Group Project Defense
Guidelines
Satie Airamé
Bren School, Assistant Dean for
Academic Programs
Winter 2012
Timeline of Deliverables
Date
Deliverable
Feb 24
Due to advisor: Draft report
Mar 2 & 9
Group Project defenses
Mar 8
Due to GP Coordinator: Abstract for Presentation
Program
Mar 23
Due to GP Coordinator: Final report with all
signatures (hard copy and pdf), project brief (hard
copy and pdf), poster (pdf), and Faculty Advisor
Evaluation Form
Mar 23
Due to advisor & GP Coordinator: Peer evaluations
Apr 9-11
Practice presentations
Apr 13
Group Project presentations; after presentation,
give GP Coordinator hard copy of poster
Defense Schedule
Date
Time
Group
March 2
12-12:45 pm
Sea level rise
March 2
1-1:45 pm
Chile salmon
March 2
2-2:45 pm
Adaptation
March 2
3-3:45 pm
Aquarius
March 2
4-4:45 pm
Nanjing
March 9
9-9:45 am
Waste water
March 9
10-10:45 am
Comsol
March 9
11-11:45 am
Deckers water
March 9
1-1:45 pm
Tejon fire
March 9
2-2:45 pm
Got milk
March 9
3-3:45 pm
Angeles
March 9
4-4:45 pm
Coral reef
March 12
9-9:45 am
AECOM energy
Goal and Audience
• Goal: Demonstrate the academic
contribution of your group project
• Audience:
– Two independent faculty reviewers
– Faculty advisor
• Open to the public
• If you would like your external advisory
committee to attend, you should invite
them.
Focus
• Focus on project results
– Also data, methodology, and
conclusions
• Avoid sinking time into:
– extensive background
– detailed explanations of methods with
which the reviewers likely are familiar
• Avoid flashy animations
Planning the Defense
• 45 minutes total
– for presentation and questions
• 20-25 minutes of presentation
– 2 speakers, preferred
– 3 speakers, need to practice seamless
transitions
• 20-25 minutes of questions
– From reviewers
– Targeted to entire group
• If there is time left over, then the public
may ask questions
Defense Elements
Topic
*Approx. #
of slides
Title slide
1
Problem and/or questions
3
Objectives
1
Data sources
3
Methodology
5
Results
3-5
Analysis of results (link to objectives)
3-5
Conclusions and/or recommendations
1
Acknowledgments
1
Total
20-25
*Actual number of slides may vary, depending on the project!
Project title
Group project members
Advisor
Group Project Defense
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management
Date
Introduction
• Problem/questions
– Clearly state problem and/or questions
– Include sufficient background to motivate
the need for your project
– Do not give a comprehensive description of
the context
• Objectives
– Clearly identify project objectives
– Each objective should be linked to data,
methodology, and results
Data & Methodology
• Data sources
– Identify data sources used
– Describe the data relevance, completeness
and gaps
• Methodology
– Explain what methods (including
quantitative analyses) were used to analyze
the data
– Explain why you chose these methods
Results
• Present results
– Include tables, figures, and graphics to
show quantitative results
– Fully explain tables and figures
• Analyze your results
– What do the results mean?
• Articulate how the results are linked to
your original objectives
The Ending
• Conclusions/Recommendations
– Summarize key findings
– Describe implications of your findings
– If appropriate, provide recommendations to
your client based on your findings
– Identify lingering or new questions and next
steps
• Acknowledgments
– Thank your advisors, funders, and
collaborators
Questions
• Identify potential questions and discuss
appropriate responses
• Divide topics such that each group member
plans to cover topics with which s/he is most
familiar
• Select a facilitator to manage questions
• The facilitator should
– know topics that group members will address
– repeat questions for the audience using the
microphone
– quickly select the group member(s) to respond
to the question
Strategies for Q+A
• Repeat the question to clarify the question and
give yourself and your group time to think
about the response.
• Directly and succinctly answer questions.
• If you don’t know the answer, say so.
– Provide other related information, if you have it.
– Ask reviewers or audience if they have information
to help answer the question.
– Investigate the question further (after the defense),
if the response has important implications for your
project.
• Do not fabricate responses to questions if you
don’t know the answer!
Evaluation
• Independent reviewers will:
– Ask questions
– Provide oral and written feedback to
students and advisor
• Students are expected to incorporate
reviewers’ feedback into your final
papers
Evaluation Questions (1)
• Were the problem and/or questions
clearly presented?
• Were project objectives clear and
attainable?
• Were data sources appropriate and
reliable?
• Was methodology clearly presented and
justified?
• Were quantitative methods appropriate?
Evaluation Questions (2)
• Were results clearly presented?
• Did the interpretations of results
satisfactorily address the problem
and/or questions posed?
• Were any weaknesses or limitations in
the analyses appropriately addressed?
• Were conclusions and/or
recommendations justified?
Evaluation Questions (3)
• What parts of the presentation lacked
information or were unclear?
• What parts of the presentation were
most engaging or intriguing?
• Did the group members answer
questions effectively?
• What recommendations, if any, do you
have for the group?
• Do you have any other comments or
concerns?