Planning Group Presentations
There are both pros and cons to having to deliver a group presentation. On the plus side, you can share the workload and might feel more comfortable speaking within a group than being in front of the class alone. But, problems can arise in group presentations.
Group presentations are less successful when:
- Group members don't work together to make sure their component parts of the presentation flow smoothly together, resulting in what feels like 2 or 3 separate presentations
- Group members don't practice or know what other group members will be saying
- Group members don't plan ahead of time and certain parts of the presentation are stronger than others
- Some group members don't adhere to an agreed upon time limit
To ensure a successful group presentation:
- Divide up responsibilities
- Decide how you want the presentation to flow together. Will each member be covering a different point or subtopic, or will you alternate speaking between members?
- Plan to meet frequently and set deadlines for the group
- Set aside time a week in advance of the presentation to practice and edit the presentation together
- Communicate with your group members about any changes you want to make to your portion
- Look for and eliminate overlap. Avoid having group members repeat what was already said before.
- If you are using presentation software, make sure you stick to a consistent theme. The presentation should look like one presentation.
- Add transitions between group members. For example, "Next, Jaspreet will discuss how x relates to y."
