Computer English

Computer English For Computer Major Master Candidates Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology Dr. Peng Xinguang E-mail: xgpeng@public.ty.sx.cn Sep. 14, 2007 © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Unit 9 How to Survive a Public Thesis Defense for the Master Candidates © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Rules and Regulations • A master candidate student who completes a 32 credit graduate program and who successfully defends his or her thesis is awarded a Master Degree. • The general format of the study program and the public thesis defense is regulated by rules and regulations laid down by the Degree Committee at Taiyuan University of Technology. • The Academic Committee of Computer College also has some regulations that must be followed. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Stages of Defense Process 1. Supervisor’s overview of development and independence of graduate student. • Your main supervisor must subscribe a comprehensive commentary describing the development of the student during his/her thesis work, including specific comments on the student’s capability to explain hypothesis, method and results to prepare grant applications. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Stages of Defense Process 2. Organizing the Thesis Defense Board • Chairman, Secretary and Members • The chairman at the thesis defense has a coordinating role, and is responsible for ensuring that the defense board members are present when the public defense begins. • The secretary is responsibility for the proceedings and ensures that the documents of the public defense is subsequently signed by the chairman and all the board members. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Thesis Reviewers 3. Submitting your thesis to reviewers • The task of thesis examiners is to critically review and evaluate the your master thesis. • The examiners will describe review attitude about the method, data processes, analysis, ethical aspects etc. • The reviewers have a key role to play as regards whether you can apply the public thesis defense. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Stages of Defense Process 4. Application for the Thesis Defense • A public defense application consists of many forms; • When the Degree Committee at university has approved the your application, the chairman, secretary and members in the Thesis defense Board have been appointed. • Provided that the Thesis defense Board recommends a public defense, the application is now considered approved. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Stages of Defense Process 5. Prepare for printing • Once the public defense application has been approved, the graduate student is responsible for making preparations to have the thesis printed. • The thesis is usually printed two weeks before the thesis defense. A printer should be contacted as early as possible to avoid delays. • I therefore strongly advise you to be ready well ahead of time! © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Stages of Defense Process • The graduate student is also responsible for sending his/her thesis of digital formto the University Library. 6. Public notification of the thesis defense • The purpose of public notification of the thesis defense is to allow the public to know it before the public defense and to attend your thesis defense on schedule. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Stages of Defense Process 7. Public Thesis Defense • The secretary first introduce the chairman, members of the defense Board, graduate student and the thesis. • After the opening, the graduate student can present the subject and summary of the thesis. • After the thesis presentation, the chairman invites the members of the defense Board to question the graduate student, and finally invites the audience to discuss the thesis further. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Stages of Defense Process • After the public defense, the defense Board meets to decide whether the thesis has been successfully defended. • The defense Board bases its evaluation on the submitted papers and thesis defense of graduate student. • Thesis defense decision is taken by majority vote of the defense Board. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Good Communications Skills • It is impossible to do good research without good communications skills. • Research is an argument between yourself and your peers to convince them of the validity of your hypothesis. • If you cannot communicate effectively then you are unlikely to win the argument and you may fail to convince anyone. • Improve communications skills both written and oral presentations. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

How to Defend a Thesis • What a terrible name - a thesis defense. • It seems to suggest some sort of war that you're trying to win. • Regardless of what the meeting is called, try to remember that the purpose of the meeting is for you to show everyone how well you have done in the conducting of your research and the preparation of your dissertation. • Remember! You are clearly the most knowledgeable person at this meeting when it comes to your subject. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Condense Written Thesis • It is critical that students present their thesis materials at a level of detail. • The same level of detail is not appropriate for both written and oral presentations. • A common mistake is simply to copy materials of your thesis and then attempt to use this as lecture material. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Oral Presentation in 20 Minutes • This does not work because you will, typically, only have 20-30 minutes to present your findings. • This means that you have to condense written material that may take several days to read, into a format that can be effectively presented in 20-30 minutes. • Do not attempt to increase the amount of material you can cover by talking fast or by glossing over more basic material that the examiners will need to understand your findings. • Consult your supervisor for advice about which parts to cover in more detail. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

