Presentations and Oral Communication

Oral communication is one of the learning objectives for Comm-A courses. Students should deliver a prepared speech and/or other type of formal presentation, as well as learn to productively respond to presentations. Oral communication learning objectives also include learning to contribute to whole class and small group discussions throughout the semester. In English 100 there are several formats and possibilities for a formal presentation that you might use in your class. Keep the following questions and possibilities in mind:

What are your learning goals for a formal presentation?

• Effective communication of information
• Awareness of effective and appropriate means of delivery (style, level of language, appeals to audience)
• Use of effective and appropriate materials (handouts, PowerPoint, poster board, etc.)
• Ability to respond to questions, add information, synthesize discussion

What are your learning goals for the listeners/audience?

• Effective listening, ability to put learned information to use
• Awareness of the rhetorical choices a presenter is making
• Ability to formulate questions to ask the presenter
• Ability to connect the presentation to a larger discussion in class or in some other context

How will you assess presentations and listening?

• Identify key elements of successful presentations/listening
• Provide a means for students to offer feedback to the presenter or to you
• Provide a means for students to document effective listening

Some ideas for format

• Traditional formal presentation: a speaker presenting a finished (or almost finished) project to the rest of the class
• Poster session: multiple presentation stations where listeners visit each station
• Research roundtables: in small groups participants present their work for feedback. This should be more formal than a peer workshop—students must present a prepared version of their project. This could also be done in a large group or digital format as a “work in progress presentation.”
• Teaching class: rather than focusing specifically on Project 3, students can develop a “lesson” to teach the class something they’ve learned about or learned how to do. This could involve their research through the course of the semester or could involve a lesson about writing—but it should be developed from work/thinking done in English 100.
• Recorded presentation through Zoom or Kaltura

Some additional considerations

• While formal presentations can be a culminating or capstone experience for the class, these can also be opportunities to receive additional feedback for revision. For example, students can provide a work-in-progress presentation in the final sequence to refine their research topic/question.
• Keep in mind that some students may have real anxiety about public speaking. If necessary, work with them to develop alternative modes of presentation such as pre-recorded digital video or other multimedia formats.
• State your expectations and create guidelines on how students should participate as audience members. Do not simply expect them to be good citizens. Consider requiring written feedback or a reflection on the presentations as part of their portfolio or presentation grade.