Academic Presentations. How to Give an Effective Talk Code:  CR.005    Credits:  2
View general information   Description   The subject within the syllabus as a whole   Professional fields to which it applies   Prior knowledge   Information prior to enrolment   Learning objectives and results   Content   View the UOC learning resources used in the subject   Additional information on support tools and learning resources   Additional information on bibliography and information sources   Methodology   Guidelines on assessment at the UOC   View assessment model   Continuous assessment   Final assessment   Feedback  
This is the course plan for the second semester of the academic year 2023/2024. To check whether the course is being run this semester, go to the Virtual Campus section More UOC / The University / Programmes of study section on Campus. Once teaching starts, you'll be able to find it in the classroom. The course plan may be subject to change.
Academic Presentations. How to give an effective talk is a research course focused on the development of participants' communication skills, which aims to improve oral presentations, especially in academic and professional environments.

This course provides a whole set of resources to learn how to plan and organize an academic discourse in English. The course is taught in English; but the texts to work can also be in Catalan or Spanish, depending on the project decided by the student. This is not a grammar or English spelling course. The program is structured to provide the student with knowledge and techniques to improve their communication skills. It works on the argumentation, structure and rhetorical presentation of content, diction, gesture, time control and the good use of visual support. The main objective is for participants to gain confidence, ease and security to face any oral presentation.

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The UOC also offers research, transfer and entrepreneurship courses in English aimed at students, researchers and faculty to promote research in academia, scientific and business fields.

This course is also part of the Doctoral of Humanities and Communication training program.

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This course is aimed at students, researchers and teachers who have to make academic presentations.

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This course is for students who have already achieved a high level of English. You need to be able to understand written and oral English, prepare the content of a talk in English and record spontaneous video messages in English. That being said, your English does not need to be perfect; it is acceptable (and advisable) for you to seek help outside of class to improve the linguistic correctness of your final presentation and your PowerPoint slides, if you need it. Native speakers of English will also benefit from this course, as it focuses on design and delivery, rather than on English grammar and usage.

Also, you need to work toward a real presentation that you will give in the coming months: a paper at an upcoming conference? going on the job market? a thesis defense? Please make sure you have a specific presentation project to develop during the course.

 

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This course is intended for students who already have a high level of English. The student must be able to understand oral and written English, prepare content from an English communication and record small video messages in English. However, the student's English does not have to be perfect; it is accepted and recommended that the student can find external support to improve their linguistic correction in the final presentation and PowerPoint document. The course can also be done by Native English, as it focuses on design and communication more than on the use and grammar of English as a language.

In addition, the student has to think about a real presentation that he/she has to make in the near future: a planned communication for a congress? A presentation for a square contest? A thesis defence?

Students need to make sure they have a real presentation in mind to develop during the course.

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The course's general objective is to train participants to be able to design and deliver effective academic talks. 

This will function through a series of specific objectives:

  • Learn about the basic concepts linked to the design and production of academic talks.
  • Produce coherent and cohesive oral texts and adapt its content to the academic or professional register and to the needs of the audience. 
  • Take on board communication strategies for interacting naturally with the audience.
  • Strengthen researchers' abilities to communicate with a general public.

Competences

The course focuses on acquiring competencies linked to academic communication. Nonetheless, the knowledge gained can be applied to a wide range of professional settings. 

Interdisciplinary competencies
  • Ability to synthesize and organize ideas.
  • Skills to work in multidisciplinary teams.
  • Ability to communicate information effectively.
  • Skills to develop autonomous learning.
  • Ability to apply information technologies in the context in question.

Specific competencies 

  • Be able to produce clear, coherent and properly structured oral texts
  • Ability to use the right academic or professional register.
  • Control verbal and non-verbal communication techniques.
  • Ability to recognize the needs and characteristics of the audience.
  • Interpersonal communication skills: ability to listen and talk to the audience so as to correctly handle their questions.
  • Skill in the use of audiovisual support systems.

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1. How the course works

2. From written work to the conference

2.1 Differences between a written text and an oral presentation
2.2 Your audience

3, Presentation Structuring

3.1 General-specific-general
3.2 Inclusion of evidence in the body of the presentation
3.3 Keep the listener's attention

4. Making the presentation

4.1 Visual back: PowerPoint
4.2 Follow the style of your field presentations
4.3 Learn from the examples

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Material Support
How to give an effective talk Audiovisual

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Manual

Alley, Michael. The Craft of Scientific Presentations: Critical Steps to Succeed and Critical Errors to Avoid. Springer, 2003. 

