Results of redesigned oral presentations and assessment

Abstract

One of the most important aims of tertiary education is to teach students how to communicate effectively, with good oral skills being of utmost vocational importance (Hay 1994). Thus, students are required to give a 15 minute oral presentation to their peers in a 2nd year genetics subject. In the past, students were only summatively assessed by their demonstrators. This year, they were given the opportunity to prepare a practice presentation for which they would receive formative feedback from their demonstrators prior to their assessed presentation. The students also received formative feedback from their peers. Most of the students in our course took this exercise seriously, both in their capacity as presenters and as participants. Only 10 students out of a class of 177 chose not to prepare a practice presentation. Overall, 60% of students showed improvement on their assessed presentations compared to their practice ones, indicating that the redesign of this component was successful.