop resulted in a more polished criteria sheet that was implemented in semester 2, 2011. This one
was subsequently revised and fine-tuned by Jo and Moira before presentation in late 2011 to T&L for approval. Criteria were developed for the criteria sheet and
used to revise the learning outcomes to improve alignment.
Synopsis and context of the task
This task, weighted 10%, is the same for a suite of honours units that cover the Bachelor of Agricultural Science (honours) and Bachelor of Applied Science
(Agriculture) degrees. Students present a subset of their thesis to an audience of peers and industry representatives by organising the content (their research) and
delivering it with the view to interesting the audience. They respond to audience questions at the end of the presentation.
Match between learning outcomes and criteria for the task
Learning outcomes (proposed)
on completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1. design scientific research to test aims/ hypotheses under supervision
2. conduct research and apply knowledge to analyse the data
3. communicate research data and results in both oral and written forms to
scientific audiences and industry
Task-specific criteria
To complete this task, you should:
Apply knowledge of your field of research to present a subset of your thesis
 situate the subset within your research and the wider context
 state research question
 describe & justify methodology & data analysis techniques
 explore data set through discussion
 draw conclusions & implications
Communicate your research to scientific and industry audiences in the form of a
seminar presentation:
 structure of presentation
 introduction, body, conclusion
 delivery
 terminology
 voice, pace, tone
 timing
 visual supporting materials
 interaction with audience
 use of notes & non verbals
 responding to questions
1
Student name:
Student number:
Task name: Honours Seminar
criteria
First class
Marks /100
Apply knowledge of your
field of research to
present a subset of your
thesis
 situate the subset within
your research and the
wider context
 state research question
 describe & justify
methodology & data
analysis techniques
 explore data set through
discussion
 draw conclusions &
implications
weighting 50%
2. communicate research
ideas and outcomes to
scientific and industry
audiences in the form of
a seminar presentation:
 structure of presentation
 introduction, body,
conclusion
weighting 10%
Second uppers
range: 100-80
Marks /100
Second lowers
79-70
Marks /100
69-60
Third Class
Marks /100
59-50
In your seminar presentation, you:
In your seminar presentation, you:
In your seminar presentation, you:
In your seminar presentation, you:
applied comprehensive knowledge of
your field of research to present a
subset of your research by:
 accurately situating it within this field
and the wider context (e.g. industry)
applied knowledge of your field of
research to present a subset of your
research by:
 accurately, for the most part,
situating it within this field and the
wider context (e.g. industry)
 explicitly stating the subset research
question and outlining the scope
applied knowledge of your field of
research to present a subset of your
research by:
 partly situating it within this field and
the wider context (e.g. industry)
applied basic knowledge of your field of
research to present a subset of your
research by:
 situating it broadly within this field
 stating the subset research question
and outlining the scope
 stating the subset research question
and partially outlining the scope
 describing in detail your research
methodology & data analysis, and
justifying these choices
 describing in some detail
components of your research
methodology & data analysis, and
partially justifying these choices
 partially exploring the selected data
set in discussion through:
 analysis of processed and
synthesised results with only minor
mistakes
 interpretation in relation to relevant
literature and/or ideas in the field
 explanation of problems
encountered and how these were
dealt with
 drawing relevant conclusions:
 relating them back to your
research question
 evaluating the contribution to the
field
 posing some directions for further
research
 outlining a research methodology
and analysis technique/s
communicated your research to
scientific and industry audiences
through:
communicated your research to
scientific and industry audiences
through:
 organising the content into a
delineated introduction, body and
conclusion and using some
cohesive ties
 organising the content into an
introduction, body and conclusion
and using some cohesive ties
 explicitly stating the subset research
question and thoroughly defining the
scope
 describing in essential detail your
research methodology & data
analysis, and persuasively justifying
these choices
 perceptively exploring the selected
data set in discussion through:
 critical analysis of processed and
synthesised results
 correct interpretation in relation to
