Guidelines for Presentations

BCOR 4003

 

There will be two required presentations for this course; an individual presentation on a specific topic or company, and a team presentation summarizing your team’s project.  There are two reasons for the presentations.  One is to give you an opportunity to practice making oral presentations.  This is a skill that is essential to the kinds of careers most of you are expecting.  The second reason is so all of us can learn from each other—an essential component of the seminar concept.  Therefore I expect that all students will attend all presentations.  (This is also the courteous thing to do).

 

Individual Presentations

 

Individual presentations will be about 12 minutes in length.  (Because there will be 5 individual presentations per 75 minute class, I will cut off any presentation that goes longer than 15 minutes.)  Remember that getting the class involved and interested in your topic is part of how you’ll be graded, and plan your presentation accordingly.  That implies (1) no more than 8 – 10 minutes of actual “presentation” and (b) a very explicit plan to get the class involved in discussion/debate (a final slide labeled “Questions?” is not going to hack it).

 

Individual presentations may involve one of three options: (a) one of the senses/skills described by Pink, (b) a case study, or (c) a research presentation on a topic from FOE.  You will need to let me know by January 22nd which topic you intend to cover (and, for case studies or research presentations, on which date; see syllabus for details).

a.       For “sense” presentations you should assume that the class has read the chapter; your task is to build on the chapter material to highlight a point, provide a more in-depth example, demonstrate a skill—that is, to add value for the rest of the class.  You have complete latitude for how you think this should be done.  I HIGHLY encourage you to coordinate with the other students presenting on the same sense, so that your presentations don’t overlap too much (and preferably build on each other).  If you’re trying to decide which sense you want to present about, see the brief overview on pages 65 – 67 of WNM.

b.      Case study presentations involve application of the material from either or both books to actual companies.  They can be used to show examples of how companies other than those in FOE or WNM illustrate the principles from these books.  I’d prefer positive examples, but examples of companies that have violated the principles may also be useful.  You may also look at the companies cited in either book and give the class an update on how they are coping with the current economic downturn .  Given the length of time, these will obviously need to be concise, and your task will be to very clearly illustrate the linkage to the selected principles you want to emphasize.

c.       Research presentations provide a bit more background on some of the principles described in FOE.  For example, Chapter 4 gives a number of examples of FOEs that provide day care facilities.  There is actually a considerable literature of the pros and cons of these, which the FOE authors don’t cite.  A presentation could describe this literature, being sure to present BOTH sides of the issue as well as conclusions.

 

 

 

 

Team Project Presentations

 

This presentation is intended to share with the class the highlights of your team project.  The written report is the place to report all the details of what you did, so don’t bore the class with the minutiae.  Rather, use the class presentation to highlight the components that are most important to your audience. Your primary audience is the other students in the class, not the instructor.  Ask yourself what information will be of interest and value to them, and structure your presentation accordingly.

 

You will have 25 minutes, which should include time for questions and answers—and general discussion.  (So figure about 15 minutes of “presentation” time.)

 

It is not a requirement that all team members participate in the presentation of the project.  You will be evaluated in terms of the overall design and delivery of the material, not in terms of the quality of individual presentations.  Since overall design is something that everyone can contribute to, all team members will share the same “presentation” grade whether or not each actually delivered material in front of the class.

 

Evaluation

 

Evaluations will be done by both me and your fellow students; your actual grade will be based on both sets of evaluations.  Evaluations will be based on the following factors:

 

1.      Organization

·         Was there a clear introduction that set the stage?

·         Was the material presented in a logical and understandable sequence?

·         Was there a conclusion that wrapped things up?

·         Was the time used effectively?

·         Were there smooth transitions among speakers (for team presentations)

2.      Knowledge/Application/Analysis

·         Do you know what you’re talking about (particularly for individual presentations)

·         Have you provided a clear, detailed, and thoughtful analysis of your company (particularly for group presentations)

·         Did you clearly APPLY concepts from the books to your topic

3.      Creativity/Interest

·         Were you able to maintain interest of audience?

·         Did you take audience’s interests into account in design and delivery?

·         Did you get class involved in the topic? (especially for team presentations)

·         Note: creativity will also be considered here (especially for individual presentations)