SE214

1. SE214 Presentation & Communication Skills Peter Gaughran peterg@cs.may.ie

2. Why? Industry Software, design, bugs… Academia - Research, labs, tutorials… In short, LIFE. All of these skills will be beneficial, regardless of where you end up!

3. Course Work There is no University examination in this module! However… You must select a specific topic from Computer Science (NOT a topic from one of the other modules in the BSc in Computer Science and Software Engineering). Prepare the following on your chosen topic: ·a technical report of at least 2000 words, ·a poster presentation for A1 paper, ·a four-minute oral presentation.

4. Course Work Overall marking scheme: Technical report                                60 Poster presentation                           10 Oral presentation                              15 Other continuous assessment          15

5. Course Work Please remember: Your report, poster and presentation comprise the University examination for this module. You should treat their preparation with appropriate care and attention. In particular, they should be YOUR OWN WORK. Any evidence of copying, plagiarism or other cheating will be dealt with by the examination board in a similar fashion to as if detected in an examination hall.

6. Course Work Topic choice: ·Select a specific limited subject for your report and presentations. For example, Sorting Strings using Binary Search Trees rather than Binary Trees. ·Report titles should be submitted via email (peterg@cs.may.ie) by 12 noon on 11th March 2005. ·All candidates should choose a different topic (although they can be closely related – for example Traversal Algorithms on Binary Trees would be a different topic than the one above). ·In case of duplicate/very similar titles, the first one received will be given preference. The second candidate will have to choose another topic.

7. Course Work Technical report: (to be submitted before 12 noon Friday 22nd April 2005) The report should be prepared using MS Word or a similar tool. The file must be in .doc or .pdf format, however. You have to submit one printed copy, permanently bound in a Department of Computer Science cover. (Facilities and materials for binding available in Students Union, Arts Block and Post Office). Also, submit an electronic copy on floppy disc stuck inside the back cover. Reports will not be returned. Make a second copy for yourself!

8. Course Work You will be marked on: ·Overall Structure & Clarity ·Introduction ·Critical Validity of conclusions ·Format, layout etc. ·Use of English ·Use of illustrations, diagrams etc.

9. Course Work In order to pass, the technical report will have the following characteristics: ·A clear concise introduction using the situation-complication-solution structure described in lectures. ·A well-written middle section describing the technical detail within the topic. ·A conclusion summing up and critically appraising the topic and suggesting other solutions, related topics etc. ·An abstract that concisely summarises the content of the report.

10. Course Work ·References, indicated in the text and listed at the end in the prescribed format, showing the sources used for the material presented. ·A title page in the prescribed format. ·No mistakes in spelling or grammar (use the MS Word tools) Main text to be 12 pt Times New Roman, 1.5 line spacing. Pages numbering in footer. A template for the report will be available from my web-page.

11. Course Work ·Poster : To be displayed in the Callan Building foyer in week 25th – 29th April 2005. Presentation: To be given at times to be announced 2nd – 6th May 2005. Visual material to be prepared using MS Powerpoint or similar program. Talk for 4 minutes. Be prepared to answer questions at the end.

12. Syllabus NOTE – Subject to suggestion & therefore change… Grammar & syntax CVs & cover letters Interview skills Group problem solving Powerpoint and poster presentation Report writing & bibliographies Public speaking Basic UML & presentation of software design Choose a topic, and make a presentation

13. Practical work • To complement the lectures, there will be a lab @ 1 hour a week, so no Monday lecture! • Location – Lab 4. • Time – 1pm, Monday. • Purpose : • Less talk, more doing! Upon completion of the course, you will have • - model CV(s) • - model covering letter • - have made UML designs and presentations • - public speaking skills • And many, many more…

14. Grammar • Possibly the greatest problem! • Considered a pain, but used successfully everyday… • A necessity for “getting your foot in the door” • The ‘syntax’ of your language • So it has to be done!

15. Sentence Structure • Terms we will need to know! • Subject • Verb • Clause • -Independent • -Dependent

16. Sentence Structure A simple sentence has one independent clause and no dependent clauses: The student yawned.

17. Sentence Structure Although a simple sentence cannot have a dependent clause, it can have modifiers: The tall student sitting at the back of my algebra class yawned loudly. Basic sentence still the same! The other words are all modifiers, descriptive words.

