MSLPS Curriculum
Everything you need—course summaries, lessons, FAQ. Feel free to go through these items to complete MSLPS yourself.
Course overview
This course trains you to read, reason about, and present scientific work with clarity. You’ll practice exploring research paper structures, efficient literature reviews, slide design, and public speaking. By the end, you will deliver a capstone presentation to a randomly selected audience to showcase your newfound skills.
- Weekly lectures, readings, and activities
- Presentation tips and low‑friction templates for slides
- Mock exams from the International Research Olympiad (IRO)
Learning outcomes
- Learn the IMRaD Structure.
- Practice the Three-Pass Method.
- Search literature quickly to find relevant papers.
- Map evidence → claims with results‑first reading.
- Evaluate methods and their limitations.
- Design concise, accessible, and audience-aware presentations.
How To Use this Page
- Each week, download the lesson slideshow from the schedule.
- Go through the slides and complete the activities provided.
- Use the rubrics to self-assess and give yourself a final score.
- Please fill out all forms we ask you too. They are very important for us to improve the course.
- Enjoy!
Weekly Schedule
| Week | Topic | Focus & Activities | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Course Kickoff + Introduction to Scientific Literature |
| |
| 2 | Reading Like a Scientist |
| |
| 3 | Understanding Scientific Figures |
| — |
| 4 | Interpreting Statistics in Research |
| — |
| 5 | Evaluation of Reading Techniques |
| — |
| 6 | Presenting Science |
| — |
| 7 | Persuasive Science |
| — |
| 8 | Evaluation of Presentation Techniques |
| — |
| 9 | Scholarly Search + (Optional) Telephone Game |
| — |
| 10 | Capstone Symposium |
| — |
Self-Assessment & Grading Recommendations
- Participation / Timeliness15%
- Weekly Readings10%
- IRO Evaluations (x2)25%
- Presentation Practices (x2)25%
- Capstone Presentation25%
FAQ
Do I need prior research experience?
No. Curiosity and willingness to iterate are the only prerequisites.
More Questions? Email mslps@bergen.org.