Weekly Assignments
At the end of each class, each student will get a short assignment related to the papers that will be discussed the following week. These assignments might include looking up additional information about the methods, materials, authors, genes, proteins, diseases etc. and are aimed at enhancing the understanding of the papers.
Midterm Assignment (Due Week 7)
There will be one written assignment in the middle of the course. Students will write a 500–1000 word general audience article ("New York Times style" story) about selected topics in the field of assisted reproduction. Students will have an option to choose one of several topics. All articles will be shared with the rest of the class. Students and the instructors will make suggestions about how to improve the articles.
Final Assignment (Due Week 12)
At the end of the course each student will give a 15 min. presentation about a research article relevant to the field of reproductive medicine. Each student will choose a paper according to her / his preferences by week 11. This selection will be approved by the instructor. The brief presentation should include an introduction, methods, key figures and tables, key control experiments, discussion and critical evaluation of the conclusions. The major focus will be on identifying and critiquing the key experiment(s) and control(s). Students should be able to present the essence of the paper, in a structured and concise manner.