67099 - Professional Activities

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, each student gets familiar with a series of professional software packages (graphics, text-writing, maths, data reduction packages) widely used also beyond the astronomical field. The student will also be able to efficiently write and present projects, produce professional plots and presentations, allowing an effective description of the scientific problems both in a professional way, and in an outreach mode.

Course contents

The course aims to provide students with the necessary tools for writing and orally presenting projects—both scientific and non-scientific—in both Italian and English. To this end, the main features that characterize effective written projects and presentations will be discussed. The course will introduce the basics of LaTeX for professional text writing; specific software packages for creating plots from data files, and tools for preparing multimedia presentations (e.g., PowerPoint, OpenOffice, etc.). All proposed activities will be carried out in groups of 3 to 5 students, with the goal of developing and strengthening teamwork and the ability to engage in constructive discussion with others.

Assessment Methods

1. Scientific Project
A critical and analytical comparison (in Italian) between the preliminary and final versions of a telescope time proposal (written in English), focusing on differences, redundancies, shortcomings, misplaced content, etc. Students will also write a title and abstract (in English) for the proposal. A group discussion will follow to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the titles and abstracts presented by the various groups.

2. LaTeX Summary of a Scientific Article
Students will select a short scientific article or press release (in English, from a list provided by the teachers) and write an appropriate summary. The final document must include references, tables, figures, and self-produced plots using the software introduced during the course.

3. Project Development and Presentation
Students will design a project on any topic (scientific or otherwise) and present it to the rest of the class using slides. This assessment will include both the presentation of the student’s own project and a critical discussion of the projects presented by others, based on the concepts learned in class.

 

Readings/Bibliography

Teaching materials are provided by the teachers and made available through the UniBo Virtuale website. These materials include the lecture slides, as well as scientific articles and projects suggested by the teachers. Manuals for the software used in the course can be found online; however, the in-class demonstrations of their usage are not documented.

Teaching methods

The course will take place in the computer lab, with the use of a whiteboard and video projector. It includes 2 CFU of lectures delivered by the teachers, and 2 CFU dedicated to hands-on work, during which students will complete assigned exercises in small groups under the teachers guidance.

In-person participation in the course activities is strongly recommended.

Assessment methods

The knowledge acquired by the student will be assessed through three assignments: a critical evaluation of a scientific project, writing a scientific text, and an oral presentation of a project. At the end of the Professional Activities course, if the assignments are completed satisfactorily, the student will be awarded a pass/fail certification (and not a numerical grade).

Teaching tools

Course materials are made available to students on the course page of the Virtuale platform (https://virtuale.unibo.it ). The computer lab is equipped with individual workstations for each student.

Students with learning disabilities or temporary or permanent disabilities: please contact the relevant University office promptly (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it ). The office will advise students of possible adjustments, that will be submitted to the professor for approval 15 days in advance. He/she will evaluate their suitability also in relation to the academic objectives of the course.

Office hours

See the website of Francesca Pozzi

See the website of Barbara Lanzoni