Videos

  • How the course works
  • From paper to talk
  • Structuring the talk
  • Making your talk

Sample talks

View Materials/ Sources of Information

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Other recommended resources

Hofmann, Angelika H. Scientific Writing and Communication: Papers, Proposals, and Presentations. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014.

Jaffe, Clella. Public Speaking: Concepts and Skills for a Diverse Society. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2016.

Osborn, Suzanne; Michael Osborn; Randall Osborn. Public Speaking: Finding Your Voice. Pearson, 2012 (9th edition).

MIT's Undergraduate Research Opportunites Program. Speaking Tips: 

Toastmasters International (association dedicated to public speaking):

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The course consists of multimedia sessions followed by a program to prepare and present an academic communication.

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The assessment process is based on the student's personal work and presupposes authenticity of authorship and originality of the exercises completed.

Lack of authenticity of authorship or originality of assessment tests, copying or plagiarism, the fraudulent attempt to obtain a better academic result, collusion to copy or concealing or abetting copying, use of unauthorized material or devices during assessment, inter alia, are offences that may lead to serious academic or other sanctions.

Firstly, you will fail the course (D/0) if you commit any of these offences when completing activities defined as assessable in the course plan, including the final tests. Offences considered to be misconduct include, among others, the use of unauthorized material or devices during the tests, such as social media or internet search engines, or the copying of text from external sources (internet, class notes, books, articles, other students' essays or tests, etc.) without including the corresponding reference.

And secondly, the UOC's academic regulations state that any misconduct during assessment, in addition to leading to the student failing the course, may also lead to disciplinary procedures and sanctions.

The UOC reserves the right to request that students identify themselves and/or provide evidence of the authorship of their work, throughout the assessment process, and by the means the UOC specifies (synchronous or asynchronous). For this purpose, the UOC may require students to use a microphone, webcam or other devices during the assessment process, and to make sure that they are working correctly.

The checking of students' knowledge to verify authorship of their work will under no circumstances constitute a second assessment.

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You can only pass the course if you participate in and pass the continuous assessment. Your final mark for the course will be the mark you received in the continuous assessment.


Weighting of marks

Option to pass the course: Continuous assessment

Final course mark: Continuous assessment

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Assessment for this course consists of 4 continuous assessment assigments (PACs):

Assignment 1 (15%): Introduce your topic (2-4 min video)

Watch Video 1 before completing this assignment. You may take inspiration from these questions by Michael Alley (p. 68): What exactly is the subject? Why is this subject important? What background is needed to understand the subject? In what order will the subject be presented? You will also provide video feedback (2 min) on two classmates's speeches. 

Assignment 2 (15%): What and how. (4-6 min video)

In this video, you'll explain what your talk is about and how it will be structured. Watch videos 2 and 3 before completing this assignment. In video 3, you'll see that an academic talk has the shape of a sideways hourglass. How will you fit your talk into this shape? You will also provide video feedback (2 min) on two classmates's speeches. 

Assignment 3A (15%): Annotated PowerPoint presentation

See video 4 before completing this assignment. This assignment is the draft of the PowerPoint that you will use in Assignment 4. Plan no more than one slide per minute of talk. Use the notes section to annotate your presentation, but don't write out whole sentences! You will also provide video feedback on two classmate's PowerPoints.

Assignment 4 (35%). Final presentation (15-20 min video)

You will record your performance of your polished presentation. You will also provide video feedback on two classmate's PowerPoints. You will also receive feedback from the instructor.

Peer review (20%). Feedback for your classmates (8 2-min videos)

For each of the four assignments you will provide video feedback to two of your classmates. 

Participation in the Continuous Assessment is defined by submitting at least 50% of the assignments (PACs). A student who has submitted two assignments/PACs is considered to have opted for Continuous Assessment, even if s/he does not submit additional assignments.

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There is no separate final assessment. You will be evaluated continuously throughout the course based on the four assignments, and your final grade will be determined accordingly.

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You will receive feedback from your peers on assignments 1-4 and from your instructor on Assignment 4.

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