In-Class Presentation

Better slides make better presentations in Bev Sher’s Atoms to Cells Biology 100 course

In a Nutshell

Students in Bev Sher’s Biology 100 course learn how atoms are the building blocks of cells. They also learn how good Powerpoint slides are the building blocks of good presentations. In this DIY, Prof. Sher walks us through her assignment, the Journal Club Group Presentation, and its use of multimedia presentations. With the right examples, the right readings, and the right feedback from Prof. Sher, students created great presentations that helped them communicate with their audiences.

Students learn the art of public speaking in Barbette Spaeth's Classical Studies 100 course

In a Nutshell

In Barbette Spaeth’s Classical Studies 100 course, “The Witch in the Western World,” students learned to produce oral and digital presentations through a weekly workshop in which the parts of the presentation were chunked into smaller pieces. Students practiced the physical aspects of class presentation (eye contact, posture, gestures) in one class session, verbal aspects in another (pace, volume, tone), effective slide production in another. By the end of the semester, their confidence built, they put it all together and presented their final reports to the class. This DIY shows you the tools and resources Barbette and her students used to put their best foot forward.

Using Microsoft Sway and Social Media for Student Projects in History 211

In a Nutshell

In Katherine Cartwright’s history course students learn about youth cultures since the Progressive Era, examining young Americans’ experiences decade by decade. As part of their engagement with the subject, Cartwright wanted students to engage directly with youth cultures.This meant having students use tools that define some of today’s youth cultures, social media and online platforms, as part of their learning process.

This eLearning DIY shows you how Cartwright integrated social media and Microsoft Sway into her course content.

Presenting Infographics in Tyler Meldrum’s Chemistry 341 course

In a Nutshell

Chemistry Professor Tyler Meldrum teaches Chemistry 341, Physical Chemistry for Life Sciences, one of the last courses that students pursuing a chemistry or biochemistry minor will take. Students learn how principles in physical chemistry can be developed for and applied to examples from the biological sciences. Instead of a final exam, students create an infographic explaining a biophysical technique to synthesize what they have learned, both in the class and through their chemistry education overall.

Presenting Research with Timelines in Arthur Knight's Williamsburg Documentary Project Seminar

In a Nutshell

In this 400-level research seminar, students work on real-world documentary projects, interviewing members of the community and analyzing primary and secondary source documents. Each student develops their own individual research project within a particular historical location — in this current project, the Triangle area of Williamsburg — that, when taken as a whole, helps tell a richer story than individual projects might have done. Students collaborate to develop a multimedia web-accessible timeline incorporating videos, maps, photos, audio, and more to merge their individual, smaller stories into a broader, more complex exploration of this area.

Presenting Research with Timelines in Arthur Knight's Williamsburg Documentary Project Seminar

In a Nutshell

In this 400-level research seminar, students work on real-world documentary projects, interviewing members of the community and analyzing primary and secondary source documents. Each student develops their own individual research project within a particular historical location — in this current project, the Triangle area of Williamsburg — that, when taken as a whole, helps tell a richer story than individual projects might have done. Students collaborate to develop a multimedia web-accessible timeline incorporating videos, maps, photos, audio, and more to merge their individual, smaller stories into a broader, more complex exploration of this area.

One minute, one figure presentations: Scaffolding oral presentation skills with Paul Heideman

In a Nutshell

Students need to learn oral presentation skills. Oral presentations in most courses include a multi-day, step-by-step procedure to a formal presentation. In addition to fearful procrastination and the routine of public speaking stress, students feel keenly the added pressure of a grade. Particularly for freshmen, their graded presentations often follow very few opportunities to practice with feedback. The result is the “One-minute One-figure Presentation”.