Dr. Way's Guide to Independent Study

The step-by-step approach to excelling at your independent study project & report.

Check below for grading policy!

Steps

  1. Visit the web site
    Thoroughly familiarize yourself with Graduate Independent Study by visiting and reading the CS department's web site (http://csc.villanova.edu/academics/gradIS).
     
  2. Complete the "First Steps"
    Visit the CS department's web site information page about "Graduate Independent Study: First Steps." Follow closely the instructions you find there. When selecting a topic, try to choose one that interests and excites you.  Doing so will make it much easier to find the motivation to work on it a little every day.
     
  3. Prepare a project web site
    Using a template, or designing your own, create a small, simple web site to use as the focal point of your research.  This will be a vital tool to motivate you and to communicate your progress to your advisor.  Prepare a plan for how you will spend your time, including deadlines for each stage of your project, and then try to stick to your plan.  Do not be afraid to revise the plan as you go, since research is inherently unpredictable.

    Instructions are available from the UNIT support group and web division on how can post your website to your student account on the Villanova system using Microsoft FrontPage.  More info may be available directly from the Web Division of UNIT, although your best resource is fellow students who have already figure out how to upload a website.
     
  4. Research your topic
    Search online and in libraries, including the CS department library, for the latest information about your topic.  As you find references, add them to a list of references (in appropriate and consistent bibliography style).  Also for each reference, write one or more paragraphs summarizing the material you found.  This will make writing your research report go much more quickly later.
     
  5. Prepare an outline for your paper
    Based on what you find, and what implementation or experiments you plan, create a simple outline for your paper.  Students often find it helpful to create the outline in Microsoft Word, making use of the title page template and other formatting information available on the CS department independent study information web site.
     
  6. Implement, experiment, research
    Perform the independent study as you have planned, gathering information and writing up results as you go.
     
  7. Meet regularly with your advisor
    Work out a schedule for meeting with your advisor.  The frequency of meetings will vary for each student.  Some students feel comfortable taking a topic and studying it independently with very little outside input, while others thrive on frequent feedback.  Do not hesitate to use email to communicate with your advisor, as this is often the quickest and most efficient means to keep your efforts moving forward.
     
  8. Write your report
    Based on the outcome of your research, write your independent study report.  Note that all the writing in your report must be done by you.  It is not acceptable to copy and paste sentences and paragraphs from web sites.  Your report must consist of original writing by you that reports your research and results, and can include a synthesis of the background information you have found on your topic, written in your own words.

    There is excellent assistance available to students at the Villanova Writing Center.  If you have questions or concerns or need tips on organizing, writing or revising your report, please take advantage of this tremendous resource.

    Note that grading for an independent study report takes into account each students background in the English language. Students WILL NOT be penalized for inexperience writing in English, although a sincere attempt to make the writing as good as possible is necessary. Students WILL be penalized for plagiarism, however.  It is not unusual for a report containing plagiarized material to receive a grade of F, with the matter then being referred to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
     
  9. Familiarize yourself with academic integrity rules
    Make sure you know exactly what the academic integrity rules are so that you do not purposely or inadvertently break them.  The basic rule of thumb is that all writing must be in your own words, and citations (those square brackets like [3]) must follow all material that came from an outside source (even if you have put it in your own words) and must have a corresponding entry in your bibliography.  Information about academic integrity is available on the Graduate Independent Study, Computing Sciences Department and Villanova University web sites.
     
  10. Submit a draft of your report to your advisor
    It is important to give your advisor enough time to read and comment on your report, to assist you in revising your report to make it as good as it can be.  Do not wait until the last minute to give your report to your advisor.  It may be necessary to iterate this process of reading, commenting and revising with your advisor more than once.
     
  11. Incorporate notes and finish it!
    Using an notes and comments from your advisor, revise your report, let your advisor read it one last time

Grading Policy

The Independent Study experience is designed to be a significant one-semester learning experience where the student stretches subject-wise, conducts synthesizing or experimental (or both) research, including possibly implementation, makes significant (although not necessarily original) discoveries, and writes a significant report that demonstrates the breadth and depth of the knowledge gained and learning experienced.  The following guidelines are used by Dr. Way in assigning grades to the student's independent study course.  As with any set of guidelines there is room for adaptation to the needs and accomplishments of individual students.  Suggested report lengths and numbers of references are provided only as general guidelines.

A
  • Exceptionally well thought-out plan for independent study, with exceptionally well maintained project web site
  • Significant synthesis of information AND independent discovery
  • Demonstration of significant learning through exceptionally written report, including at least 20 recent bibliographic references
  • Report length of greater than 25 pages, single-spaced
A-
  • Very well thought-out plan for independent study, with very well maintained project web site
  • Significant synthesis of information OR independent discovery
  • Demonstration of significant learning through excellently written report, including at least 16 recent bibliographic references
  • Report length of greater than 20 pages, single-spaced
B+
  • Well thought-out plan for independent study, with well maintained project web site
  • Very good synthesis of information OR independent discovery
  • Demonstration of significant learning through very well written report, including at least 12 recent bibliographic references
  • Report length of greater than 20 pages, single-spaced
B
  • Has a thought-out plan for independent study, with a project web site
  • Good synthesis of information OR independent discovery
  • Demonstration of significant learning through well written report, including at least 10 recent bibliographic references
  • Report length of greater than 20 pages, single-spaced
B-
  • Has a thought-out plan for independent study, with a project web site
  • Okay synthesis of information OR independent discovery
  • Demonstration of significant learning through a written report, including at least 7 recent bibliographic references
  • Report length of greater than 15 pages, single-spaced
C
  • Has minimal plan for independent study
  • Minimal synthesis of information and independent discovery
  • Minimal demonstration of significant learning through a written report, or a poorly written report that demonstrates a good degree of learning
F
  • Student copied and pasted material from the Internet, or otherwise broke the code of academic dishonesty
  • Student failed to conduct any research or provide any evidence of learning
  • Student purchased or copied a report written by another student rather than performing his or her own work

Golden Rules of Independent Study

updated 11/03/05