For This Assignment, You Will Need

Verbal Presentation Assignment

For this assignment, you will need:

1. Access to a computer with Microsoft PowerPoint.

2. Access to a computer/tablet/phone with a webcam (and microphone) which is connected to the Internet.

3. A free YouTube account. You need a Google Account to sign into YouTube. To get started, visit www.youtube.com and click on the Sign In button. Login with your Gmail credentials or create a Gmail account (free) if you don’t already have one.

4. One or more audience members (ask a friend or family member)

5. To have watched the “Killer Presentations” DVD. Internet students: you may watch this in the WTC lab—ask the lab assistant for the disk. You’ll need to bring your headphones. Classroom students: we’ll watch this in class.

6. To upload your YouTube.com no later than 24 hours before the due date to allow time for the video to be processed by YouTube.

Assignment Overview:

All Students: Prepare an informative presentation on a topic in your major area of college study. For this presentation, you may assume your audience is comprised of members with similar areas of interest. An informative presentation is designed to enlighten (educate) the audience on a topic and may include a demonstration on how to do something, describe a concept, etc. For example, if you are a nursing major, you might demonstrate the latest technique for giving painless shots. If you are a business major, you might inform your audience on ways to improve your credit score. Note: The intent of an informative presentation is to inform, not persuade. After hearing the information presented, the audience should be able to draw their own conclusions.

Research & Writing Component (30 points)

All Students: Research your selected topic and prepare a 1500 word research summary in MLA format. A research summary is a summary of information, in your own words, that you have found (from various sources) while investigating your topic. When researching, you must use a credible source which has a defined author such as a book, magazine, journal article etc. Referring to websites such as Wikipedia or general website articles without an author is not permitted. When keying your research summary, follow MLA guidelines and be sure to use parenthetical documentation and a works cited page. To review MLA guidelines for document formatting and spacing, parenthetical documentation, quotations, and work cited pages, etc. please review the information found here https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

PowerPoint Component (10 points)

All Students: Develop a Microsoft PowerPoint slideshow to complement your presentation using the techniques you learned in in Set G Lecture Notes.

Presentation Component (60 points)

All Students: Develop you presentation. For this you must…

a.i.1. Speak for no less than 4 minutes and no more than 6 minutes. a.i.2. Be standing while presenting a.i.3. Have at least 1(ideally 3) audience member(s) present while speaking. Be sure to look left, right, and center while speaking. a.i.4. Ensure your microphone is turned up enough to capture your audio and ensure your camera is pointed in the correct location. Check this prior to doing your official presentation. Note—I do NOT need to see the PowerPoint in the video as you will submit your PowerPoint slides separately. a.i.5. Include an attention getter which involves the audience (1st minute). Consider a short activity which takes 60 seconds or less but involves audience from the start. For example, if you are presenting on the benefits of physical fitness, you might have your audience do jumping jacks for 30 seconds or so. a.i.6. Incorporate the techniques you learned in class such as lock, talk, pause etc. See the Key Points to Remember section below. a.i.7. Incorporate your findings from your research summary. You do not need to list all elements of the research summary, only those most relevant given the time constraints. a.i.8. End with a call to action. While this is an informative speech, give your audience some points to consider or a challenge to do later in the day. For example, if presenting on the benefits of physical fitness you might say, “Sometime in the next week, I challenge you to walk 3 miles in under 45 minutes.” Submission Details for Internet Students

1. Record and upload your presentation to YouTube. Login to RVC EAGLE and click on the Assignments tab and find the Verbal Presentations DropBox. Paste the YouTube video URL (website) link in the space provided. 2. Upload your PowerPoint slides to the PowerPoint Slides DropBox 3. Upload your Research Summary to the Research Summary DropBox

Submission Details for Classroom Students

1. Record and upload your presentation to YouTube. Login to RVC EAGLE and click on the Assignments tab and find the Verbal Presentations DropBox Paste the YouTube video URL (website) link in the space provided. 2. Upload your PowerPoint slides to the PowerPoint Slides DropBox 3. Upload your Research Summary to the Research Summary DropBox 4. Come to class on your assigned day—see weekly outline. We will watch and evaluate your presentation in the classroom.

Key Points to Remember

Content  Adapt the presentation to meet the audience’s needs (the purpose).  Assure that information is accurate and current.  Include a few major points with adequate support for each.  Use statistics, anecdotes, quotes, and/or humor appropriately.

Organization  Use an effective opening that (a) captures attention, (b) presents purpose, (c) initiates rapport with audience, and (d) previews major points.  Sequence ideas sequenced logically and smoothly.  Use an effective close that calls for the audience to accept your idea or provides a conclusion with recommendations.

Delivery  Use clear, articulate speech and proper pronunciation.  Use vocal variety and adjust volume and rate to express and emphasize ideas.  Avoid irritating verbal fillers and other annoying speech habits.  Maintain steady eye contact with audience in random places.  Smile genuinely and use gestures naturally to communicate confidence and warmth.  Watch your audience for important feedback and adjust your speech accordingly.  Handle questions from the audience politely.  Keep within the time limit.  Dress appropriately to create a professional image.  Distribute handouts, if needed, at the appropriate time to minimize distractions and to meet audience needs.

Visual Aid Usage  Limit the number of visual aids used to avoid overload.  Assure visual aids are appropriate for audience and setting.  Create a standard design for each visual:  Include only the major idea the audience is to remember.  Make the design concise, simple, and large enough to be read.  Avoid graphics that distort facts.  Proofread carefully to eliminate errors.  Use the presentation visuals effectively:  Paraphrase rather than read the visual line by line.  Step to the side of the visual so audience’s view is not obstructed.

Grading Criteria:

Given the subjective nature of presentations, the grading mechanism will mirror this real world subjectivity. The following table will be used to calculate your points. In addition, you may want to review the Assessment Criteria below for points to consider.

Points Earned 60 (100%) Exceeded Expectations. Audience members would be able to easily understand and be able to utilize the information provided in a relevant fashion. 54 (90%) Meets high standard. Audience members would be able to understand and utilize the information provided but may need to ask a few clarifying questions. 51 (85%) Acceptable standard. Audience members would likely be interested in your idea but would need to conduct additional research to better understand the topic. 48 (80%) Below standard. Audience members may lose interest in your idea due to a lack of clarity, presentation style or other hindrances. <45 (75% or less) Unacceptable standard. Audience may not gain much value from the presentation.