Term Project - Presentation
The goal of your presentation is to present the essence of your paper to the class (the controversy, your thesis, the most important of your well developed and supported arguments, and your conclusion), and an opportunity to lead the class in discussion. Your presentation will certainly not cover everything that you can cover in a term paper, nor at the same depth. Select the most important arguments (generally about three). (In contrast, your paper may have four or five major arguments, depending on your topic, of course.)
In addition, your presentation might include an argument (or arguments) that did not appear at all in your paper, or vice versa.
Time
Each two person team will have a *total* of 30 minutes for presentation and discussion; the three person team will have 40 minutes. Time will be broken down approximately as follows:
| Time | Description |
|---|---|
| 20/30 minutes | Presentation time for 2/3 person team |
| 5 minutes | Discussion |
| 5 minutes | Setup and take down |
The typical amount of time allowed for a real-life conference presentation is about 20-25 minutes, so we believe that this is a fair amount of time in an educational setting.
Turn in
Label everything clearly with Team Number, Team Topic, and member names.
At the start of class on your presentation day, turn in to the instructor:
- A paper copy of any PowerPoint slides that you use (either in outline format or as 6-slides per page), and a copy of the class handouts.
- An electronic copy of any PowerPoint slides that you use (to be posted on the course website)
- A paper copy of your class handout (explained below).
Format
You are also offered much latitude in terms of the format you choose. Your topic might lend itself nicely to role playing, of course, be sure the audience knows who you are, and what the controversy is. A creative skit can hold audience attention. Location can be anything you like: a court of law; someone's living room; the workplace; a coffee shop; the golf course; a television program; whatever works. Have fun with it, but be sure your main arguments (with supporting evidence) and counter arguments can be easily followed and understood by the audience. Creativity is very important, but SOLID CONTENT (clear and well organized) is absolutely critical. It should not be used merely to entertain, but to make each point more interesting and memorable.
During previous semesters, those presenters who involved the audience as much as possible and creatively were the most well received. Audience participation can add a lot to an otherwise potentially dry presentation. Part of your grade relies on it. You may come up with a role playing skit or an exercise that involves the whole class, for example.
Perhaps you would enjoy a debate format, playing a specific role that characterizes your position (FBI agent? attorney for the ACLU?). One person can present a supporting argument for his/her position, followed by the teammate who identifies its weaknesses or other risks; opponent can then present his/her main argument, followed by the first speaker who plays devil's advocate, etc. Staying in the role from start to finish has worked well.
Or, you may come up with a completely different format, or some combination thereof. Just be sure the audience knows early on what the controversy is, who will take what side, and that both sides get thoroughly and equitably aired, with arguments made clearly. One team member should not dominate; this is also true for handling the discussion, that is, if it feels like you are dominating, defer to your partner where you can.
Be Ready
You must be ready to present on your assigned day, only an official University excused absence will be considered (or a note from your Dean's office). It should be obvious that both you and your teammates will suffer if you do not show up. If you must trade presentation dates with another team for a very pressing reason after the team presentation dates have been assigned, you must obtain permission from the other team and also my permission, and as far ahead as possible.
A few words of caution
You are welcome, even encouraged, to make use of skits, jokes, visual aids, mixed media such as film clips, art, and music, and anything you can think of to enhance the interest and engagement of the audience. However, these additional elements should be appropriate and useful as part of an educational, professional presentation. Always be aware that some of the topics we're treating are controversial and will be sensitive to some of your classmates. We're not trying to censor your opinions, we're simply asking you to be respectful of others.
Further, it can be tempting to overuse video, popular music, and media clips: the audience enjoys them, and they take up time! But before you choose to use a video clip or other media element, ask yourself whether the clip really furthers and supports your argument, don't use media only for entertainment purposes, unless it's a quick and relates to your topic. A Hollywood film or pop song may not be the best way to support an intellectual argument. One presentation effectively used TV commercials to demonstrate evidence of gender bias. Use media wisely, time-wasting use of media will hurt your presentation, even if the audience enjoys seeing it or thinks it's funny. Some of the best and most creative use of media that we've seen has been when students create their own short films, commercials, or other clips to demonstrate their points.