18. Sentence Structure • A simple sentence contains only one independent clause, but it can have more than one subject or verb: • Two subjects: The student and his friend yawned. • Two verbs: The student yawned and fell asleep.

19. Sentence Structure A sentence with all of these elements will be long, but it is still simple as it only contains one independent clause: The tall student sitting in the back in my algebra class and his friend yawned loudly and fell asleep. Can you identify the ‘real’ sentence and the modifiers?

20. Sentence Structure The tall student sitting in the back in my algebra class and his friend yawned loudly and fell asleep. This = ‘real’, this = modifiers

21. Compound Sentence A compund sentence has two or more independent clauses joined by a co-ordinating conjunction: INDEP. CLAUSE + COORD. CONJ. + INDEP. CLAUSE Stephanie got a new job, so she has to move. I’ve got a lot of work to do, but I’m not going to do it tonight!

22. Compound Sentence Notice the difference between a simple sentence with a compound verb and a compound sentence with two clauses: SIMPLE - My house guests returned from a long day of shopping and went straight to bed. COMP. - My house guests returned home from a long day of shopping and we decided to stay at home instead of going out. What’s the difference?

23. Compound Sentence Most compound sentences are formed with a coordinating conjunction: and, or, but, so, for, nor, yet. The last three occur almost exclusively in writing, so they add a level of formality. The experiment was deemed successful, yet our results were unsatisfactory. The students were unhappy with their professor, for he was often late to class.

24. Complex Sentence A complex sentence has an idependent clause with one or more dependent clauses: Since we got to the concert late, we had to make our way to our seats in the dark. We left class early so that we could attend a special lecture. Where are the independent clauses?

25. Complex Sentence A complex sentence has an idependent clause with one or more dependent clauses: Since we got to the concert late, we had to make our way to our seats in the dark. We left class early so that we could attend a special lecture. (Italics are the independent clauses!)

26. Complex Sentence Complex sentences should be punctuated in one of two ways: Independent clause, dependent clause (no comma) We left class early so that we could attend a special lecture. Dependent clause, Independent clause (comma) So that we could attend a special lecture, we left class early.

27. Comparing Compound & Complex Sentences • Interest, variety and coherence • Compound sentences differ from complex sentences in one important way: in a compund sentence, both clauses have equal importance, in a complex sentence, the independent is more important.

28. Compare these sentences! COMPOUND – John was tired, but he finished his homework. COMPLEX – Although John was tired, he finished his homework.

29. Compare these sentences! COMPOUND – John was tired, but he finished his homework. COMPLEX – Although John was tired, he finished his homework. In the first sentence, the writer is stating that both clauses are equally important. In the second, the subordinate clause (“John was tired”) is less important than the independent clause (“he finished his homework”).

30. Long, rambling sentences Writing that has too many strings of independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunctions can be tiresome and frustrating for the reader. These long, rambling sentences leave the reader out of breath and wondering which information is important. Such sentences are also perceived as informal because they replicate spoken language.

31. Long, rambling sentences I went home, but my roomate wasn’t there, so I started to cook dinner, but she came in and saw me trying to cook her favourite recipe, but I didn’t really know how to make it, and she got really angry, so I stopped cooking, and she made dinner for us and then everything was all right.

32. Long, rambling sentences I went home, but my roomate wasn’t there, so I started to cook dinner, but she came in and saw me trying to cook her favourite recipe, but I didn’t really know how to make it, and she got really angry, so I stopped cooking, and she made dinner for us and then everything was all right. PHEW!

33. Long, rambling sentences I went home, butmy roomate wasn’t there, soI started to cook dinner, butshe came in and saw me trying to cook her favourite recipe, butI didn’t really know how to make it, andshe got really angry, soI stopped cooking, andshe made dinner for us and then everything was all right. This = independent clause, this = coordinating conjunctions.

34. So, how about… When I went home, my roomate wasn’t there, so I started to cook dinner. Then, she came in and saw me trying to cook her favourite recipe even though I didn’t really know how to make it. I stopped cooking because she got really angry. In the end, she made dinner for us, and everything was all right.

