Presentation Slides Assignment (10%, 100 pts.)
This assignment requires you to consider how presentation slides function as a medium and, more specifically, how this medium should be used to effectively supplement oral communication during a presentation (avoiding the all-too-common tendency to fill slides full of text to simply reiterate what is spoken). To this end, you will create a set of (Keynote or Powerpoint) presentation slides about one topic from the course unit you are assigned.
You will need to choose a specific concept/topic from the course unit you are assigned rather than providing information on an entire chapter. If, for example, you were assigned to the unit on “representation,” you would be expected to skim the assigned readings for that unit and select a (sub)topic you would like to address (such as representations of Blackness in American television or women in film). Further, you will be expected to logically organize and present your topic in presentation slides. To accomplish this, you will need to consider the best structure to information that pertains to your topic (which typically requires students to avoid duplicating/regurgitating the organization of information in course readings) and to consider the best/ideal visual examples to illustrate your topic (which typically requires students to locate visuals and clips that might not be addressed in course readings).
Assignment Requirements
Presentation Slides
- A “title” slide: Provide a unique title for the topic you have selected and be sure to include your name (and pertinent personal/course information).
- An “outline” slide: Provide an overview of the information addressed in your slides.
- 6-8 “content” slides: These should include carefully designed/curated textual and visual content, which is addressed with more depth in the presenter notes.
- 3 (or more) visuals: These should complement content on slides or in presenter notes and, ideally, are not text-based visuals (such as logos or tables of data).
- 1 embedded media clip/video: This clip should not be longer than 5 minutes and should complement visual/textual information in your slides and presenter notes. In the past, students have taken different approaches to select media clips. It is acceptable to select a clip that simply describes a concept from the reading, but it is often better to select a clip that functions as an example of the topic/concept you are describing.
- NOTE: to embed a clip means you do not just provide a link. Instead, you should attach the video file from the web, which may require you to use a site like BitDownloader
Presenter Notes (for each slide)
- Your slides require a careful balance between text and image, which will require you to include presenter notes to explain or expand upon slide content. The bulk of textual information should be provided in presenter notes.
- Apple Keynote: Presenter notes can be located by selecting “View” > “Show Presenter Notes.”
- Microsoft Powerpoint: Presenter notes can be located by selecting “Notes” along the bottom of the window or by selecting “View” > “Notes Page.”
- Structure: You can choose to provide notes in the form of an outline, which would include all of the information you would address while each slide is presented, or you can choose to provide notes that are written like a script, which reads like a word-for-word transcript you would present for each slide.
- Content: Your presenter notes should provide detailed information about what you would address while the slide is presented. Be sure to fully articulate what content is being addressed on each slide and how you are connecting visuals/clips to presentation content.
- References: You will be expected to provide citations for all source material in your slides.
- For course readings: you only need to provide parenthetical references to pages. For example: “Race is a socially constructed concept” (Croteau & Hoynes, p. 231). Or, written in another way: As Croteau and Hoynes explain, “race is a socially constructed concept” (p. 231).
- For visuals/media clips: you should provide a full citation to indicate where the content was found. The format for media content/clips is: Creator/Author (First-Name Last-Name), Image/Video Title (in italics), Publication Date (Month Day, Year), website address. An example would be: Official Rick Astley, Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give You Up (Video), October 24, 2009, https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ
- For other sources: while you are not expected to do additional research for this assignment, you will need to provide citations if you decide to incorporate additional sources. The format for citing other web sources is: Author (First-Name Last-Name), “Article Title (in quotation marks),” Website Title (in italics), Publication Date or Date You Access the Page (Month Day, Year), website address. For example, if I cite this webpage: Kristopher L. Cannon, “Media, Culture, & Society – Assignments & Grading – Spring 2019,” February 01, 2019, https://www.kristophercannon.com/courses/mscr1220/assignments/