About the course
EXTN 4101 is a three-credit course (1 theory + 2 practical) that builds the communication, organisational and personal skills a biotechnology graduate needs in academic and professional life. The nine lectures and their chapters are listed below.
Lecture schedule
| Lecture No. | Topic | Chapter |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Group discussion | 1 Group discussion |
| 2 | Popular science articles | 2 Popular science articles |
| 3 | Presentation skills | 3 Presentation skills |
| 4 | Event management | 7 Event management |
| 5 | Debate | 5 Debate |
| 6 | Quiz | 6 Quiz |
| 7 | Time management | 8 Time management |
| 8 | Oral presentation | 4 Oral presentation |
| 9 | Leadership and motivation | 9 Leadership and motivation |
How the book is organised
The nine lectures are grouped into three parts. Communication Skills brings together the lectures on group discussion, popular science writing, presentation skills and oral presentation, since all four deal with getting a message across to an audience. Competitive and Organisational Skills covers debate, quiz and event management, three activities in which students both participate and organise. Personal Effectiveness closes the book with time management, leadership and motivation.
The chapters on Presentation skills (3 Presentation skills) and Oral presentation (4 Oral presentation) are best read together: the first deals with planning, venue and delivery in general, and the second with the structure and language of a spoken presentation.
Practical record
Each chapter ends its main text with a Practical assignment box describing what you should record in your practical notebook after the corresponding practical class. Keep these records neat and up to date; they form part of the internal assessment.