35. Recognizing Subjects of Verbs • Pattern: Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object • Example: • The bookstore always sells to students many books. • The subject of a sentence is the ‘doer’ of the action. • John hit the ball. Subject? • We added water to the solution. Subject?

36. Recognizing Subjects of Verbs • Pattern: Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object • Example: • The bookstore always sells to students many books. • The subject of a sentence is the ‘doer’ of the action. • John hit the ball. Subject? John • We added water to the solution. Subject? We

37. Recognizing Verbs • Verbs are action words. • Used to form tenses • I add, I added, I have added, I will add, I am adding • They change according to the person • I / you / we / they add • He / she / it adds

38. Subject/Verb Agreement • The verb that expresses the action should agree with its subject!

39. Recognizing Objects of Verbs • To find direct object, find subject and verb; then use them in a question ending with whom or what: • The bookstore sold what? • Transitive verb: Verb that requires a direct object to complete its meaning. • Example: • The explosion levelled the building.

40. Word Order • Learn to recognize meaningful English word orders. The most commonly used patterns are: • Pattern 1: • Subject + verb • Pattern 2: • Subject + verb + direct object • Pattern 3: • Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object

41. Word Order • NOTE! • Sometimes these patterns are rearranged: • Example: His last question I did not answer. • Pattern: • Object + subject + verb

42. Recognizing the Eight Parts of Speech • VERBS: • A part of speech used to make a statement, to ask a question, or to give a command or direction. • Examples: notify, notifies, are notifying, notified • Note: Do not confuse verb forms with verbs! Examples of verb forms: • Participle: "a word having the characteristics of both verb and adjective" [Webster Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary] • E.g. "She gave him written instructions." • ("Written" is a modifier.)

43. Recognizing the Eight Parts of Speech • Examples of verb forms (cont.): • Gerund:(ending) • "the English verbal noun in -ing that has the function of a [noun]…” [Webster Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary] • E.g. "His writing all night long tired him." • ("Writing" is the subject!)

44. Recognizing the Eight Parts of Speech • Examples of verb forms (cont.): • Infinitive: • "a verb form normally identical in English with the first person singular that performs some functions of a noun and at the same time displays some characteristics of a verb…” [Webster Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary] • E.g. "I want to write." • ("To write" is the direct object.) • E.g. "The urge to write left him." • ("To write" is a modifier.")

45. Recognizing the Eight Parts of Speech • II. NOUNS: • Examples:man, men; kindness, kindnesses; United States; an understanding; nation's, nations' • A part of speech that names a person, place, thing, idea, animal, quality, or action. • Example: • The breakthrough came just before midnight.

46. Recognizing the Eight Parts of Speech • III. PRONOUNS: • Examples: I, me, my, mine, myself; they, you, him, it, this, these; who, whose, whom; which, that one, ones, one's; both, everybody, anyone. • A part of speech that serves the function of a noun in a sentence. • Example: • He paid them for it.

47. Recognizing the Eight Parts of Speech • IV. ADJECTIVES: • Examples:good; young, younger; youngest; a, an, the three men, educated people, this day • A part of speech that modifies or qualifies nouns and pronouns; sometimes they modify gerunds. Generally adjectives are placed near the words they modify. • Example: • Tired and disheartened, she decided that the problem was unsolvable.

48. Recognizing the Eight Parts of Speech • V. ADVERBS: • Examples: rarely saw, call daily, soon left, left sooner, nearly always cold, very short • A part of speech regularly used to modify a word or word group other than a noun or pronoun. • An adverb may restrict, qualify, or limit a verb, an adjective, another adverb, an infinitive, a gerund, a participle, a phrase, a clause, or even the rest of the sentence in which it appears.

49. Recognizing the Eight Parts of Speech • VI. PREPOSITIONS: • Examples: at times, between us, because of rain, before class • A part of speech that is used to show the relationship of a noun or the object of the preposition to some other word in the sentence. • Example: • The answer is in the book. • (Shows the relationship of the "book" to the noun "answer.")

50. Recognizing the Eight Parts of Speech • VII. CONJUNCTIONS: • Examples: Math and Computer Science, in or out, long but informative, long because it is complex • A part of speech used to connect words, phrases, or clauses. • VIII. INTERJECTIONS: • Oi! Oh, pardon me. • A part of speech used for simple explanations.