Affinity groups discussion

Since we will have short talks next Monday, now is a good time to be thinking deeply about the thesis project you are proposing. Remember: what you propose now is not binding. Your actual thesis work will not be exactly what you propose in this class. But what you propose can be a good starting point.

Task

In groups of 3–4 students, take turns doing the following:

• Each group member should deliver an “elevator pitch” about their (ongoing or proposed) thesis work.
• The other group members should listen to the elevator pitch, and then the group should engage in discussion about that particular thesis project.
• The student giving the elevator pitch should get some ideas from their group members, and perhaps identify areas where they need some more clarity in their project definition.

Go through the above cycle for each group member. You have the whole class session, so divide up the time accordingly—it is my expectation that you spend roughly 10–15 minutes on each individual’s thesis topic. You will benefit from your group members’ thoughts and feedback, so you should extend the same attentiveness and thoughtfulness to them.

I will stop by groups to listen to/participate in the discussions if appropriate.

Deliverable

Write a 2 sentence “elevator pitch” of yours and each of your group members’ thesis topics. This should be in your own words. If you can’t do this, it’s a good sign that your group member has not defined their thesis proposal clearly enough. If that’s the case, then obtain that clarification and then write this.