Project: PowerPoint Presentation

100 points

Oral Presentations

The primary focus of English 365 is on written communication. However, as discussed in Chapter 14 in the manual, there is a good chance that in your career at some point you will need to make a "slide show" presentation that includes visual elements and oral commentary.

Learning the Basics of PowerPoint

For this project, if you do not already know them, you will need to learn the essentials of Microsoft PowerPoint or some other presentation program that can be converted to PowerPoint. You will be putting together a slide show to present in class at an assigned time. Perhaps you have already presented such a show; if so, this requirement should be a snap; if not, then you will benefit from the experience, learning from what others do as well as what you have done to prepare for your own show.

Project Guidelines

There are only a few guidelines for this project. Your presentation must be informative and directed at your classmates. You must use at least 15 slides and provide oral commentary for every one except a title slide. Your presentation should be designed to last from 10 to 12 minutes. You should script and rehearse your presentation to make sure that it meets these time limits and that it is professionally polished.

In addition, your presentation should include non-textual components, such as pictures and music, but these elements should be appropriate and compatible with your text and oral commentary. Also, to avoid insulting your audience, your oral commentary should not be a mere iteration of whatever text appears on the slides themselves. Rather, your commentary should supplement and complement the on-screen text. Typically, oral commentary fills in the details that are not included in the outline that is on each slide. It is a good idea not to overburden your slides with text, thereby diminishing their visual impact.

Presentation Obligations

You must receive verbal approval for your topic before you put your slide show together. Also, as a courtesy to your classmates, your attendance at all presentations is mandatory. You will pay a point penalty if you are absent on any PowerPoint presentation day or if you are working at your computer or just goofing around instead of paying attention during your classmates’ presentations.

Your project point total, recorded after all presentations have been given, will be based on both your PowerPoint slides and your oral presentation as well as your attendance.