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Outline on  Presentations Assessment
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  Oral Rubric Assessment Form
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  -  Project:  Improving Presentation Skills:  What one thing would you like to improve in relation to your presentation skills?   
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1. The Style should be that of an academic presentation: Get the content across  
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2. The Main Ideas of the presentation clearly came across  
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3. The presentation gave a strong theoretical background  
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4. The research was appropriate & done well  
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5. The Presentation Structure should parallel that of a term paper,  with many of the same sections  
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6. The use multi-media is required  
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7. Make the presentation professional  
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8. Time your presentation  
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9. Leave time for Discussion, but this does not count toward your time  
  10. Overall impression  
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Team Presentations have special requirements
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 If there are problems w/ member(s) of a team, fill out the Team Performance Form
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Most common errors  

 
Sociology Oral Communication Skills Assessment

Oral communication is defined as the ability to convey ideas/info in a fashion that is clear, ordered, & well supported; that reflects the ability of the speaker to respond to the audience as well as to make a prepared statement; and to employ for the purpose a style that is appropriate to the occasion.Student Number: ________Student Name:________________

Presentation Title:________________________________________________________Date:________________
 
II.Public communication skills
Circle the number of your best choice:
5=Excellent4=Good3=Average2=Below Average1=Far Below Average
A. ________ Ability to present a main thesis in a clear manner
5 Overall intent is unmistakable; audience has compelling reason to listen; speaker’s credibility is explicitly stated or clear
4 Overall intent clear; audience reason to listen clear; speaker credibility good
3 A topic is introduced; audience reason to listen may be vague or unclear; credibility is identified
2 Topic/intent vague; speaker’s credibility unclear; speaker credibility unclear
1 Intent of presentation is not identifiable; audience has no reason to listen; speaker has no credibility
Comments

 

B. ________ Ability to present main points/ideas in a clear manner.
5 Points are clearly related to and support thesis; points/ideas emerge w/thorough logic; cues and transitions direct
4 Points relate to thesis; points/ideas emerge fairly clearly; cues and transitions fairly direct
3 Points/ideas may not all be directly related to thesis; may cues/transitions direct; many ideas communicated
2 Points/ideas only tangentially applicable; logical progression vague; cues vague; rambles somewhat
1 No points are identifiable; lacks any logical progress; no clear cues or transitions at all
Comments:

 

C. ________ Ability to present sufficient research/arguments to support thesis.
5 Has excellent knowledge of & effectively uses relevant literature/theory
4 Has good knowledge of & often effectively uses relevant literature/theory
3 Has acceptable understanding of literature/theory; may use ineffectively in areas
2 Has less than satisfactory understanding of literature/theory; does not effectively apply to thesis
1 Appears to have no understanding of or ability to use literature/theory whatsoever
Comments:
 
D.________ Use of language (grammatically and field specifically) appropriate.
5 Language/syntax correct, even elegant; topic applicable; free from error; direct and tactful
4 Language/syntax consistently correct; largely topic applicable; mostly free from error; mostly direct
3 Language/syntax generally correct, with few errors of usage or application; tactful
2 Language/syntax sometimes correct; many errors of usage and application
1 Language/syntax completely inappropriate or incorrectly applied; lacking tact or direction
Comments:

 

E.________ Visual aids appropriate for the context and field.
5 Visual aids are appropriate, professional, interesting, and thoroughly enhance presentation.
4 Visual aids appropriate but may be unexciting;enhance presentation
3 Visual aids are appropriate but not as professional (handmade charts versus Power Point); enhance presentation somewhat
2 Visual aidspoorly executed; have little relevance to presentation; little reference made to them
1 Visual aids nonexistent or irrelevant; little to no reference made to them
Comments:

 

F.________ Ability to respond to questions in a clear fashion.
5 Speaker responds promptly, thoroughly, respectfully to questions
4 Speaker responds fairly promptly, fairly thoroughly,& respectfully to questions
3 Speaker accepts questions; is respectful; response adequate but may require further elaboration 
2 Speaker accepts questions; may be impatient or uneasy with questions; responses imprecise or inadequate
1 Speaker’s response is unclear; unable to answer question; consistently misconstrues questions
Comments:

 

G.________ Delivery includes effective verbal and nonverbal techniques
5 Speaker is conversational/natural; makes consistent eye contact; audible & well paced; gestures enhance presentation; consults notes smoothly & as appropriate or does not refer to them at all (discipline specific issue); good posture
4 Largely natural; often makes eye contact; audible; few hesitations; gestures mostly enhance; relies on notes bit more than should be necessary but w/o interrupting flow; posture seldom needs correction
3 Speaks with some hesitations; makes eye contact sometimes; audible; gestures are not distracting; use of notes may interrupt presentation; posture sometimes sloppy or inappropriate
2 somewhat stilted; seldom makes eye contact; sometimes inaudible; use of notes too often interrupts flow; posture inappropriate; gestures may not fit 
1 Speaker is stilted; makes no eye contact; is not audible; no gestures or are distracting;reads only from notes giving impression that speaker is unprepared
Comments:

