COM 204

COM 204 Research Paper Presentation
Fall 2001

Presentation Assignment

Your presentation is a chance to tell a real audience something about your research, and also a chance for you to organize (or re-organize) your thoughts and ideas about your research paper as you continue to work on it. I don't expect anyone to be finished with the paper yet, of course, so I don't expect a perfect overview of the complete paper. Instead, I expect you to use this opportunity to tell us where you are in the research process now and explain some of the things you've learned so far. You might talk about some (but probably not all) of the following:

The purpose of your research (i.e., your research question, or your thesis).
Why you chose this particular topic.
How you approached the research (e.g., types of sources, how you decided to organize the paper, how you decided on your thesis, etc.)
Problems you have had, or are still having, in your research.
What you have learned from your research so far, and why you think it's interesting or significant.
What the conclusion of your paper is, or what you think it might be.

Your presentation should be about 10 minutes long. You should practice several times in advance to be sure you can cover all of your important points in 10 minutes.

You should speak clearly to the class, and not just read your presentation. You can use notes or an outline, of course, but you should not just read from your notes. Part of the grade will be based on how well you communicate your ideas to the class.

You may prepare a one-page handout (no more than one side of one A4 page) if you think it will help your presentation. It should not include your entire presentation; instead, it should include just enough to supplement or emphasize the main points you want to make. Your handout must be typed, and you must prepare enough photocopies for the entire class. Some things you might include on the handout are the following:

The title of your paper and your name.
A very brief summary of your paper, or your thesis statement.
A simple outline or organizational plan.
A few quotes from your paper or from other important sources.
A list of relevant references.

The presentation will count 15% of your research paper grade. Your grade will be based on the following points: appropriateness of the material you decide to present, how well prepared you are, and how well you communicate your ideas to the class. Your grade will be lowered if your presentation is much shorter or longer than 10 minutes.

Presentation Guidelines

Please be prepared for your presentation according to the schedule, and be sure you are on time. Remember your presentation should be about 10 minutes long. Practice to be sure you can finish in about 8-12 minutes.

Everyone is required to attend every class period when there are presentations. Please come on time so that you do not interrupt the presentations. If you are late, enter the room quietly and sit down quickly. Please pay attention to each presentation. Short questions or comments after each presentation are welcome, but please do not interrupt while the presenter is speaking.

You will be required to fill out and hand in a feedback form for each presentation. I will use those to check attendance every day. If you don't hand them in, you will be counted absent.

If you are going to use a handout, prepare 20 copies. If you bring your handout to my office (#A248) by 9:00 am on the day of your presentation, I will make the photocopies for you. Remember your handout should be no longer than one side of one A4 page.

I will use the criteria listed below to grade your presentation. I will give you the grade during our next class meeting after your presentation--not the same day.

Presentation Grading Criteria
(This presentation counts 15% of your Research Project grade.)
10 = outstanding; 9 = excellent; 8 = good; 7 = average; 6 = poor; 0-5 = unacceptable

Appropriateness (30%)

Did you choose something useful for your paper to talk about?
Was it not too simple and not too complex to understand?
Was it interesting and informative for your audience?

Preparation (30%)

Did it take 8-12 minutes?
Did you not just read from notes?
Was your presentation well-organized?
Were your ideas well-developed and well-explained?
Optional: Was your handout useful to your audience?

Communication (40%)

Did you speak clearly and at an appropriate speed?
Did you use language that was easy for everyone to understand?
Did you keep the attention of your audience?
Did they seem to understand and enjoy your presentation?

Presentation Feedback Forms

Your Name: _______________
Today's Date: _______________
Fill out one of the forms below for each of today's presenters. Write your name and today's date above and hand in this entire sheet at the end of class today. If you do not complete it or do not hand it in, you will be counted absent. Please try to provide some honest, useful feedback to your classmates. This is anonymous; the presenters will not see your name, just your anonymous comments. (Note: If you are making a presentation today, you do not have to complete any of these forms.)

Presenter's Name:
Topic/Title:
Did the contents of the presentation seem appropriate?     (Yes   Somewhat   No)
Did the presenter seem well-prepared?     (Yes   Somewhat   No)
Did you understand the presentation easily?     (Yes   Somewhat   No)
Was the presentation interesting?     (Yes   Somewhat   No)
Write a 1-3 sentence response to the presentation. This can be something you liked, a suggestion for improvement, a question about the topic, etc.

Presenter's Name:
Topic/Title:
Did the contents of the presentation seem appropriate?     (Yes   Somewhat   No)
Did the presenter seem well-prepared?     (Yes   Somewhat   No)
Did you understand the presentation easily?     (Yes   Somewhat   No)
Was the presentation interesting?     (Yes   Somewhat   No)
Write a 1-3 sentence response to the presentation. This can be something you liked, a suggestion for improvement, a question about the topic, etc.

Presenter's Name:
Topic/Title:
Did the contents of the presentation seem appropriate?     (Yes   Somewhat   No)
Did the presenter seem well-prepared?     (Yes   Somewhat   No)
Did you understand the presentation easily?     (Yes   Somewhat   No)
Was the presentation interesting?     (Yes   Somewhat   No)
Write a 1-3 sentence response to the presentation. This can be something you liked, a suggestion for improvement, a question about the topic, etc.

Presentation Schedule/Topics | COM 204 Essays