| Abstract |
Traditionally class presentations involve the teacher assessing one student’s presentation in front of the entire class. In large groups this method of evaluation can be very time consuming, and as a ...result, valuable class time that could be better spent on teaching and learning activities is reduced. This is especially problematic when a presentation component is inserted, sometimes haphazardly, into a larger curriculum where time constraints already exist. To make matters worse, the traditional presentation format forces students to play the part of the audience, which can be quite dull and uninspiring in cases where there are one too many unmotivated, mediocre presenters. In order to deal with these issues and to turn the presentation assessment process into a more productive and positive learning experience, the authors experimented with small groups of students doing simultaneous presentations in different parts of the classroom, where each group had two to four “audience” members and one presenter, and where students were given the responsibility to assess each other’s presentations. In addition, each presenter had several opportunities to perform in front of different groups. As a result of this experiment, the amount of time it took to do presentations was cut in half, from two classes to one. Furthermore, the new format had educational benefits as well. Students were able to practice their presentations several times, and the peer-assessment format in small groups was very motivating for students. Moreover, judging by the overwhelmingly positive student feedback, not only the teachers, but also the students, saw this method as a positive way of conducting classroom presentations.show more
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