A spring semester 1-hour seminar, “The Language of Research.” prepares students for research, with a better understanding of the process of discovery earlier in their professional careers.
Dr. Kim Caldwell organized the course, and it is team-taught by Dr. Ruth Washington
(Stillman College), Dr. Karen Rose (Sheleton State Community College), and Dr.
Kim Caldwell (The University of Alabama). The course meets each week, alternating
sites between the Stillman College campus and The University of Alabama campus.
Course materials, including a glossary of technical terms, are available through
Web CT, enhancing students’ access to course information and skills in
the use of technology. Students analyze in detail, four research articles that
have had major impact in molecular biology. Focusing on the end result of a
successful scientific project is common, but gaining an understanding of the
trail and error involved, of all the pitfalls along the way, presents a truer
picture of what scientific research is like. A key element in the Language of
Research is assigning students with mentors, comprised of faculty from UA and
Stillman College. Interns also interview their mentors and explore why they
selected their line of research, what had been the roadblocks, and what had
been the most fulfilling aspect of discovery.