PLTN 7612
Advanced plant physiology (2006-2007)

Instructor: C. Stasolla
Rm. 315 Agriculture Bld.
Tel. 474-6098
stasolla@ms.umanitoba.ca

Office hours: Open. Student may drop-in and if I can I will see them. Alternatively, making an appointment by e-mail, telephone, or after class would be useful.
Class Format:
Advanced plant physiology is a discussion course. This class will meet one a week for a 2.5 to 3 hour period. Each week a selected review article on a topic in plant physiology will be assigned. Students will carefully read the paper and have a written assignment to prepare each week. The class will consist of an initial 40 minute summary and interpretation of the assigned paper by a student. This will be followed by a discussion of the paper, facilitated by the instructor, for approximately two hours with a breack for coffee.

Academic level of class:
The course will be run at a graduate level. Therefore a firm background in plant physiology is required by students to perform well.

The nature of a discussion class:
In a discussion class the learning process is an interactive one among all members of the class and it is not a one-way process from the instructor to the students. Because we are all learning from each other, an added responsibility from the student presenting the topic is expected. To rise above the level of memorization of facts, students will be required to have a good understanding of the fact before coming to class. This requires a close and careful reading of the assigned paper before class.

To aid in the preparation for class, students will be required to complete an exercise on the assigned paper each week. The exercise will consist of the following:
(1) Prepare an abstract of the paper
(2) Identify two aspects of the paper in terms of information, logic, or ideas which you found to be positive, and two aspects of the same you found to be negative.
(3) Compose and answer a discussion question

Evaluations of students:
Weekly written critiques of a review article 35%
Participation in discussion during class 30%
Class oral presentation 35%

Written assignments: Please adhere closely to the format detailed on page 3 of this handout. The written assignment is due at the class the paper is to be discussed. The assignment will be read and graded by the instructor during the following week. Students will receive no marks on late assignments

Oral presentation: Follow the standard practices for good presentations. Oral presentations should not be just a summary, but also an explanation and interpretation of the paper. Use information from outside the article (textbook, other papers, etc.) that helps with either the explanation or interpretation of the paper. Oral evaluation will be evaluated by everyone in the class.

Selection of papers for discussion:
Each student should select two articles from the 2002, 2003, and 2004 editions of Annual Review of Plant Biology, which can be accessed through the library web-site. Papers will be reserved on a first-come-first serve basis.

A word from our lawyers:

Student are reminded that they have an obligation to act in a fair and reasonable manner towards their peers, the faculty, staff, administration and the physical property of the university, and that plagiarism, cheating and impersonation of others in examinations are serious offences and will be handled according to Policies and Guidelines of the University of Manitoba, Section 2: Student Discipline Bylaw (see p. 34 of the 2006-2007 University of Manitoba Undergraduate Calendar).