English

Engl 130

Linda Rogers

Oral Research Presentation Requirements

As part of the culminating activity for the research project phase of this class, you are required to present a 5-6 minute oral report based on your research for the Research Essay on American subcultures.

Fundamentally, you are required to stand at the front of the class and talk to your peers and instructor about the subculture you have been researching. The actual presentation itself must fall within the 5-6 minute range (absolutely no shorter or longer). A brief question-and-answer period (2-3 minutes) will follow. A designated questioner is required to ask at least one question after your presentation.

One visual aid is required. (e.g., PowerPoint, Prezi, Glogster, slide, poster, photo, handout, etc.). Please note that any necessary “set-up” time must be factored into your 5-6 minute presentation window. Remember, a minimum of 5 active minutes of presentation is required. (Or, if the classroom is vacant before our timeslot, load the visual aids on the classroom computer before class starts.) (Have back-ups— store it on a flashdrive, e-mail it to yourself, and put it on Blackboard.)

A good ppt or Prezi will not have any complete sentences— it will show just key words/bulleted information, especially dates, statistics, or hard to spell terms.

There will be no offensive images. No audio or video. A a maximum of three slides. No distracting clipart that will draw the audience’s attention away from your presentation. (The last slide, not included in the count, should be reserved for citation of sources, particularly photos or clip art.) You may be asked to send your visuals to the instructor via e-mail directly upon completing your presentation.

You will not read from any slides or papers. Know your subculture. Know your presentation.

Plan your presentation carefully, and rehearse before class. Review Ch. 52 in The Norton Field Guide to Writing for some tips and advice regarding oral presentations.

In your oral report, be sure to provide basic information on your group (e.g., who they are, how they got started, what the key issues are today). Given the amount of time you have, you will not read from your research paper.

Provide a clear, coherent overview of your group, then zero in on selected aspects. At all times, the audience should be able to follow the general flow of the presentation and sense that it is clearly and logically organized.

Strive to be interesting. Strive to engage your audience. Speak clearly and at a calm, measured pace.

Please dress to impress: no shorts, no flip flops, no ball caps, no printed shirts/slogans. Yes to sleeves. Yes to neat, dressy clothes. No to ripped, faded clothes. Yes to dressing professionally. No to looking sloppy.

Your oral presentation will be assessed in terms of the following:

Content & Uniqueness: Demonstrate that your chosen group is a distinct and vital subculture in contemporary American society, and how the subculture is unique. This subculture must be presented in the context of two to three critical questions—all addressing an issue or issues of substance. What is affecting/impacting your group now?

Organization/Staying on Topic: Present your information in a logical, interesting sequence which the audience can follow.

Subject Knowledge: Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of your topic during your presentation and the question-and-answer period following.

Audience Contact: Maintain eye contact with your audience, and perhaps engage them verbally. Try to establish a successful bond with your audience.

Elocution: Use a clear voice and correct, precise pronunciation of terms so that all audience members can hear presentation. Do not read. Make it obvious that you know your terms and your subculture.

As an audience member, each student is required to write a brief review on a separate index card for each oral presentation. You must write your comments on one index card per presenter per day and submit them at the end of each class. Your instructor will only accept this presentation evaluation on a lined index card; no handwritten notebook paper sheets will be accepted. I will not provide index cards for you. (We have ______ reports, therefore you need ______ index cards.) This is a required part of your grade for this assignment.

You will write your name and the name of the presenter on the top line of the card, making it obvious who is the presenter. Write at least one positive comment and at least one helpful suggestion. You are welcome to write in great detail. The more helpful, the better the classmate’s next presentation will be. (Please write legibly and appropriately, using standard English, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation.)

Finally, each student will be designated as “lead questioner” for a given presentation. On that day, that student is required to ask the first question. Your question should demonstrate that you are an active listener who approaches new knowledge with critical questions (a skill we’ve been modeling all semester in our class discussions of assigned readings). The lead questioner will also collect the peer evaluation index cards, check for one comment/one suggestion, and enter them on a roster. This is a required part of your grade for this assignment.

Grading Criteria for Oral Research Presentation:

Oral Presentation: 100

Designated Question and Duties: 10

Complete Set of Presenter Review Card: 20

Self-Evaluation: 15

TOTAL: 145

MAKE NOTE: This report must put your subculture in a critical context.

You must (1) identify the culture and give only a brief history; (2) present the subculture in the context of 2-3 critical questions.

This is not a ‘book report’ style overview. This presentation must have a clear focus.

* Use of visuals must fit within a critical context. Use of visuals that do not directly connect to a point or lack a critical context will be penalized. Anything offensive, inappropriate, or pointless, especially if used as a time-filler, will shut down the presentation immediately with no chance to re-do it, resulting in zero points earned.

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PRESENTATION PROTOCOL:

Be early on the day you present.

Get your presentation loaded on the class computer.

If you are unable to present on the day you are scheduled, you must contact Linda as soon as possible by e-mail AND you must contact ALL the classmates on the schedule for the next class presentation day to let them know that the first person “on deck” is going, for sure, a day early. (And if anyone else “flakes,” it could be the domino effect and many more from day two could be going. Better be prepared.)

If you are able to get someone to voluntarily SWITCH days with you, you may MAKE UP your presentation day.

If you skip your day, you will not be able to make up your day and you will lose 115 points. DO NOT SKIP.

OBSERVATION PROTOCOL:

No texting, no sleeping, no prepping for your presentation or doing work for other classes during someone’s presentation. Treat others as you would have them treat you during your presentation.

Make eye contact with the speaker.

Listen attentively.

Take notes on the back of the notecard so you are ready for the question and comment period.

Clap at the end of the presentation, before questions.

Designated questioner will ask the first question.

After that, ask meaningful questions. Try not to pick a fight. Debate is fine, but fighting is not. If time runs out, you may not be able to ask your question.

Write solid/useful praise and constructive tips for improvement on the observation cards.