In engineering courses, group presentations are a common assessment task, especially when there is project-based or exploratory learning. These presentations are a good way to assess students' verbal and visual-aural communication skills and can be engaging assessment tasks.
However, traditional group presentations have their drawbacks. Often the student group have only 10 to 15 minutes to present in front of the whole class. There is little time for discussion, question and answers, or feedback. There is also the possibility that not every member of the student group has contributed to the preparation and delivery of the presentation. Additionally, presenting this way can be very dull for the audience, and there is often little time for audience-presenter interactions or individualised feedback.
To ensure that every student engages with the preparation, delivery and assessment of the group's presentation, I apply an "equal representation" approach to group presentation.
Teach-1: Inspires and motivates students from diverse backgrounds to engage in critical thinking and active learning during group presentation
In my approach, the student group prepares the presentation as usual, but on the day of the presentation, each group member forms a new group with a member from the other groups. Students from the same original group simultaneously present their original group's presentation to the new group. To assess the group presentation, I randomly choose one of the presentation to watch and assess. The advantage of this approach is every group member has to engage and support other group members in the preparation and delivery of their group's presentation as they all have to present and any member could be the one who is assessed on the day of the presentation.
Teach-2: Uses technology effectively to communicate with students and promote learning
To help students understand what is required of them, I provided them with real-world exemplars, as well as evaluation of the exemplars according to the assessment criteria in Padlet. On the day of the presentation, I also provided the students with a Microsoft Form or Padlet for peer assessment and feedback of the presentation, as well as to ask of or answer questions from their peers. I also shared copies of the Microsoft PowerPoint slides so that the other students can provide comments or suggestions directly in the slide. Rich assessment and feedback data is collected using these approaches and these information can also be used for follow-up assessment or evaluation. For example, to evaluation the students' ability to evaluate the quality of the presentation, ask good question and provide constructive feedback. This ensured students who are the audience engage fully with every presentation during, and even after class. The presentation can also be recorded and transcribed using Microsoft Teams (and it is also easier to record a video of a small group presentation) for review after class.
Teach-3: Creates inclusive, safe, and supportive learning environments for students
The presentation can occur in-person, or online or in hybrid mode via Microsoft Teams. Small groups are more inclusive, safe, and engaging for students, especially when delivering in hybrid mode. The use of Microsoft Teams also made it easier to invite industry representative into the classroom, and to foster close interaction between industry representatives and the students.
Teach-4: Uses evidence-informed teaching approaches to enhance students' learning
My approach is an adaptation of the Jigsaw approach to group presentation. Developed by social psychologist Elliot Aronson, the jigsaw method is an instructional strategy that fosters interdependence among students to achieve success in the classroom. This approach involves dividing students into groups that are tasked with assembling different segments of a given assignment, which are then combined to form a complete synthesis. Notably, a study conducted by John Hattie found that this method has a positive impact on students' learning outcomes.