All course information is listed within this syllabus.

TURF 490: Colloquium (1 credit). Oral presentations developed by students in consultation with the course instructor.

Prerequisite: Seventh semester standing

Instructor

Instructor for TURF 490

Brad Jakubowski
Assistant Teaching Professor

Department of Plant Science
206 Tyson Building
University Park, PA 16802

E-mail: Use Canvas Inbox

If you need to contact me regarding this course use the Canvas Inbox. I will respond within 48 hours during the week, and by the end of business Monday following the weekend.

Course Overview

This course consists of a single PowerPoint presentation given by each student about his or her Internship project, or some other suitable topic, to all other students in the course. The audience is expected to ask questions and evaluate the quality of the given presentation. This course provides each student with the opportunity to organize and present what they did for their Internship project and respond to criticism and comments regarding their project and/or their presentation. The skills learned from this course will be useful for all students in the turfgrass management industry who, as part of their professional responsibilities, will be required to give similar presentations to club members, greens committees, golf superintendent associations, local municipalities, various government officials, bankers and lenders, and crew members.

Course Objectives

At the end of this course, students should be able to:

  • Develop a professional PowerPoint presentation.
  • Disseminate information in a concise organized manner.
  • Evaluate and critique peer presentations.
  • Improve contents of PPT upon recommendation of peers.

Course Schedule

For due dates, refer to the Course Summary on the Syllabus page in Canvas.

  • Week 1: Choose your topic
  • Weeks 2–6
    • Create your outline
    • Develop your PowerPoint
    • Create your VoiceThread presentation (add your audio) and share the link with classmates
  • Weeks 7–15
    • Two to three students will share their VoiceThread presentations. If you wish to present early (Week 7, 8, or 9), please inform your instructor. Otherwise, the instructor will send an e-mail to the class indicating who will present.
    • Each student will evaluate the presentations and ask one question to each presenter.
    • The presenter will answer the questions, review their presentation, and submit their updated version as their final presentation.

VoiceThread

A webcam or a headset with a microphone is required for this course.

Accessibility Information

Grading Policy

The following table is the grading criteria for the course.

Grading Criteria
Requirement Cumulative Point Value
Presentation 60
Topic 5
Outline 5
Draft of Presentation 5
Peer Questions 75
Evaluation Form 50
TOTAL: 200

The following table is the grading scheme for the course.

Grading Scheme
Letter Grade Percentage
A 100% – 94%
A- < 94% – 90%
B+ < 90% – 87%
B < 87% – 84%
B- < 84% – 80%
C+ < 80% – 77%
C < 77% – 70%
D < 70% – 60%
F < 60%

Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information.

NOTE: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please see "Graduation" under World Campus Student Resources.

Online Students Use of the Library

As Penn State World Campus students, you have access to many of the materials that the library offers to students. The library website has a lot to offer, but can be overwhelming. A guide has been created to serve as your introduction to important library resources, services, and important pages within the library. The Online Student Library Guide is updated regularly by the online librarian and is intended to provide a level of comfort through an introduction to help you feel comfortable navigating the library website to find valuable information for your coursework.

Technical Requirements

This course is offered online and it is assumed you possess the minimum system requirements and computing skills to participate effectively. A list of technical requirements is listed on World Campus' Penn State Technical Requirements page.

Minimum Skills

  • You should have an understanding of basic computer usage (creating folders/directories, switching between programs, formatting and backing up media, accessing the internet).
  • You must be able to conduct word processing tasks such as creating, editing, saving, and retrieving documents.
  • You must be able to use a web browser to open web pages, download files, and search the internet.
  • You must be able to use an e-mail program to send and receive messages and to attach and download documents/files.
  • You must be able to download and install programs or plug-ins from the internet.

Getting Help With Canvas Courses

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Support Services

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Accessibility Information

Netiquette

The term "Netiquette" refers to the etiquette guidelines for electronic communications, such as e-mail and discussion postings. Netiquette covers not only rules to maintain civility in discussions but also special guidelines unique to the electronic nature of messages. Please review Virginia Shea's "The Core Rules of Netiquette" for general guidelines that should be followed when communicating in this course.

Penn State Policies

Login Policy

Students are expected to log in regularly to keep up to date with announcements, discussions, etc. The class will progress at a regular pace throughout the semester and there are specific due dates and times for assignments, etc.

Course Availability

Your course will be available to you beginning the first day of class and will remain open for one year. After one year the course will close.

Academic Integrity

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Please read the academic integrity guidelines for the College of Agricultural Sciences.

A lack of knowledge or understanding of the University's academic integrity policy and the types of actions it prohibits and/or requires does not excuse one from complying with the policy. Penn State and the College of Agricultural Sciences take violations of academic integrity very seriously. Faculty, alumni, staff, and fellow students expect each student to uphold the University's standards of academic integrity both inside and outside of the classroom.

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Copyright Notice

All course materials students receive or to which students have online access are protected by copyright laws. Students may use course materials and make copies for their own use as needed, but unauthorized distribution and/or uploading of materials without the instructor's express permission is strictly prohibited. University Policy AD40, Recording of Classroom Activities and Note-Taking Services, addresses this issue. Students who engage in the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials may be held in violation of the University's Code of Conduct, and/or liable under federal and state laws.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

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Accommodations for Persons With Disabilities

Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources website provides contact information for every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the Student Disability Resources page.

In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus' disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.

Accommodations for Military Personnel

Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, disabilities, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.

Use of Trade Names

Where trade names are used, no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by World Campus, Outreach and Cooperative Extension, the College of Agricultural Sciences, or The Pennsylvania State University is implied.

Subject to Change Statement

Please note that this Course Syllabus is subject to change. Students are responsible for abiding by such changes.

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