A Possible Lecture Structure Time Topic 2 minutes Introduction: (Background, Relevant overviews, Motivation) 1 minute Statement of Objectives, the Problem, the Hypothesis 3 minutes Overview: Methodology or Means 10 minutes Most Important Thing: More Detail Here [claimed contributions, example, experiments, comparisons] 2 minutes Results 2 minutes Conclusion: contributions, key lessons, the strengths and weaknesses, need for future research © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Hints for Oral Presentations • Keep it short. • Budget your time. • Put your watch where you can see it, and stay aware of the time. • Don't rush by talking fast. If you're running long, go straight to your conclusions, and omit detail. • Don't read, but use notes or an outline. • Speak clearly and more slowly than seems reasonable. Make eye contact. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Hints for Oral Presentations • Be extremely organized and use a logical structure. • Avoid getting bogged down in excessive detail. • Give the Big Picture(正片) quickly, but mostly talk about your thesis project, not the total research project. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

PrepareDefense Materials • It is good practice to prepare important visual slides or extracts from your thesis (charts, drawings, tables, etc.) in 20 minutes to help you elaborate on your topic or responses to questions. • Remember, as always, "pictures speak louder than words." © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

PrepareDefense Materials • The old adage(谚语) "Practice makes perfect" still holds here. • Gather some friends and classmates to do the preparative defense for you. • Did you receive a final nod from your friends and classmates? • Was your advisor happy about this? • If so, do you have further reasons to harbor any fear? © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Attend Defenses Prior to Yours • The most obvious suggestion is the one seldom followed. Try to attend one or more defenses prior to yours. • Find out which other students are defending their research and sit in on their defense. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Confidence Against Fear • After all, you are defending a topic in front of experts! • In this situation, fear is more of a natural response than exception. • The thesis defense is like an examination in some ways. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Confidence Against Fear • It is different in many ways, however. The chief difference is that the master candidate usually knows more about the subject contents than do the examiners. • Students often expect questions to be difficult and attacking, and answer them accordingly. • Often the questions will be much simpler than you expect. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Flattering the Examiners • The phrase "That's a good question" is greatly useful. • It flatters the examiners (askers) and may get them onside, or less offside. • It gives you time to think; it implies that you have understood the question and assessed it already and that you have probably thought about it before. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Make a Concession • If the nightmare ever did come true, and some questioner found a question that put something in the work in doubt. • The first thing would be to concede that the question imposes a serious limitation on the applicability of the work. • "Well you have identified a serious limitation in this technique” or "Thank you so much for your idea. I will be giving it a lot of consideration." © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Complicated to Fail You • The questioner is then more likely to back off and even help answer it, whereas a straight denial may encourage him/her to pursue more forwardly. • What usually happens is that the examiners have read the work perhaps twice, and looked closely at some parts that interested them most. • It is a lot more complicated to fail you than to pass you. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Judicious Words • Some of examiners may feel it is necessary to maintain their image as senior scholars. • Judicious use of the "Good question", "Yes, you're right", "Good idea" and "Thanks for that". • You are in front of respectable and knowledgeable people. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

Prepare Answers to Known Questions • It is relatively common that the Board will ask one (or more) questions that, whatever the actual wording may be, are essentially an invitation to you to tell them briefly what is important, new and good in your thesis. • You ought not stumble(结结巴巴地说话) at this stage, so you should prepare these questions in advance. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

What Failure Means? • Remember what failure means. Your three years of stay in university have been expensive. • You will not like paying for the your study twice. You would rather like a job that earns you a better livelihood or push you to a higher degree. • Simply, you cannot afford to be ruined by mere failure of thesis defense! • On your examination day, try to act natural and well composed(沉着). Understand each question well and clarify before making any response. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

No Guts, No Glory! • Remember: "No guts, no glory." • If gamblers can exploit courage to win by pure luck, certainly, you can succeed because you have the substantial ingredients to success. • Keep calm and good luck! • Your strong drive to succeed is your final defense against fear. © Department of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology

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