CS 498 Senior Seminar Students will research a current topic in computer science, write a paper on that topic, and make an oral presentation.

Course Goals Insure that all graduating students have experience in both written and oral communication skills. To evaluate the ability of graduating students to engage in life-long learning. To introduce students to some current topics in computer science.

Life-Long Learning The field of computer science is changing at a very rapid pace. Graduates need to know how to keep their skills current. Need to learn new languages and tools Need to stay aware of new ideas Need to be able to learn about topics that were not part of the curriculum

Course Deliverables Literature search on a topic of your choice Research paper on a current topic in computer science in publication-ready format suitable for a journal or conference. Oral presentation on the topic of the paper.

Format for Report Use a format suitable for a journal or conference publication abstract describes the paper briefly introduction summarizes content and organization body of report should be organized into sections conclusions summarize the content references are citations that are referenced in the paper Details later

Rubric for Report Report Contents Grammar & Composition Introduction Body of Report Conclusions and recommendations References Purpose Stated Accurate and relevant information Logical Presentation of of Material Grammar & Composition Grammar Spelling Punctuation Sentence Structure Efficient Wording

Presentation Requirements 15-20 minutes for presentation, 5 minutes for questions Appropriate use of visual aids Presentation should include Introduction Logical presentation of the information being conveyed Conclusions

Rubric for Presentation Contents Opening and introduction Supports central idea Is well organized Ties presentation together Invites discussion or questions Stays within time limits Visual Aids clear & easy to read Delivery Appropriate volume, clear pronunciation Responses to questions Doesn't read slides Eye contact with audience

Schedule Week 1: Intro Week 2: Using the Library Weeks 3-9: Faculty presentations schedule at http://cs.boisestate.edu/~tcole/cs498/spr08/schedule.html Weeks 10-15: Student presentations

Next Week (1/31/08) Meet at the Albertsons Library in room LIB 203 Beth Brin will demonstrate the use of several databases suitable for searching for computer science journal articles.