Alternative Considerations to Synchronous Presentations in Seminars

This resource is to support instructors when considering presentation assessments as part of an assessment strategy for the course. It provides aspects to consider when assigning presentation type assessments for courses as well as some alternatives or different design strategies for presentation assessments.  

Step 1: Determine what essential learning requirements, if any, the presentation assessment aligns with for the course. 

Please see the essential course requirements analysis resource for support on how to determine essential course requirements. 

Step 2: Consider alternative ways of expressing learning that still meet learning outcomes 

Are there other ways this learning outcome can be demonstrated outside of a synchronous in seminar presentation format? 

The context and course content will be important to these decisions, such as having students summarize or analyze information in an accessible manner, but some alternative assessments you may consider are: 

  • A voice over recording of a presentation  
  • A podcast type recording 
  • A poster presentation 
  • An infographic 
  • Embodied learning without speech 

Step 3: Consider different assessment design for the presentation that still meets learning outcomes 

If a synchronous presentation must be done in order to meet essential course requirements, for example, if you are teaching a public speaking course, then there are different ways to design the presentation to support learners in a meaningful way. 

  • Dialogic as opposed to monologue type presentation 
  • Pecha Kucha type presentations that are shorter in length (i.e. less than 7minutes)
  • Provide clear guidance in terms of notes or presentation supports that can allow learners to meet learning outcomes 

Resources 

  • Coskun, A. (2017). The Effect of Pecha Kucha Presentations on Students’ English Public Speaking Anxiety. PROFILE Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 19, 11–22. https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v19n_sup1.68495 
  • Gosselin, D.C. & Golick, D. (2020). Posters as an effective assessment tool for a capstone course. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 10, 426-437.  
  • Grieve, R., Woodley, J., Hunt, S. E., & McKay, A. (2021). Student fears of oral presentations and public speaking in higher education: a qualitative survey. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 45(9), 1281–1293. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2021.1948509 
  • Hrach, S. (2021). Minding Bodies: How Physical Space, Sensation, and Movement Affect Learning. University of West Virginia Press.  
  • Miller, C. T. (2023). Classroom Trade Show: An Alternative to Traditional Classroom Presentations in an Undergraduate Plant Identification Course. HortTechnology, 33(1), 111-117. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH05148-22 
  • University of Leeds. (2023, December 15). Dialogic Presentations.