Online Proposal Rehearsals

This activity gives students an opportunity to rehearse their oral research proposals outside of class time in small groups before receiving holistic feedback from a larger group. It is designed to be completed synchronously, in real time, in small groups. Students will take turns being presenters and audience members; they will also both present their own projects and critique their peers’ projects in one sitting. This activity allows students to receive live feedback before recording their final presentations and uploading them online.

Activity title: Oral Research Proposal (ORP) Rehearsals

Author: Tesla Schaeffer

Course: PWR 2

Activity length and schedule: This activity is to be scheduled before students record their final ORP for their classmates’ review to the class’s Box folder. It is recommended that each member of the practice group receive 10-12 minutes of time: 5 minutes for the practice presentation, and 5-6 minutes are for audience feedback.

Activity goals: This activity helps students get more practice with their oral presentation projects by allowing them to work in small groups. It also helps develop students’ rhetorical habits of approaching presentations by asking them to alternate between being a presenter and an audience member in the same session. Finally, it helps build class communities, as students will get to work in smaller groups before the final presentation.

Activity details: Students will receive feedback on the clarity and effectiveness of their content choices, the effect of their vocal, embodied and visual rhetoric, and the overall impression their digital presentation is making.

See student-facing instructions for the activity here.