ASSIGNMENT 4:

PRESENTATION

10/22/96

Overview. Use your completed paper as the basis for developing a 4-6 minutes presentation (allow at least a minute for questions). You will, of course, have to be selective in choosing what aspect(s) of your paper to present. Keep your audience in mind and select something that you believe will interest them.

Sign-up sheets outside my office (Room 204) will allow you to choose one of three possible dates for your presentation: Nov. 5, Nov. 7 or Nov. 12. Please sign up for a second date where you will attend in order to listen and provide helpful feedback to presenters. The third date will be free time for you. You may come to class or not, as you choose.

Presenter. Determine if you will do an informative or a persuasive presentation. If it is the former, it may describe, demonstrate, define, teach or explain. If it is the latter, it may convince, refute, redefine, sell or motivate.

Visual aids will be helpful. Make sure they are visible from the back of the room if you use them. An overhead projector is available in the classroom. Let me know if you need other equipment.

The best presentations, as you know from having listened to many, are those where the presenter simply talks to the audience. Using this as your model, try to restrict any notes you may wish to use to one 3x5 index card.

The presentations will be strictly timed and will not be allowed to exceed the time limit.

Listener-Critic. Your task is to attend one session of the presentations of your colleagues and to write a brief anonymous critique (emphasizing the positive as well as areas for improvement) for five of the ten presenters. (You will be assigned either the even or odd speakers based on their order of presentation)

Follow-up Activity for Presenters. At the end of your presenting session, please wait a moment while the critiques are sorted and distributed to you. Before you read the critiques, assess your own performance using the rating form provided and describe what you liked best about your presentation, and what one aspect you would like to improve for your next one. Then read and summarize the feedback you receive from your fellow students and add your reactions to the compliments, comments and suggestions you have received. Turn in the rating form with your self-assessment and feedback summary.

Email me if you have questions.