 

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1. The Style should be that of an academic presentation:  get the content across 

Grades are based on content, originality, and presentation. 
You are encouraged to be creative, (but please remain focused and balanced). 
Have a clear thesis; state it clearly at the beginning of the presentation.
Have a good introduction stating what you are doing (thesis) and how you will do it (discuss the sections of the presentation.)
Make major points; try to avoid a presentation of rambling information.
The best presentations use a sociological analysis.
Activities/scenarios for the audience are always beneficial
The Content should cover the required sections of a good research paper, as discussed below

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2. The Main Ideas of the presentation clearly came across

Clearly, the presenter must make the main idea of the research understandable to the listener
The presenter must also clearly make other ideas, concepts, processes understandable to the listener
Overall, the listener must get a clear sense of the research question / thesis / hypothesis

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3. The presentation gave a strong theoretical background

The presentation need not focus on the Lit Review or on the theoretical analysis of the research.
However, enough theory must be drawn from these aspects of the project to put the research question & the results in the proper context.

While you are required to get the main ideas across, you are also expected to demonstrate your knowledge of theory as it relates to your thesis. 
The ideas, concepts, processes, theories, etc. must be applied to, integrated into the topic under examination. 
 
See Also:  Types of Sociological Analysis
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See Also:   Literature Review
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4. The research was appropriate & done well The Presentation shall demonstrate that the appropriate Methods we used & analyzed.
 
See Also:  Methods
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Methods Overview
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5. The Presentation structure should parallel that of a term paper,  with many of the same sections

This reflects the ORGANIZATION of your presentation 
Organize the presentation:  present an introduction at the beginning and a summary at the end.
Can the listener follow your train of thought?
 
1. Title Page: Presentations should have a Title             (Also include your name)
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2. Table of Contents:  Not needed in a Presentation  
3. Thesis statement or hypothesis:  Begin w/ a thesis that is tailored for a presentation, which may be different & more conversational than a written thesis
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4. Introduction & summary
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5. Body
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      5.1.  Literature Review:  Optional for a presentation     ( Note:  Optional sections are required in the Capstone )
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      5.2.  Methods:  Optional for a presentation
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      5.3.  Summary of Results/Data     Optional for a presentation  
      5.4.  Analysis / Discussion
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              a. Other Subsections based on Topics           or  
              b. Other Subsections based on Types of Analysis
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                   i.  Socio historical analysis                              ( strongly recommended, but not required )  
              ii.  Data Analysis if Primary Data Collection was conducted    ( required in Capstone )  
                   ii.  Expectations for the Future  ( required )  
                   iii. Recommendations of Social Policy ( required )
 
6.  Summary/Conclusion 
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7.  Appendices:  optional for a presentation
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8.   Bibliography:  to be written & handed in
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       You must use Scholastic Sources in the biblio
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Use smooth Transitions that tie the sections together,  and tie sections to the thesis
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Team performance form            ( applies only to team presentations )
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6. The use multi-media is required 

If you use videos or other media, please inform me before the presentation so I can supply the proper equipment. 
Like quotes, and survey material, videos, audio tape and all multi-media material should never come to dominate the presentation. 
Use them sparingly for emphasis or dramatic impact.  Be sure and tie them into the presentation. 
Audio-visual aids are always beneficial, but do not let them dominate the presentation
Do not read from the power point / overheads.  Use  notes. 

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7. Make the presentation professional:
  • Introduce yourself / members as you / they speak.
  • Do not read your presentation.
  • Cite references.
  • Present your opinion, but support this point of view by evidence 

  • (reliance on opinion unsupported by data/resources is insufficient).
  • Speak clearly to the group.  Have good eye contact
  • Make the presentation attention grabbing, but do not substitute sensationalism for analysis. 
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8. Time your presentation 

See your syllabus for the required time. Time yourself:  be neither too short nor long.
Discussion does not count toward your time. 
Teams should be able to go ahead with their even if one  person is absent with a valid medical excuse.

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9. Leave time for Discussion, but this does not count toward your time

A good discussion will improve your grade, but discussion is no substitution for presentation. 

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Team Presentations have special requirements 

(Ignore this section if you are a single presenter)     If your presentation is to be done as a team, and one member is not present when the presentation is due, the rest of the team is expected to continue.

If before your presentation one or more members are not performing, you are to inform the Professor as soon as possible & fill out & turn in a Team Performance Form         Link

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Most common errors:

1.  Too short.

2.  Reading from computer screen ( use note cards & speak to the group )

3.  Too much info on power point ( just have a few bulleted phrases on each slide )

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