The purpose of this presentation is to give you experience presenting a technical topic to a technically savvy audience. Each student will select a topic, which must be approved by the instructor, for this presentation. The main presentations are to be 15 minutes long. Prior to the main presentation, each student will also give a 3 minute "elevator synopsis" of his or her topic.
Note that I am still trying to finalize other aspects of the class schedule, so the later dates listed here may shift.
Prior to presenting, you will be asked to share a copy of your slides with me. The primary purpose of this is to encourage you to prepare your slides well in advance of the actual date of your presentation, which will allow you time to practice your presentation with your slides.
Your slides will be graded on how effective and how complete they are. Effective slides minimize the amount of text, using the slide primarily to present pictures, movies, and other visual display aids.
You will be graded on how effectively you present the material on the topic you selected. Keys to an effective presentation include having the presentation be the correct length (going over or under will be penalized), effectively communicating the important ideas in your topic, and how well you handle yourself in front of the group.
I cannot stress this enough: Practice, Practice, Practice! Practicing will help you to deliver a much better presentation. Practicing will also allow you to precisely control the amount of time your presentation takes, helping you to fit the presentation into the allotted time. Practicing will also help you avoid the awkward, "surprise slide" that sometimes occurs if you have not practiced enough with your final slides.