I have an on-campus interview next month. Being my first time to make an on-campus interview, I have no experience on how to properly do that. I was asked to give a teaching demonstration for 30~45 minutes. The university is focused on teaching and they have only a master program (no PhD ). I am planning to present my research work as "a teaching demonstration". Is that okay?
Answer
If you want to mention your research at all, consider the following plan. The think you really want to avoid is being overly pedantic and going over the head of the likely audience. Pitch the talk at undergraduates.
In such a talk, you don't want to try to impress people with your brilliance. It is more important to stress that you are inspiring. Save brilliance for the later session in the faculty lounge with Sherry instant coffee.
You don't give your field, but your profile suggests it might be mathematics or similar.
In the talk, rather than going through details of the research, you can talk about what it is that got you started on it. Make it relevant to some undergraduate course, if possible. How does this connect to, say, elementary topology, or even Calculus. In some math fields this is easy. You don't have to draw all the connections, but just give a hint that what they are now studying has extensions and that those are "interesting."
Talk about the main result just a bit, but mention why it is important. If possible, talk about what future explorations might look like.
Your goal is to show insights into the field, whether math or not, and not details.
But the main idea is to leave the typical fairly good undergraduate with the idea that "I can do that, too."
If you can make it interactive, all the better. If you can ask questions, for example, you can get them engaged. Leading questions, actually.
And even if you skip talking about your research altogether, do the above things in your talk.
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