Requirements for each team
1. Preparation
* At least 2 days before your presentation, you must submit a list of papers that you want the class to read prior to your presentation
* You must submit a "plan" for your presentation at least 24 hours before you present. This should include any visuals (slides, a webpage, etc), script, or other sources for your presentation. This will also give me a chance to provide some feedback before your present. Please turn this in as early as possible!
* Equipment test - You must schedule a time (usually less than 20 minutes) with me to test any equipment you plan on using. This must be done prior to presenting. Note that there is a class before ours, so if you want to do this on the morning of your presentation, it must begin NO LATER than 9:00 am.
2. Presentation Day Visuals Your team must use some sort of visual aid(s). For example, you can create a PowerPoint presentation, and/or a Web site (also save it on your own machine, just in case the network is down), or some combination thereof. We have also seen some very creative props used in addition to the required visual aids; they can add a lot of interest. Feel free to run your ideas by me.
* You may store your presentation file(s) on the classroom PC. Ask me in advance if you are interested in this. You'll find a shortcut on the desktop to your section's folder, where you may place a copy of your file(s). IN ANY CASE, always bring a BACKUP copy of your presentation on another medium, in case something fails.
* If you prefer, you may use your notebook computer instead of the classroom PC. Again, bring a backup copy of your presentation.
* Try to not fill an overhead or PowerPoint slide with prose (or if you do, use animations to help reduce temptation for the audience, and you, to read directly from the slides.
* Use a large typeface and use enough contrast between the text and the background color for easy reading. Test everything ahead of time in the classroom (see Rehearsals).
3. Handouts for the class Every team must have at least one handout ready for your classmates, and a copy for your instructor. The class has 21 students, so making 22 copies should suffice. Your handout should include NO MORE than FOUR single pages, total. If you would like for us to make the copies for you, you must get your originals to me at least 24 hours before your team presents.
The handout can be given to the students at the start of your presentation, during your presentation, or at the end of your presentation. It's up to you (decide what would work best for your team and the way you plan to present).
The required handout must include at least the following:
* Team Number and Brief Title [e.g.: Team 1: Blogs & Wikis
* First names and last names of all team memberes
* A statement of the controversy for this topic.
* The first complete thesis, and a list of three arguments for that position.
* The second complete thesis, and a list of three arguments for that position.
* Include five of your favorite sources (from your team's bibliography)
The required handout can include more if you like (diagrams, a picture, whatever), as long as you keep it to for page sides, or less. You may have additional, different sorts of things that you hand out, of course.
Audience Responsibilities
It is your responsibility to come to class, listen to the other presentations, and participate in the discussions.
* Do your best to be on time. If you must come in late (or leave early), kindly do so quietly, and take an end seat until the next team gets up for their set-up.
* As you come in: Pick up THREE blank evaluation forms (one for each team presenting); you will complete those during class time and turn them in before you leave class. Do not evaluate yourself or your own team with this form; you'll be asked to do that later in a more comprehensive format.
* Please be aware of the nature of peer evaluations. Don't gush uncontrollably unless the presenters knocked your socks off, but don't be overly harsh, either; you are judging students, not polished professionals. On the other hand, be as open and honest as you can.
* When you read the summarized evaluations that you'll receive via email, do not be overly sensitive if there are some classmates who thought you did poorly. Focus on the general trends. The teaching staff's comments will have the most influence on your grade. We've been doing this a long time, and believe we can be fair at evaluating student performance. All comments are meant to help you to continue to improve your skills. We share the peer comments with you because we believe that you can often learn from each other, and to satisfy your curiosity. They are, of course, anonymous. We will be happy to discuss the evaluations with you.
