organisation of the slides should all form part of assessment. The University of Exeter includes reference to use of visual material in the assessment criteria. The University of East Anglia also includes an assessment of the student's ability to utilise the technology with the presentation, assessing how visual aids are used and choreographed (UEA, 2012).
In terms of oral skills, students are assessed on overall delivery - interaction with the audience, clarity and audibility of voice, and appropriate level and speed of delivery. Ramsey and Davies (2001) also suggest additional assessment criteria of delivery, such as eye contact with, and appropriate response to the audience, self assurance and enthusiasm. The marking criteria of the history department of University of Sheffield also includes assessment of oral presentation skills, focussing on delivery, ability to convey difficult information, and interesting and effective responses to questions. The University of Exeter includes evidence of research and methodological approaches in the marking criteria. This is also evidenced, to some extent, in Brunel University, which assesses content and structure of presentations, as well as readability and use of visual aids. Dryden et al (2003) highlight a number of issues with regard to the criteria of presentations. Firstly, they question the reliability and validity of assessment, arguing that the criteria does not allow for consistency of marking, given the transient nature of presentations. They also argue that criteria such as voice are subjective, and that other skills and knowledge may be overshadowed.
Impact of dyslexia on giving presentations The University of Nottingham has developed a teachers' guide to support students with dyslexia which has identified the following key areas of difficulty: word retrieval, organization of ideas into coherent sentences, mispronunciation of words (both familiar and unfamiliar), and the continuation of a structured argument. In relation to recall, a problem sometimes associated with dyslexic students, Haywood (2000) argued that students could often be confused when incorporating notes into a presentation, as these add to the demand on the working memory.
Supporting students to develop the necessary skills Tutors can support students to develop presentation skills. In terms of preparation, Haywood (2000) suggests that students should avoid putting whole sentences and phrases onto note cards and instead use one or two trigger words in large print. She also suggested putting the words in different colours, to make them stand out and differentiate main points and minor points. All the main points could be in red for example. If a student is running out of time, he or she can revert to the points in red. The advantage for students is that they don't have to make the decision about what to leave out during the presentation. Cottrell (2003) suggests the postcard technique, which provides a structure to the presentation and supports the student in managing the different elements. The talk is split into sections, each with a sub-heading. The student writes one heading and prompt words on each postcard and numbers the cards in the order of points to be addressed. A similar strategy is to put the key headings onto the PowerPoint. The advantage of this is that the student is not looking from notes to slides.
In terms of oral presentation skills, students should be encouraged to practise delivery in a non-threatening environment. Jamieson and Morgan (2008) advocate the use of practising presentations with peer groups. This enables the student to get feedback on their delivery and to gain a deeper understanding about what is effective. Patri (2001) found that when specific criteria were set, students were able to accurately assess their peers' performance.
Conclusion Different types of assignments are now a feature of further and higher education. This diversity helps students to develop skills pertinent to the workplace. The diversification of assignments does, however,
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