Presentation
A presentation is a means of communication that can be adapted to various speaking situations, such as talking to a group, addressing a meeting or briefing a team. In an oral presentation, one (or more) students give a talk to a group and present views on a topic based on their readings or research. The rest of the group then joins in a discussion of the topic, usually by asking questions or making comments following the presentation.
Typically used to….
- assess your capacity to select and prepare materials appropriately for public presentation.
- evaluate your ability to present information coherently and concisely.
- assess ‘softer’ presentation skills, e.g. interactivity, ability to collaborate.
- facilitate the development public-speaking skills.
- enhance your ability to develop and present material within a specified timeframe/limit.
- facilitate peer review and feedback (where peers provide constructive feedback on a presentation).
Key considerations when preparing and delivering presentations for assessment
When preparing for a presentation, it is important to refer to the guidelines provided by your lecturer. It is also important to keep the following points in mind:
- Is the presentation being used for formative or summative assessment purposes (or both!)
- If your presentation contributes to your final grade (i.e. is being used for summative assessment), how much is it worth?
- What criteria is being used to assess your presentation? Has a rubric been provided?
- What is the time limit? More often than not, a presentation will have a time limit. This will help you gauge how detailed your presentation needs to be.
- Who is the audience? Knowing your audience is the first step to creating a presentation that will be engaging and interesting.
- Less is more. Don’t overcrowd slides with information. It’s better to have a few key points/ideas which are easy to digest for your audience.
- Be cohesive and concise. When preparing slides, make sure the presentation has a clear and logical flow to it, from the introduction to its conclusion.
- Take your time and do your best to speak clearly.
- Try to be engaging and include information that will grab your audience’s attention such as images, short videos or interesting facts that will aid you in holding the audience’s focus.
- Practice. Public speaking can be a challenge, but the more practice you get, the easier it becomes.
- Gather feedback and follow it. Following the presentation, it can be helpful.
Tools/technologies
Trinity-supported tools:
VLE Virtual Classroom available through the institutional VLE Blackboard
MS Teams, PowerPoint and Google Slides are available through MyZone
External tools (unsupported by Trinity):