* Take some notes. The Exams will include questions about some of the topics presented. You will want to be able to describe the controversy clearly (what's being done or proposed; what effect is it or will it have), and then be able to argue for either side.
* Participate! But don't be a discussion hog. Class discussion guidelines still apply.
Hints and Suggestions
Some hints and suggestions from previous semesters.
* Don't let dry mouth happen to you! You may wish to bring a bottle of water.
* Let me know if you'll want me to show you TIME LEFT warning signs (like 5 min, 2 min, Hurry up....). Since time is fairly short, I will stop you if you go over your limit.
* Background information is meant to give your listener sufficient knowledge of the technical elements and/or of the controversy in order to understand the debate and to comprehend your arguments. Just as it should not be the primary focus of your paper, that is even more true for your presentation. Be careful that you move quickly into the arguments for both sides, or you may run out of time. You must leave enough time for audience participation, as discussed in class.
* Your presentation will be successful only if you are well prepared, well read, well rehearsed, and if you truly believe that what you are saying is important to your listeners. Be convincing! Do not apologize for taking up our time, your term project will count for a large portion of your final grade. You will be the experts here.
* Introduce yourselves. Make sure we know WHAT the controversy is at the START. Make sure we can figure out relatively soon who will argue for which thesis.
* Do not apologize by saying that you're not good at this, or that you are nervous. Most students are novice speakers. Apologizing when you start serves only to make your audience (and consequently you) even more uncomfortable. Worse, do not begin by saying that you do not agree with your stance. That is a turn-off to the audience (even if it is true); at this point in your college career, you should be able to provide convincing arguments for either side of a controversy.
* Do not sit or hide behind the computer when you speak, unless there's a very good reason for it (such as role playing).
* Speak with volume and with enthusiasm and plenty of energy. A soft spoken, unenergetic, uninspiring presentation gets the most negative audience (and grader) feedback; and a lower grade.
* Do not read from lengthy prose, whether it's from your notes or from the slides. You can use note cards on which you have listed the main bulleted points, to jog your memory, but do not rely on them too heavily or your grade will reflect that. (Put no more than three or four abbreviated points on a card; much like the slides.) Overuse of note cards can also be distracting and often interfere with a presenter's ability to successfully interact with the audience; just talk TO us.
* Although it is rare, the projection unit could malfunction, so be prepared to fall back to the whiteboard, or the overhead projector.
* Getting Audience Participation. There are many creative ways in which to involved the audience. Include the audience in part of your skit. Ask them well crafted questions periodically. Ask some of them to role play with you (giving them a script to follow). Have the audience play a game (as long as it has a valid purpose or objective). Think about how you might distribute some sort of artifact, such as different color-coded note cards. (For example: "everyone with a GOLD Hershey's kiss must do yadda yadda whenever we say blah blah....")
* Your team is in charge of the class discussions. You should determine when it is time to move on to another question or to another audience member. When enough has been said on a particular question, you might follow up by reacting to one or more of the comments, and then go on to another question. Do not feel you have to pick on everyone who raises his/her hand for any particular question, but everyone will appreciate your giving different people a chance to participate. Feel free to pick on people whose hands are not raised. Try to get plenty of people to participate.
* Be sure any discussion questions are focused and pecific enough so that the audience can respond easily. Provide an illustration, or a scenario, perhaps, for the class to react to. Very broad questions are very difficult for the audience to address and can cause a disjointed and uncomfortable discussion. "What do you think should be done about this controversy?" is much too broad. This has been the most recurring problem with discussions during past semesters, no matter how often I point it out.
* Dress appropriately and/or for the part(s) you will play. You will feel (and look!) more professional, and/or "in the role." Far nicer for the audience.
* End your presentation gracefully. "OK, we're done" is not graceful. Have a plan for how you will finish up as an individual and as a part of a team.
Grading
A grading rubric for the presentations is posted here.