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[new_bus_prof]

So its that time of the semester, when my students are giving their end of semester presentations. For many of these students, its one of the few times they have had to present to a group for longer than 5 minutes.

So, for those out there that use presentations, how do you grade them? Tips, suggestions, ideas...all are welcome.

[cgfunmathguy]

So its that time of the semester, when my students are giving their end of semester presentations. For many of these students, its one of the few times they have had to present to a group for longer than 5 minutes.

So, for those out there that use presentations, how do you grade them? Tips, suggestions, ideas...all are welcome.

One word: RUBRIC. Decide what you want from the presentation (this should have been done at the assignment stage), what each part is worth to you, and draw up a rubric that addresses each of these parts. A great site to begin to get ideas is Rubistar (www.4teachers.org).

[systeme_d_]

I posted this on another similar thread.

Give them a rubric that includes elements like:

Articulates author's argument correctly and completely
Identifies nuances of author's argument
Poses thoughtful, open-ended questions to the class
Guides discussion to important points

(I just made that up off the top of my head -- surely you can do better.)

Yesterday in class I modeled a presentation for a group of upper-level undergrads.  I also gave them copies of the rubric I will be using for their presentations.  I told them they could grade me, using that rubric, for their edification and amusement.  They loved it.

[sagit]

I like that idea - modeling the presentation and letting them fill in their own rubric.  I was meaning to do that this semester (sans rubric because I hadn't thought of that) but just ran out of time.

I heartily agree with the rubric.  I also tell my students that they will have to wait a minute or two between presentations (after questions are done) while I finish filling out the rubric and writing comments.  That's what I love about presentations - the grading is pretty much done in the amount of time it takes for them to present!  I might put more presentations in next semester.

[mountainguy]

Chime on rubrics. I also add in a disclaimer that I reserve the right to deduct points if they're rude or disruptive during other students' presentations (which unfortunately has been a major problem in the past).

[aristof_ns]

Chime on rubrics. I also add in a disclaimer that I reserve the right to deduct points if they're rude or disruptive during other students' presentations (which unfortunately has been a major problem in the past).

Oooh, good idea!!!!

[msmicrobe]

I agree on the rubric. In my class, students are presenting their findings to solve a controversy in science. So my criteria in the rubric are as follows:
1. Main topic controversy identified
2. Adequate background
3. Organization of talk is clear to audience
4. Data presented to support ideas
5. Conclusion clear.
6. Appropriate scientific language used
7. Effectively uses visual aids
8. Effective delivery
9. Answers questions
10. On time. (with reasonable limits above and below the target time)

All of the students are expected to ask questions. I will call on someone to ask a question if none arise.

I break speaking down into confident body language and confident voice usage. I have each student fill out a feedback sheet for the speaker. They have to tell the speaker the best thing they did with body language (posture, eye contact, etc.) and what one thing they should focus on improving. They also have to praise the best thing the speaker did with their voice (speed, volume, inflection) and indicate what one area the speaker should work to improve.

The students like getting the diverse feedback from their peers. And it helps them see that we all have areas we can improve and areas we do well in. It also helps keep the audience somewhat focused on the other talks.

[glowdart]

Chime on rubrics. I also add in a disclaimer that I reserve the right to deduct points if they're rude or disruptive during other students' presentations (which unfortunately has been a major problem in the past).

Chime-in-itis.  I also add that they lose full credit for their presentation if they skip another student's presentation. 

[new_bus_prof]

Thank you cgfunmathguy for the website. I added it to my list of bookmarks.

I established a basic rubric for ensuring the students covered content, answered questions, presentation was readable, students made eye contact and could be heard in the room. Like I said, basic.

What should I be including? What do you all include?
mountainguy mentioned about distraction penalties and glowdart about skipping others presentations. I hadn't had these issues before, so I hadn't thought to include them (but will in the future).

I had some teams this year who truly engaged the audience, some who put the audience to sleep, and some who totally lost the audience.  This year I had to give them all similar grades because they met my basic rubric, but clearly some deserved better grades than others.

[scampster]

I had some teams this year who truly engaged the audience, some who put the audience to sleep, and some who totally lost the audience.  This year I had to give them all similar grades because they met my basic rubric, but clearly some deserved better grades than others.

Is your rubric a check box kinda system? I have to watch ten billion student groups present the same design project in senior design and our rubrics (not designed by me) are 0-10 ratings on each element. So the great groups get a 10, the ones that are satisfactory get a 7 or 8. There is a panel grading them, so the rubric is actually for the sake of both the students and the evaluators.

Of course, unless scores get scaled up after looking at all the scores at the end, I find several student groups get "rubriced" into a low B or a C, since the resolution on the grades is a 0.5 at best (i.e. 7, 7.5, 8). Our best scores are almost never in the 90s, usually due to Dr. Cranky Pants who refuses to give anyone above an 8 (and a 10/10 seems too much like a paragon of perfection for the other profs to counter with for an A presentation - they give a 9 or 9.5).

[professor_pat]

<bumping this thread as I design next term's course>

I've been meaning to raise this question for a while now. I've used rubrics regularly for grading presentations, but this isn't quite enough. The problem for me is when the first couple of presentations are mediocre or poor. Since I don't share my grading for those presentations with the class, those presentations end up setting a kind of default standard -- then I have to watch most of the subsequent presentations being just as poor.

Of course the rubric helps, but each component of the rubric still needs clarification. For instance, using some of the suggestions below: How much background is "adequate"? What type and extent of data are sufficient to support an argument? What uses of visual aids are actually "effective" and "ineffective," and why? These are things that students aren't necessarily clear about when they begin developing their presentations.

What do you do about this?

I'm considering allowing the first two groups who present to redo their presentations later for full credit - if they'll act as guinea pigs, letting me critique them in front of everyone so that the whole group gets a feel for what the standards are.

Any thoughts?

[niceday]

I have my TA give an example presentation... Something she had actually presented so no extra work for her. Sets a good tone and provides an example. The mechanics of a good presentation are neither obvious nor innate -- just look at the number of awful presentations given in conferences by people with doctorates.

[systeme_d_]

Instead of making/allowing (depends on your viewpoint, doesn't it?) only some student groups to present twice, why don't you give a "bad" presentation illustrating some common problems, and let the class critique you?

[readandwept]

The most common problem I've noticed in student presentations (where the assignment is to present on a reading) is that students who are terrified of leaving anything out try to include every detail of the article/book they're presenting. This is when they become incredibly boring.

If I were assigning that kind of presentation, I would make it clear that part of the assignment is to identify major themes or questions and choose what is most important. In longer readings, even summarizing what the main argument is can be important work -- but only if it involves internalizing the argument and presenting it in one's own words, not a section-by-section walkthrough of everything said.

I love the idea of modeling good and bad presentations that students can watch with rubric in hand.

[new_bus_prof]

I wanted to thank you for the bump...

I ended up using rubrics again and they went a little better this year.
Not only did I give students the rubric, I had them tape a practice run and grade the practice themselves using the rubric. I keep discovering things to add, but they seemed to do alright.

The new adddition:
 ** It is not necessary for each student to talk the same amount of time, but it is necessary that each student cover a portion of the requirements.