relevant literature and/or ideas in
the field
 thorough explanation of problems
encountered and how these were
innovatively dealt with
 drawing relevant and plausible
conclusions:
 clearly relating them back to your
research question
 insightfully evaluating the quality of
your research and its contribution
to the field
 posing valid directions for further
research
confidently and skilfully communicated
your research to scientific and industry
audiences through:
 concisely organising the content into
a clearly delineated introduction
(including ‘hook’), body and
conclusion and effectively using
cohesive ties
 exploring the selected data set in
discussion through:
 critical analysis of processed and
synthesised results
 correct interpretation in relation to
relevant literature and/or ideas in
the field
 thorough explanation of problems
encountered and how these were
logically dealt with
 drawing relevant and plausible
conclusions:
 clearly relating them back to your
research question
 evaluating the quality of your
research and its contribution to the
field
 posing mostly valid directions for
further research
confidently communicated your
research to scientific and industry
audiences through:
 logically organising the content into
a clearly delineated introduction,
body and conclusion and effectively
using cohesive ties
1
 partly exploring the selected data set
through:
 fundamental analysis of processed
and synthesised results
 initial interpretation with general
reference to relevant literature
and/or ideas in the field
 describing problems encountered
and how these were dealt with
 drawing relevant conclusions:
 tenuously relating them back to
your research question
 making broad but correct
generalisations about the
contribution to the field
 stating a direction for further
research
Student name:
Student number:
Task name: Honours Seminar
criteria
weighting 10%
First class
Marks /100
 delivery
 terminology
 voice, pace, tone
 timing
 visual supporting
materials
 interaction with
audience
 use of notes & non
verbals
 responding to
questions
weighting 50%
Second uppers
range: 100-80
 delivering content by:
 using extensive, correct and
relevant terminology, and simply
explaining unfamiliar discipline- or
industry-specific terms
Second lowers
79-70
Marks /100
 delivering content by:
Third Class
69-60
 delivering content by:
 using correct and relevant
terminology, explaining unfamiliar
discipline- or industry-specific
terms
 using correct and relevant
terminology, and occasionally
explaining unfamiliar discipline- or
industry-specific terms
 being consistently audible with correct pronunciation and varying volume,
intonation, pitch and pace to generate audience interest
 being audible with correct
pronunciation, and at times varying
volume, intonation and pitch, while
maintaining the same pace
throughout, to generate some
audience interest
 meeting the given time frame
 using a minimal number of welldesigned PowerPoint slides that
enhanced the presentation and
assisted the audience’s
understanding
 interacted with, and kept the
audience’s attention, by:
 minimally referring to prepared
notes, maintaining eye contact with
the audience, using suitable
gestures and facial expressions
and using an open, relaxed
posture
 responding to audience questions
in a polished manner, with a
conversational tone through, e.g.
 knowledgeably clarifying content
and/or defending a position
 making plausible suggestions or
valid assumptions
Comments, grade and mark
Marks /100
Criterion 1:
/100
 using well – designed Power-Point
slides that enhanced the
presentation and assisted the
audience’s understanding
 interacted with the audience by:
 using mostly well-designed
PowerPoint slides that
complemented the presentation
 interacted with the audience by:
 minimally referring to prepared
notes, maintaining eye contact with
the audience, occasionally using
suitable gestures, and mostly
using an open, relaxed posture
 referring to prepared notes, mostly
maintaining eye contact with the
audience, occasionally gesturing
and using an open, relaxed
posture
 responding to the audience with a
conversational tone, through, e.g.
 responding to the audience,
through, e.g.
 clarifying content and/or
defending a position
 making sensible suggestions or
valid assumptions
Criterion 2:
/100
Total:
2
 partially clarifying content and/or
defending a position
 making suggestions or valid
assumptions
/200
Final percentage:
Marks /100
59-50
 delivering content by:
 using mostly correct and relevant
terminology
 being audible with mostly correct
pronunciation, with a pace that is
too fast OR a mix of fast and slow
pace
 using PowerPoint slides to support
the presentation
 partially interacted with the audience
by:
 constantly relying on prepared
notes; occasionally making eye
contact and gesturing; maintaining
a fixed facial expression and
closed posture
 broadly responding to audience
questions, through, e.g.
 stating a position
 making suggestions or
assumptions
/ 10%
3